In composing mail, I previously could highlight text and move it within an email. Mac Help confirms that it should be possible.
Move text or graphics in a document or email: Select the text or pictures you want to move, then drag the selected items to the new location.
I am able to highlight and move text other than in Mail as I just did in this summary, BUT I cannot in Mail. I am using Mac OS Sierra 10.12.4.
iMac (Flat Panel), OS X Mavericks (10.9.4)
Opened text edit via spotlight .
Clicked on New document .
And typed a sentence How can I ....
Clicked on the first dot , An another window appeared where > selected to Downloads and clicked on save .
Opened finder > clicked on download folder the untitled folder was shown having the matter written in it .
Simultaneously opened mail application , pressed command + N to compose a new mail , minimised the mail application so that only compose window was on the desktop with the finder window .
Drag and dropped untitled folder into the compose mail body .
BillGS wrote:
Barney-15E's comment finally led me to partial success, weird as it is. When I wait three seconds before clicking the selection again, I sometimes can move it, but not consistently. Sensing the problem may be the mouse tracking speed, I changed the speed to fast, but I was no longer able to highlight and move, even after more than three seconds. Then I changed it to slow and the same thing happened. Now that I've changed it back to the middle setting, I can move a selection, but only after waiting three seconds.
Managed to get my hands on an old Wireless Mouse (no scroll button) just to see what would happen if connected to my setup, and your inconsistency regarding being able to click the selected text for drag was reproduced - switching back to TrackPad gave no such issues, it was 100%.
A theory as to why the "selection" was sometimes disappearing when using the mouse could be down to the fact the mouse is actually moving slightly during the clicking process thereby undoing the selection - your findings regarding track speed might confirm that because adjusting that setting could delay that action. The only sure why to confirm this is to try a TrackPad on your setup I suppose.
Anyhow, whether using TrackPad or a very "Still" Mouse I don't appear to suffer from the 3 second delay.
If you can get your hands on another mouse or try a trackpad that would tell you - was going to suggest could you go into an Apple Store but then saw that it's an iMac. Still, if you could speak to them and see if they are happy to help, carting just the main unit in to the shop might not be too much trouble, they must have cables and keyboard spare to use on a temp basis.
If it's not the mouse then it appears it could be a system wide issue for which my only other suggestion is to download the combo 10.12.4 update Download macOS Sierra 10.12.4 Combo Update and reapply - it's basically like installing all the previous point updates (to date) but in one go, so it will not effect user data but it might sort out the odd system file that could be behind your problem. It's a trick many use to resolve issues probably caused by the normal updates so you could be lucky.
Like all installs though, it's best to have a backup first either on TM or of your important data on an external drive.
BillGS wrote:
If I were more patient and less determined, I'd be glad to sit tight. However
It was just a thought, I'm "living" with an Incoming Mail intermittent sound issue at the moment - bugs the life out of me but not enough to do a Combo update.
BillGS wrote:
New possibility? Do you think resetting my NVRAM (AKA PRAM) might have an effect?
Worth a try, and possibly SMC How to reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support + Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support
BillGS wrote:
I have not yet tried your second suggestion, boot into another account. Please remind me how to do that. When I restart only a single sign-on entry comes up, although I note on my wife's laptop there is an option.
Try this macOS Sierra: Set up users, guests, and groups on your Mac - you start off by going to System Preferences-Users & Groups.
BillGS wrote:
but I believe you said on Apr 13, 2017 9:32 PM that you are able highlight and move.
Yes, that's still the case, but I actually said depending on where I select, it either moves or copies - think it depends on whether it's in the same paragraph or how close the selected text is to where it is being moved to, but not sure - either way words or a line of text can still be dragged from one place to another on my system. That's the case for all the Apps I've tried and for Mail from either my POP or IMAP accounts.
It should still work, just tried on mine (also on 10.12.4) and drag and drop appears to work as normal.
Can you still select and then use Cut and Paste using the Edit drop down menu - does that still work? if it does might be the only work around until you find out why drag and drop isn't working.
