Select text Activates Menu Bar

[kaqgVT]

I've noticed this recently when working with an table copied/pasted from
excel, and when working with text in two columns in one section: I select a
word, sentence, or full line (I have auto-select-whole-word off), and the
File Menu highligts. Of course, I didn't notice this, but I found I could not
Ctrl-X to cut, and eventually did see that File was ativated, as if I'd hit
Alt. Which I haven't. I just tried to confim the situation in which this
occurs, and I it's random. Same letter/paragraph/words in next sentence
sometimes causes this, and sometimes doesn't. I've found that if (not
realizing the menu was highlighted) I hit backspace to delete the selected
word/s, the "highlight" would move to the last (Help) menu item. I have to
hit escape to clear the menus and continue with my editing.

Anyone else encountered this? The weird thing is, I haven't noticed in the
previous four months of use. Now, it's driving me nuts. I don't think I've
changed any settings, I keep auto-anything to a minimum, I am not hitting the
Alt key... I'm baffled.

Thanks.

 

[Cooz]

Hi kaqgVT,

Do you use add-ins? If so, does the behavior still occur if you unload them
(Tools | Templates and Add-Ins... | tab Templates | clear any checked items)?
If this helped and you use more than one add-in, determine which one causes
the trouble by checking them one by one and see whether the behavior returns.

I used to give the following answer to problems like the one you posted. It
still applies.

There's a Big Three for Strange Behavior like this. Try these in the order
given.
1. Rename (all instances of) Normal.dot (find them with Windows Explorer, be
sure to have Word closed at the time), or
2. Choose Help | Detect and repair, or
3. Reinstall Word.


Good luck,
Cooz

 

[kaqgVT]

First, I'm not sure if your post "answered my question" but it got me going
on more detailed investigation. When you mentioned the Normal.dot, I started
searching for shortcut keys I've created and saved in Normal.dot, then I
started being very precise in what I selected to see what activated the
menus. Now I've found what it is, but I still am not sure how to fix it.

The "auto-menu" kicks in when I use an autotext entry for an arrow. -->,
<=>, but not for (tm), or any typo-correcting entries. That's an auto-entry
existing in Word, or one I create through Insert Symbol. When I have renamed
and loaded a fresh Normal.dot, this doesn't happen.

Well, I do see the solution: rename and recreate my custom Normal.dot. But
you know how that is... all those months of little adjustments and
customizations.

So yes, the post did help, but have you any ideas why auto-correct would get
so finicky? Like said, the Menu activates on both entries I've created or
adjusted, as well as the original ones, which I have never even used. But
only "--" or "=" or maybe its the <, > elements; the arrows.

Thanks for your help, at least I know what it is now.

 

[Cooz]

Hi kaqgVT,

"have you any ideas why auto-correct would get so finicky?"
No I haven't... never even heard of another example of this strange
behavior. And of course I cannot reproduce it.

Don't know whether you know about the organizer. Perhaps this tool can help
in copying various items to your new Normal.dot: Tools | Macro > Macros... |
Organizer...

Good luck,
Cooz

 

[Beth Melton]

What you have described is indeed odd!

I know you indicated you aren't pressing the Alt key, but since the <
and > are right above the Alt key perhaps you are hitting it
accidentally? Another possibility is your keyboard: It could be dirty
or starting to fail. I'd try another keyboard and see if the same
behavior occurs before chalking this up to a faulty Normal.dot and/or
AutoCorrect entries. If it is your keyboard you're likely to see the
same behavior and other oddities occur.

If you find the keyboard isn't the using then instead of creating a
new Normal.dot, did you try to removing the AutoCorrect entries
causing the problem? Perhaps you can create new entries using
different characters.

Additionally, removing the entries will also help to confirm if this
is indeed the cause of the problem you are encountering.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[kaqgVT]

('been locked out of the forum for a couple days...)

I haven't used Organizer, but I'll give it a try. And no, when I let it
create a new Normal.dot, the weirdness didn't happen. It's mystifing, but is
obviously something I created at some point.

Thanks for the feedback, at least I got it narrowed down to the culprits.


kaqgVT

 

[kaqgVT]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I actually can say It's Not My Keyboard, beause
it's been occuring before and since I air cleaned it and put a protective
cover over it; it's a laptop. I also don't "touch type" the <> characters, so
I know my aim is good. I double checked the left hand, the the Alt is pretty
far from my pinky-hit Shift.

I've played with creating new characters; that's when I got hung up on the
fact that it was occuring with all the arrow-related auto's, not just the
one's I created. Maybe I'm in the wrong pew: maybe I created a shortcut using
<> keys, and it's not the auto entry.

In any case, I'm satified to know that it's something of my own concoction;
since the new Normal.dot doesn't maintain the effect. Thanks for the reply.

kaqgVT