editing in word: selecting only text --- nota text box selection --- how?

[AC]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Power PC

How do I edit a word document by selecting only text that needs editing....not an entire line of text or a paragraph. Everytime I try to insert the cursor, I end up selecting an entire line. I just need to select the exact text...not the total line or grouping.

Where do I go to set this up right?

 

[CyberTaz]

Hello AC;

There should be nothing to "set up" In fact there are no settings in
Word to cause the type of behavior you're describing. There are any number
of mouse & keyboard techniques for selecting text, but a single click in the
content should simply position the insertion point at that spot.

Exactly how are you going about what you're doing? Describe your pointer
appearance & anything else pertinent to the problem. Is the problem with one
specific document or in all documents - including new blank ones that you
simply type some content into? What is the nature & source of the document?
It's also a good idea to indicate your specific update level of Word & OS X.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[AC]

I am editing a word document that I saved as a .docx after scanning a book into my computer as a .pdf. Then I saved the .pdf to .docx. So, that may be the problem.
If so, I need to know how to scan directly into .docx with a canoscan 8400F. My OX software is 10.5.5 and my Word is version 12.1.4.

So, I thought something was wrong as I can only select lines or paragraphs of text. When I attempt to insert the curser....(it looks like an arrow or a selection icon rather than the curser) I end up with the lines or paragraphs. I cannot seem to find the curser until the text box appears, then I can double click an insertion point, but am still inside the selected text box. It is just really slowing down my editing as it takes forever to reposition everything.

I have even tried copying the selection and adding it into a totally new word docx. but the problem repeats itself.

Any clues?

Thank you very much for your reply, Bob.

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, yeah, the additional information makes a big difference.

Scanning produces an image of the scanned material - just like a picture or
a photocopy - unless you scan with Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
software. A PDF can be OCR'd but the results typically don't provide
anything but a rat's nest if there are any graphics, columns, tables, etc. I
don't know what software you used to "save the .pdf to .docx" but it sounds
like you wound up with what I described.

I don't know if you might be able to reconstruct it or not - and if so it
would probably take a good deal of time & effort. It depends on the
structure of the material to be scanned & the quality of the OCR software
being used as to how editable the result turns out. Cutting & pasting is
about the only option - there is no easy way.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac