Word 2016 - Right clicking on highlighted text deselects it

Anonymous
2017-01-18T15:39:50+00:00

To put it lightly, this is driving me insane!!!  I just installed Office 2016, so I'm still getting used to it, but when I highlight a word or block of text, then right click to get the copy option, instead of giving me that drop down menu, it just deselects the text I just selected.  There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to what does eventually cause the right click menu to appear and I have to either just keep selecting the text and right clicking until it eventually gives me the right click menu or I have to select the text and hit the copy icon on the top toolbar - which is a huge hassle when I'm doing this a lot and I have to move my mouse from the text all the way up to the toolbar instead of being able to leave my mouse in position and right click and get that right click menu.  This is such a hassle to me, that I'm seriously considering uninstalling Office 2016 and going back to Office 2010.  Please help someone!  I love the cloud feature to store my important documents on OneDrive so I always have a backup, but not so much so as to endure this right clicking problem.  My mouse is fine (brand new just before xmas in fact, trusted brand of Logitech) and all drivers are up to date.  I have checked settings on my mouse and there are no settings to do with this deselection and it is only happening in the Office 2016 products I have installed.  Of note, I am using Office 2016 on a computer with Windows 7, 64 bit version installed.

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Anonymous
2018-05-25T03:57:26+00:00

Had this issue myself.  Found a fix.

To fix this: Hit the File tab, go down to Options, and in the General section right at the top, there's a box that reads: "Show mini toolbar on selection".  Un-check this box, then hit okay, and the problem should be solved.  Right click should work properly again with no more text deselect.  Worked for me.

What people are saying is accurate in that it has to do with tiny mouse movements, BUT this is caused by a feature that was added recently.  It's that mini formatting toolbar that pops up automatically whenever you highlight something that's causing the problem.  This added feature creates an overlap of systems where Word thinks you're trying to select new text and interact with the new toolbar instead of just right clicking on the text that's already been highlighted.  Best way I can explain why I think the problem happens.  Turning off the mini formatting toolbar avoids this confusion, and the right click option is freed up again.  Not sure why this is even a feature since the mini formatting toolbar shows up just above or below the right click pop up window anyway.  I guess it was added to erase the need to right click at all?  This idea sounds like it would add greater efficiency, but in reality it seems to have just made things less efficient.  Poor design, in other words, but not necessarily a bug.  Oh well.  Anyway, that's the fix everybody.

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-01-24T15:39:24+00:00

    I am fairly convinced that the problem is tiny movements of the mouse. On a large or high-resolution screen, tiny movements of the hand cause discernible shudder of the mouse pointer. If I take care to deliberately stop the mouse after moving it to the spot, and right-click with it at rest, I get the right-click menu.

    Firepig

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-01-24T15:14:46+00:00

    Just chiming in to say that I'm observing the same behavior and it's driving me crazy. As other posters have mentioned, I can use a right click to highlight text, which shouldn't be the case. I've never experienced this problem before and it has got to be fixed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-28T03:38:40+00:00

    Hi Murray,

    If the issue only happens when using your Word app, then it could be an issue with the performance of your Word that affects your mouse. For us to isolate the problem, we would like to know if you tried uninstalling and reinstalling your Word app? Also, were you able to repair your Office apps? If not, click this link on how to repair your Office apps.

    We will be waiting for your response.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-24T06:04:42+00:00

    The same problem happens intermittently on my work PC running office 2016.  That has a different mouse.

    In both cases I'm careful to not move the mouse.

    The problem does not happen on other applications either.  Its confined to word.

    If it were a problem with the mouse, other applications would be affected, and they are not.  

    Murray

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