Problem with cut and paste in Word for Mac

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Journey_2022 Author

Level 1

4 points

Problem with cut and paste in Word for Mac

I can't select text in Word (MS Office 365), to copy and paste for example. Microsoft support was not helpful. This problem just started.

Posted on Oct 24, 2023 11:30 AM

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Answer 1

Journey_2022 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 25, 2023 8:40 AM in response to D.I. Johnson

Thank you. The MacBook Pro model year is 2016, and I am using Monterey v.12.7

I am not able to select text by clicking on the touchpad and highlighting a word or sentence. I can select text in e-mails, pdfs, PowerPoint, etc., then click Edit>copy and Edit>paste into a Word document.

When I restarted in Safe mode, I was able to copy and paste within a Word document, although it was difficult to highlight with any precision because there was a large blank field over the words that I was highlighting. I did allow my MacBook Pro to "soak" in safe mode for a few hours.

When I rebooted normally, I was not able to select text in Word.

I tried working with Office 365 support, which did not help, but I will try a Word user group, as stumpy1946 suggests.

I appreciate your suggestions and would welcome others.

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Answer 2

Oct 24, 2023 11:34 AM in response to Journey_2022

Please tell us which MacBook Pro model year you’re having trouble with, and what macOS version you’re running. Find that info by clicking the Apple menu () at the top-left of your screen and then select About This Mac.

(Note- for privacy and security please never post your serial number.)

What happens when you try to copy/paste?

If a simple reboot of your Mac doesn’t fix things, see if the problem still happens in Safe mode (press and hold the shift key down at startup). It can take much longer to safe boot (5 min) so be patient.

How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

Safe mode very often corrects weird software behavior by forcing the OS to do cache clearing and other housekeeping. When you're in safe boot, the machine will not be at its best performance, especially with graphics, but that's expected.

Does the problem persist while in Safe mode?

Often not required, but consider allowing the Mac to "soak" in Safe mode for an hour to allow maintenance routines and processes time to complete, then exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally and re-evaluate the issue again.

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Answer 3

Oct 24, 2023 11:35 AM in response to Journey_2022

What method is failing? We have ten installations of Word (5 Mac and 5 Windows via VM) and for us the process is unchanged.

You might try a Word user group which like here is composed of users, not Apple or Microsoft employees.

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Problem with cut and paste in Word for Mac

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