It is ridiculous I can't even copy and paste texts in Word - it is the most important function that a computer user can imagine. How do I fix this so that I can copy & paste? The only solution is to press shift when I launch the application, but I shouldn't have to do that because it will exhaust me so much I will be tired.
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Word 2011 - Copy & Paste text broken
- Thread starter Frozzie
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I cannot see how it is going to make a difference - and I have rebooted. It makes no difference.
Have you tried safe mode? it's possible some other app is interfering, doubtful but possible.
Does cut and paste work in other apps such as PowerPoint as wells non-Office apps?
As a last resort, you can delete and reinstall Word.
Of course it works on non-office apps. It also works in PowerPoint, but I don't see delete and reinstall as permanent solution because once in future it will happen again. If I can iron out this problem without having to go through all that hassle the problem is fixed - reinstall is just delaying the inevitable.
Have you checked your settings under the following menu options: Word>Preferences>Edit and then see if your setting there haven't changed, these are mine (the smaller settings box is revealed when you click the settings button under the Cut and Paste options):
Attachments
Have reinstalled about four times previously, so it is something that will come back in a matter of time and not a permanent solution.
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Exactly same. Once again let me say the problem isnt there when i press shift before launching word. But i should not have to do that.
Then it's one of your settings - you need to reset all of Word's settings to their defaults; you may need to delete your Word preferences folder to do this. You can google how to do that.
If it keeps coming back, then something is messing with your Word preferences. Not sure what would do that other than a .dot file maybe?
Tried deleting preference (.plist) files and also Normal.dot like you said, but made no difference. I don't know any other way of deleting preference folders but even with google I didn't find anything new.
Ended up reinstalling anyway. Let's see how long it lasts before same problem crops up again - hopefully by that time there is Office for Mac 2014 around.
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OK - I just updated my Word (latest version) and have no cut and paste problems; which leads me to believe some other program is messing with your install. Any luck with safe mode boot of your Mac?
Nope, it didn't make any difference. I can't see how safe mode can save it because on all other programmes cmd+v works as paste function.
The only plugin I installed was Mathtype. And to give more details, I didn't install everything for Office 2011 (e.g. outlook, communicator, messenger) as I unticked few features that I don't use.
Safe mode, amongst other things, eliminates all startup items when booting - so if one of them is causing the problem it Word should behave normally. It's quite possible one program is causing the problem only in Word - SpellCatcher, for example, as issues with Outlook but generally works fine with other programs.
So a safe boot would let you eliminate external programs that may be causing the issue. It seems you've done a safe boot and that didn't fix the problem, then it's probably an add-in to Word - have you removed all of them; including MathType? Did you install any earlier that may not have been fully removed from your system? Since Word works fine if you start it in t's safe mode that makes it even more likely to be an add-in you've installed.
Since I am running the same version of Word, with no issues, it seems that it's a program or add-in that is causing your issue.
As a side note - does mouse selected cut and paste work normally?
Also - do you have any services installed that may trap cmd-v?
It is MathType. I uninstalled it, then problem was gone.
Problem is that I need it for my iWork that I use - but then I can't install MathType without installing it for Office as well. So what I am going to do - uninstall everything, Then Install iWork and MathType first before installing Office.
Problem is that I need it for my iWork that I use - but then I can't install MathType without installing it for Office as well. So what I am going to do - uninstall everything, Then Install iWork and MathType first before installing Office.
I agree Mathtype may be the culprit.
FIXED
Having Word as the active application, go to Tools, Templates and Add ons, uncheck MathType, Press OK.
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I agree that it is Mathtype but I am having the opposite problem. When I unintsalled Mathtype it broke the copy and past. I received a specific error on it,
MathType Commands
An error starting MathType's commands for Word. Please reinstall Mathtype.
I on the other hand do not want it. I found the Math in Open Office to be easier to use. I have to check my settings, hopefully, i can find it and fix it.
FIXED
Having Word as the active application, go to Tools, Templates and Add ons, uncheck MathType, Press OK.
********************
I agree that it is Mathtype but I am having the opposite problem. When I unintsalled Mathtype it broke the copy and past. I received a specific error on it,
MathType Commands
An error starting MathType's commands for Word. Please reinstall Mathtype.
I on the other hand do not want it. I found the Math in Open Office to be easier to use. I have to check my settings, hopefully, i can find it and fix it.
Word 2011 - Copy & Paste text broken, will not print from Word
Many thanks for the fix. In my case I found that Mathtype had stopped Word from printing and broke the cut and paste option.
The printing options were just ignored in Word, but of course worked OK in Excel.
I found that I had to delete the MathType Commands.dit file from here:
/Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Word/MathType Commands.dot
So far so good...
Many thanks for the fix. In my case I found that Mathtype had stopped Word from printing and broke the cut and paste option.
The printing options were just ignored in Word, but of course worked OK in Excel.
I found that I had to delete the MathType Commands.dit file from here:
/Applications/Microsoft Office 2011/Office/Startup/Word/MathType Commands.dot
So far so good...
Hi... I know is long time form this, I have same problem on Power Point cant copy and paste anything with in teh sam document, and forget about other documents, ive read the post but i cant find any MathType docuent to delete... Any suggestons??? it happens only in Power point
[doublepost=1518307680][/doublepost]Open a word document then click preferences, click edit, under cut and paste click settings, click default settings and then click custom. This worked for me. Mac Pro version 10.13.3 with latest word (2017)