I can't type in a cell after cell merge in MS Word

Anonymous
2017-09-07T06:12:50+00:00

Hello,

I am working on a table in MS Word and trying to merge and change the cell direction to vertical on the very first column on the left of a table.  But when I merge 3 cells, I can no longer type text in that merged cell.

I was able to do this before and saved this document as such.  But now that I want to go back and edit the table, the text that was in that first merged column is gone and I can no longer type anything in it.  

Also, after I click the merge option, the little + symbol at the top left corner of my table disappears.  I have never had this happen to me before while using the tables feature

I tried restarting my computer but it is still doing this.

HELP!

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Anonymous
2017-09-17T21:23:17+00:00

Hello Melanie,

Microsoft is aware of the ongoing issue with the merged table cells not working correctly in Word 2016. As of September 11, a workaround was released and a resolution is tentatively scheduled for October 3. As a workaround, you can uninstall both the latest update for Word 2016: KB3213656 and KB4011039. Your merged table cells should return to normal after removing both KBs. For more information about this known issue, you can refer to this article. Follow the steps below on how to uninstall an update on Windows 10:

  1. Close Word 2016.
  2. Select the Start button.
  3. Go to Settings > Update & security > Update history > Uninstall updates.
  4. Look for KB3213656 and KB4011039.
  5. Select the updates and then click Uninstall.
  6. Click Yes or enter the administrator password to proceed with the removal process.
  7. Wait for the process to complete.

We're just here if you need further assistance.

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-09-19T13:31:42+00:00

    Because I am using Word for work, my IT dept. tells me they can't remove the update from my machine without the network putting it back on once it realized my machine doesn't have it. 

    Secondly, I noticed the issue occurs (at least on my machine) when I merge cells vertically below the first (top-most) row. If I merge horizontally, I can still type. And if I merge vertically and include the top-most row I can still type.  

    I tried to trick the system by merging cells vertically with the top most row to get the cell merger I needed and then adding a new row above for my header information. The system somehow reverted back to bug and made my text invisible. I suspect the text is actually there but it is hidden above the upper bounds of what is being displayed. 

    I have included a screen grab to  illustrate what I have found out. As can be seen, the left most cell merger is not capable of being typed in (no end of cell marker). The other mergers you can still type in, as indicated by the end of cell marker still visible. 

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-09-19T07:21:28+00:00

    i removed the update and then it automatically installed it again. Since Microsoft has acknowledged this problem, should they stop pushing out this update? It is so annoying.

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  4. Anonymous
    2017-09-18T07:00:09+00:00

    very much useful. my problem has got rectified

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