Cannot perform simple copy & paste on new Word version.

Question

I cannot highlight text to copy/paste or amend in in Word anymore. I have tried to disable the (ahem) 'smart' highlighting which is infuriatingly stoping me from simple click and drag to highlight specific texts. I do not want to auto-highlight paragraphs or sentences, I want to be able to click, drag and highlight as I wish to.

Is this a new 'function' of the Word upgrade or is it a glitch?

Answer 1

Restarting your Mac may help. For more, see Bob Jones's reply in the thread at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5387559/ .

Answer 2

This behavior is not an intentional new feature; it is a common issue that can occur in Word for Mac where drag-to-select (click and drag to highlight) stops working as expected. It is treated as a problem to be fixed or worked around, not as the new normal.

For Word on macOS, there is no File > Options path like on Windows, so the Windows-specific instructions found online do not apply. Instead, use Word’s own selection tools and settings on Mac.

Recommended actions:

1. Use alternative, more precise selection methods The moderator guidance for similar Mac issues points to using built‑in selection techniques instead of relying on drag‑select. These methods are often more reliable and efficient:
   • Double‑click a word to select it.
   • Triple‑click in a paragraph to select the entire paragraph.
   • Shift+click: click at the start of the text, then hold Shift and click at the end to select the range.
   • Use keyboard selection (e.g., Shift+Arrow keys) to extend or shrink the selection.
2. Review Word for Mac selection behavior The related answers for Mac users who cannot highlight or copy in Word indicate that this is a known, fairly common issue, and that using the documented selection techniques is the recommended workaround while the underlying behavior is misbehaving.

If drag‑select remains unreliable after restarting Word and macOS, treat it as a glitch and rely on the alternative selection methods above, which are explicitly recommended for Word on Mac in similar cases.

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References:

• I cannot copy text on word. I have a MacBook and I can highlight and copy on every other platform but Word. Any fix or solution? - Microsoft Q&A
• Cursor no longer working on Mac to highlight text in Word - Microsoft Q&A