4 Fixes for Can’t Select or Highlight Text in Microsoft Word for Windows

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he’s a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

Try Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Turn Off Protected View

Microsoft Word includes a Protected View feature that lets you open any suspicious files without putting your computer at risk of malware. However, this feature can sometimes end up blocking files that are perfectly safe.

If you’re confident about the legitimacy of your Word document, you can temporarily disable the Protected View feature to see if that helps.

Step 1:Open your Microsoft Word document and click theFilemenu at the top-left corner.

Step 2:SelectOptionsfrom the left pane.

Step 3:Switch to theTrust Centertab and click theTrust Center Settingsbutton on the right pane.

Step 4:Uncheck all three checkboxes and clickOKto save changes.

After disabling the Protected View, you should be able to select or highlight text in Word.

Fix 2: Avoid Running Word in Compatibility Mode

Whilethe compatibility mode feature in Windowscan help you run old software and games on your PC, it is not suitable for modern-day apps like Microsoft Word. Hence, it’s best to ensure Word is not running in compatibility mode.

To do so, select the app shortcut and pressAlt + Enterto open its properties. Switch to theCompatibilitytab and uncheck theRun this program in compatibility mode foroption. Then, clickApplyfollowed byOK.

Reopen your Word document to check if you can select the text.

Fix 3: Repair the Problematic Word Document

If you can’t select or highlight text with your mouse only in a specific document, there may be an issue with that Word file. In that case, you can use these steps to repair the Word document.

Step 1:Open Microsoft Word on your PC.

Step 2:SelectOpenfrom the left sidebar and click theBrowseoption.

Step 3:Locate and select your Word file. Then, click the downward arrow next toOpento selectOpen and Repair.

Fix 4: Run the Office Repair Tool

Microsoft offers a dedicated repair tool for fixing issues with Office apps like Word. Running this tool can help fix any damaged files associated with Word that may be preventing you from selecting or highlighting text. Here’s how to run it.

Step 1:Press theWindows key + Rto open the Run dialog box. Typeappwiz.cplin the box and pressEnter.

Step 2:In the Programs and Features window, locate and select the Microsoft Office product on the list. Then, click theChangebutton at the top.

Step 3:Select theOnline Repairoption and clickRepair.

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Last updated on 10 August, 2024

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