Cmd-Click not working in TextEdit

Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.

NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

• Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

• Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files

NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.

What leroydouglas and I were getting to is that this was not a feature of TextEdit. Perhaps you were used to this in other applications and by extension were expecting it to work also in TextEdit. I know it happens to me sometimes: that feeling of “I could have sworn that it used to do this”.

I'm running 13.1 on two devices and non-contiguous text selection is not possible in either plain or rich text, nor is it possible for numerous support senior staff at Apple to select non-contiguous text. The official line is that it is not a feature of TextEdit. Curious as to how you are able to do this...

Well, I tested TextEdit in Ventura 13.1 and non-contiguous text selection is gone. I just downloaded the free Bean word processing application to my M1 mini, and the current Bean still supports non-contiguous text selection within plain text, Rich (RTF) text, and Word documents.

You can select non-contiguous words using the ⌘-key with TextEdit in Ventura 13.1. This functionality only works for rich text content and not plain text documents.

Thanks, pal. Bean is what I need. It even allows column selection of complete words (holding option). You - not Apple! - have made me a happy man. All the best.

+1

If this is using TextEdit for plain text, I would suggest using TextMate. It has this feature and a lot more, and it is free.

Have you tried the free app Bean? Is does what you want and more than TextEdit.

Biker 1951 wrote:

A few minutes ago I connected to my old iMac - 2013 26' - and opened a text file using TextEdit. I then proceeded to select text, using the Cmd key to select non-contiguous text. Screenshot (Screen Shot 2022-10-31 at 15.56.49) attached.

//:0

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/264284a1-e5af-40f6-b624-cf80e8a6d91b

I still intend to try Old Toad's suggestion. I would like to know what happened to my reply to Luis Sequeira1's original suggestion.

I just tried to duplicate what you posted on my wife's High Sierra iMac and it does allow you to select discontiguous text with the Command + click keystroke combination.

Tell Apple what missing features you'd like restored or new features added to the system via Feedback - macOS - Apple.  

I won't be able to test this on Ventura 13.1 for a while yet, but if you have a Rich Text document (not plain text) open in TextEdit, and still cannot achieve non-contiguous text selection using the ⌘ key, then Apple has changed a library that TextEdit uses to possibly the one from Pages which also has this issue.

the only place it is still possible to do this for me is Script Editor, not within TextEdit (and I am using Rich text by default)

Biker 1951 wrote:

As of a couple of hours ago, I am no longer able to select non-contiguous text in TextEdit. I am able to select non-contiguous text in other apps, browsers, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel. I have quit all running apps and done a full shutdown and restart. That did not fix the issue. I'm sure it's probably something simple and obvious. Anybody have any ideas? BTW - just updated to Ventura 13.0 (22A380) a few days ago.

?

Was this ever possible in macOS using baked in macOS apps...?

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