Why does the blinking I-beam cursor keep disappearing when editing text inside tables in Word 2011?

Anonymous
2015-01-26T19:47:56+00:00

Currently in Word 2011 14.4.7 on OS X 10.10.1 (but the problem has existed forever).

Whenever I edit a Word document containing tables with text in the table cells, once the blinking I-beam cursor is inside table cells, it tends to stop blinking and disappear altogether for entire seconds on end. This makes it very difficult to keep track of where one's cursor actually is. 

Why does this keep happening?

Same thing in text boxes and other "text within a frame" contexts.

Pierre Igot

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-02-13T18:41:24+00:00

    Just to add to the "you appear to be the only one with this unique problem" assertion:

    http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/139199/always-show-text-cursor-while-moving-it-in-word

    Different user, same problem, no solution either.

    For your information.

    And of course, more generally, a Google search:

    disappearing cursor in word for Mac

    returns plenty of hits (not just my stuff).

    Pierre

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-02-14T02:00:40+00:00

    There are complaints about disappearing cursor. But what was unique about this was with Text box. And that is eve more unique.

    _________

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    The opinions, replies & answers are solely mine and mine alone, and do not reflect upon my position as a Community Moderator.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-02-14T15:30:31+00:00

    The only possibly "unique" thing is that I am describing the bug more accurately than other reports, because I have extensive experience with it (see posts above).

    That doesn't mean that other complaints about the disappearing cursor don't involve text boxes as well.

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-02-14T16:49:43+00:00

    On a side note, I can reproduce this in a test user environment with zero custom settings:

    1. Put your I-beam cursor in Notes section in a PowerPoint 2011 presentation (in Normal view).
    2. Switch to another app.
    3. Switch back.

    No more cursor. Ahem.

    Sure, it's PowerPoint, not Word. But to me it's a sign of how much Microsoft's engineers care about the reliable blinking of the I-beam cursor in Microsoft apps in OS X.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-02-15T10:38:56+00:00

    It does not happen in my PowerPoint.

    In Word, try Draft View as a workaround.

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