Word auto-highlighting, how to make it STOP!

Anonymous
2014-01-17T18:00:43+00:00

How do you disable this STUPID feature?

I'm trying to highlight a single word or some part of a word for cut&paste operations and Word auto-highlights the whole line and sometimes the whole paragraph or page.

I can be using a mouse, I can be using the shift+arrow keys, it doesn't matter. The auto-highlight takes over.

it seems to be worse on any kind of bullets and numbering or any header/footer fields.

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auto-indent is another evil feature. cut and paste from a notepad  and the indent is changed on your bullets and numbering. pretty much control-v means indent text right ->

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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  1. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-09-28T22:31:53+00:00

    Joe is correct, the feature is annoying.

    The problem occurs in some Emails and a form to fill in in Word.

    The behavior in e-mails isn't controlled by Word. Check the settings of your e-mail program.

    If by "form" you mean a protected form with text form fields, then you are quite right: selecting part of the text in a field is tricky.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-28T22:07:08+00:00

    I have the same problem I HAVE unchecked the box but Microsoft could give **** less what I want my computer to do. It still thinks it knows better what I want than I do. It ALWAYS highlights to the end of the word PLUS THE NEXT SPACE. I don't want you to "HELP" me any more. Just highlight WHAT I ASK YOU TO

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-25T09:41:20+00:00

    I have tried all combinations suggested, (and many more) and the same thing happens.

    Click, then shift click highlights previous paragraph.

    Click then ctrl click previous paragraph.

    I have tried using the cursor keys, it will not even highlight a single letter.

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  4. Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-09-25T09:20:26+00:00

    I did not say click and drag.  I said click and then move, press SHIFT while Left clicking again.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-09-25T08:02:37+00:00

    Joe is correct, the feature is annoying.

    The problem occurs in some Emails and a form to fill in in Word.

    The ability to turn off this feature is not present.

    If I click the middle of the word and drag to the right, the following paragraph is highlighted, drag left and the preceding one is highlighting. Double click highlights the entire paragraph.

    I consider this a bug in the Word software, its a pity Microsoft do not. Control of the document should always reside with the end-user, anything that takes away this control is a fault, in my view.

    Regards

    Paul

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