WordOSX highlight+delete doesn't work

[Grant Higgins]

This is so weird. I've checked prefs, checked no security/password
stuff is activated - but the usual highlight a word then hit delete
doesn't work.
Strangely, highlight + Cut (or Command-X) does work - but it will
send a busy user mad. Has anyone struck this before? I'm beginning
to wonder if it's a bug of some sort - whether I have to endure a
reinstallation of Office X.
BTW, nothing wrong with the delete key - works fine in all other
apps.
Any suggestions received with gratitude,

Grant

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Hi Grant,

Let's start with really easy stuff. Close Word then open Word and see if
that fixes things. Restart the computer if that didn't help.

No dice? Try trashing the file "Microsoft Component Preferences" (with all
office applications closed then empty the trash before opening one of them).

 

[Grant Higgins]

Thanks Jim,
I'd done the open/close restart thing, but it's a persistent little bug(ger).
Next I took your advice as described, but it still does this.
One even weirder thing - when I type then backspace/delete right away, it works.
But if the cursor has moved elsewhere and I return with a highlight-delete, no dice.
I'll keep poking and prodding.....

Grant

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Grant,

It's a bizarre bug alright! See if any of this makes a difference:

1) Quit Word and navigate to your Normal template which should be in
/Applications/Microsoft Office X/Templates/. Rename Normal to something else
(like OldNormal), then relaunch Word. If this fixes the problem but you
have customizations, etc, in OldNormal that you want to maintain, you can
use Organizer to transfer those from OldNormal to the newly-created Normal
template. Then you can trash the old renamed file. To learn how to use
Organizer, see here (use IE not Safari to view this site):
<http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/MacWordNormalTemplate.htm>

If this doesn't fix the problem, quit Word again, trash the new Normal and
rename OldNormal back to Normal.

2) To test your Preference files, quit *all* Office Applications.
Navigate to your ~/library/preferences/Microsoft folder. Rename the
Microsoft Component Preferences, Word Settings (10), and Microsoft Office
Settings (10) files. When you restart Word, these files will be recreated.
If all is well, you can trash the old files. You will have to reset some
Preferences and AutoCorrect settings.

If this doesn't help, you can trash the new files and rename the old ones
back.

--
Beth Rosengard
Mac MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/WordMac/index.htm>
Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>

 

[Tim Murray]

but the usual highlight a word then hit delete
doesn't work.

I see it all the time. I find that a Function+Delete (on a PowerBook
keyboard) may work when a regular Delete key does not. When I have a
Windows-type USB keyboard attached, a Backspace works.

 

[Grant Higgins]

Thanks Beth, Tim and Jim,

I trashed the Component Prefs, Word Settings and Normal template, and
started over with a new "Normal".
Seems to be behaving so far!
During the interim, I found a good semi-workaround was to go to
Customize/Keyboard/ then choose EditClear and assign key F13 (right
above delete) - it's quite a convenient alternative, especially when
you're a fast and recklessly negligent typist like I am....

Grant