This might be helpful http://osxdaily.com/2015/09/07/drag-and-drop-not-working-mac-os-x-troubleshootin g/
Many thanks for the leads. I'm glad to know you can still use drag and drop, but that adds to my mystery. Yes, I can cut and paste. I am using an apple mouse, with preferences set at Scroll direction: "Natural" and no "More Gestures." I took all the steps identified in the URL you provided, deleting all of the .plist preferences related to "mouse OR trackpad," and restarting, twice. It still did not solve the problem. FYI, when I highlight a word or phrase to move it, the highlighting disappears once I try to select and move it.
If click the pad and hold while dragging I can select a section and on release of pad it stays select - if I click the pad again to drag it stays highlighted but in it's original position - the dragged text is just text, on release the text gets inserted and it then appears highlighted again but in the new position.
One thing I've noted, if dragging in same paragraph text is copied but when dragging from one paragraph to another it changes to move.
The main point is once text has been highlighted I can click and hold on it and it stays highlighted - if yours doesn't you may need to look into why - does it stay highlighted for example when trying the same operation in TextEdit.
Not sure what else to suggest other that looking through your settings again or try another mouse/pad, but if it works for one app it should be same for all I would have thought.
Best of luck.
Thanks again. When I click and hold while dragging, the section is highlighted. When I place the pointer again at the highlighted text to drag it, the highlighting disappears. Thinking this happens only in mail, I have just now again reviewed all of my email preferences, and I can find nothing that might be the cause. As I write this, I note I am unable to highlight and drag in this text, perhaps indicating it's a problem with the Apple mouse, not mail. Frustrating!
Thanks once again. I am on my third attempt to download the Combo update, but each so far has been incomplete. I have changed the Energy Saver to "Never," hoping this time will be successful. I'll be in touch when/if I'm successful.
Thanks both to Eric Root and to SiHancox for the help. I restarted in SAFE mode without any better results. This led me to check my internet speed, which is lousy, and I've started action to have that corrected. Meanwhile, I hoped that starting in SAFE mode might have solved my email drag and drop problem, but it did not. In writing this, I note that the inability to drag and drop also applies here. After highlighting a word or phrase, no arrow appears as it does in drag and drop. Apparently my problem is not just with mail but more general, although apparently not universal.
Thanks for this. However, my problem is not in composing an email but in editing an email that I have composed. For example, I want to be able to move a word from one spot to another. The drag and drop function does not work for me. As a result, I must cut and paste.
You do have another option (especially since getting the Combo is causing such a problem) and that is to sit tight and do nothing. It might not be such a bad idea if 1/ You can live with the issue particularly since you do have a work around and 2/ As long as you are generally happy with how the rest of the system is performing.
I think Eric was trying to find out if the issue could have been caused by some third party installation/conflict by asking you to boot into Safe mode which limits whats started and does some house cleaning, but not sure were it can be taken after you have confirmed it still happens. You haven't yet confirmed whether you have done the second suggestion, boot into another account, that would confirm if the issue is account or system specific.
But which ever it is if you can live with it in the short term a future point update might just resolve things without you jumping through any more hoops - it's just a thought you might want to consider, plus you could send feedback to Apple to possibly move things along a bit.
I have forgotten an important thing that is to be added if we compose a new mail , we can not drag and drop the words in it , only select it , copy it ( command + C ) , move the cursor to the next line and paste it ( command + V ) , the word is shifted .
If I were more patient and less determined, I'd be glad to sit tight. However, I am certain at one time I was able to drag and drop text in a new email. tygb says, "if we compose a new mail , we can not drag and drop the words in it," but I believe you said on Apr 13, 2017 9:32 PM that you are able highlight and move.
I have not yet tried your second suggestion, boot into another account. Please remind me how to do that. When I restart only a single sign-on entry comes up, although I note on my wife's laptop there is an option.
New possibility? Do you think resetting my NVRAM (AKA PRAM) might have an effect?
When I drag and drop text in Mail, I have to hold it on the selected text for what appears to be a long time before I can then drag the selected text. If I just click and drag immediately, the selection changes.
Mail has always worked that way for me, but other programs do not require a long hold before dragging.
How can I drag and drop text in Mail?
