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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  3. Anonymous
    2016-10-25T18:30:33+00:00

    Hello.

    I'm unsure if anyone out there still needs this answer, but I just figured it out on my end. Been having this problem at work and nothing infuriates me more than software not doing what I tell it to. 

    I went to File, then down to Options. (Not sure of different ways to get here with other versions, I have 2010.) Under Options, I clicked Advanced. Then allll the way at the bottom, under Compatibility Options, there's a checkbox for 'Select entire field with first or last character'. I unchecked that box, and lo and behold, I have control of my highlighting again!

    Hope this helps, even if it's two years late.

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  4. Stefan Blom 352.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2016-10-25T19:00:59+00:00

    Thanks for the follow-up. That option would only apply to selecting Word fields, though.

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  5. Anonymous
    2017-01-28T18:31:18+00:00

    What a shame they hide it under "File". It was easy to find under "Tools".

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