Selected text in MS Word is grayed out

I just upgraded to Ventura, latest version, on my iMAC. When I am in MS Word via Outlook 365 and I select text to copy or delete, instead of a translucent box showing the selected text I get a solid gray box and you can not read what is selected. I have researched this and none of the solutions seem to work. This appears to only happen on Word and all other applications I can select as usual. This occurs on both the iMac screen as well as the external display. I went to attach a screen shot using Command Shift 4 and it gave me a solid gray box. I used my iPhone for the attached picture. Thank you!

iMac 21.5″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Jul 4, 2023 1:08 PM

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7 replies

Jul 4, 2023 9:51 PM in response to LTCChris

If the selected text in Microsoft Word appears grayed out, it is likely due to a feature called "Track Changes" being enabled. When Track Changes is active, any modifications made to the document are marked and displayed in different colors to indicate the changes. Selected text is often displayed in a gray color to differentiate it from the rest of the text.


To resolve this issue and remove the grayed-out appearance of the selected text, you can either disable Track Changes or accept/reject the changes. Here's how you can do it:


1. Disabling Track Changes:

a. Open your Word document.

b. Navigate to the "Review" tab in the Word ribbon.

c. Look for the "Track Changes" button or option. It may be displayed as a toggle switch or in the "Tracking" group.

d. Click on the "Track Changes" button to disable it. The button's appearance may change to indicate that Track Changes is now turned off.

e. Verify if the selected text is still grayed out. If it's not, then Track Changes was the cause, and you can continue working on your document.


2. Accepting/Rejecting Changes:

a. Open your Word document.

b. Navigate to the "Review" tab in the Word ribbon.

c. Look for the "Accept" or "Reject" button in the "Changes" group. These buttons might have small arrows next to them.

d. Click on the arrow next to the "Accept" or "Reject" button to reveal additional options.

e. Select "Accept All Changes" or "Reject All Changes" from the dropdown menu, depending on your preference.

f. Verify if the selected text is still grayed out. If it's not, then accepting or rejecting the changes should have resolved the issue.


By following these steps, you should be able to remove the grayed-out appearance from the selected text in your Microsoft Word document.

Jul 5, 2023 5:02 AM in response to kalandar145

Thank you for taking the time to provide such concise and detailed steps. Unfortunately neither resolved the issue. I am convinced it is something stupid with a setting but I will be darned if I can find it. I just tried Power Point, Outlook, and Notes within 365 and they work just fine it is only Word so it has to be something within Word. Thanks again for the time you put into your response.

Nov 7, 2023 5:34 AM in response to LTCChris

Hello LTCChris - I just found this issue with my early 2011 MBP 15" running Ventura via OCL 1.2. As all have stated, it happens all the time in Word but not in the other M365 apps. It does not do it in the Apple productivity apps (Keynote, Pages, Numbers), and no appearance in LibreOffice 7.5. I have compared app settings and played with options to no avail.


Have you or anyone else ever resolved this problem? By the way, are you running your MacOS native or via OCL? I wonder if there is something in OCL settings that is causing this issue.


FCG


Selected text in MS Word is grayed out

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