Office Settings & Configuration

Fix Disappearing Text Highlight Across Table Cells After Office Update

Camila Milosovich Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user is experiencing a visual bug where the gray text selection highlight suddenly disappears when dragging the cursor across multiple table cells.

Fix Disappearing Text Highlight Across Table Cells After Office Update

Product: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel)
Device & OS: Windows 11 version 24H2
Scenario: Attempting to select text across multiple cells in a table after a recent Microsoft Office or Copilot update.
Observed behavior: When clicking and dragging across table cells, the visual gray highlight disappears, making it impossible to see the selected range, though the text might still be actively selected.

Before you start

Before proceeding, check if the issue occurs in a brand new document to rule out file corruption, and perform a simple system restart to clear temporary rendering glitches.

Solution 1Recommended

Run an Online Repair and Disable Add-ins

Use this solution if the issue is caused by corrupted Office application files or conflicts with third-party COM add-ins.

A recent Office update may have improperly installed background files affecting visual rendering. Running an Online Repair forces Microsoft Office to verify and replace missing or corrupted files. Additionally, disabling add-ins helps ensure no third-party extensions are interfering with the application's user interface.

Open Windows Settings

Press the Windows key + I to open Settings, then navigate to Apps > Installed apps.

Modify Microsoft Office

Scroll down to find Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365, click the three horizontal dots next to it, and select Modify.

Run Online Repair

Choose Online Repair from the dialog box and click Repair. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

Disable COM Add-ins

Open Word or Excel, go to File > Options > Add-ins. At the bottom, change the Manage dropdown to COM Add-ins and click Go. Uncheck all boxes and click OK.

Run an Online Repair and Disable Add-ins

Restart Required: After completing the Online Repair and disabling add-ins, restart your computer to ensure all changes take effect.

Solution 2

Use Alternative Keyboard Selection Methods

A quick workaround to successfully select text when the click-and-drag highlight fails to render properly.

Solution 3

Report the Bug to Microsoft

If reinstalling and repairing do not work, this issue is likely a verified bug related to Windows 11 24H2 or Copilot updates that requires a patch from Microsoft.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Switch to WPS Office for a Bug-Free Table Editing Experience

If rendering glitches and disappearing selection highlights in Microsoft Office are disrupting your workflow, WPS Office offers a highly stable, lightweight alternative. Enjoy seamless table editing without the visual bugs introduced by recent Windows or Copilot updates.

1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS Office website to download and install the free application on your Windows computer.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer or Spreadsheets, click Open, and select your existing Microsoft Office document.
3. Edit Seamlessly: Select and highlight your table cells normally without experiencing the disappearing highlight bug.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formatsStable performance free from recent Windows 11 rendering bugsLightweight installation with a familiar, easy-to-use interfaceAdvanced table and text editing tools built right in

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my text selection highlight disappear in Word tables?

This is often a visual rendering bug triggered by a recent Microsoft Office update, a Windows 11 update (such as 24H2), or conflicts with new features like Copilot. It causes the graphical representation of the highlight to vanish during mouse drag actions.

Does the disappearing highlight mean my text isn't selected?

Not necessarily. In most cases, it is purely a visual glitch. The text or cells are still selected in the background, and pressing Ctrl+C will successfully copy the content even if the gray highlight is invisible.

Can my graphics card cause text highlighting issues in Office?

Yes. Microsoft Office utilizes hardware graphics acceleration to render the user interface. Outdated AMD or NVIDIA drivers, or conflicts between the latest Windows build and your graphics card, can result in visual anomalies like disappearing selection highlights.

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