# Cannot highlight text **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 17, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285 "2018-06-17T20:40:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/1 "2018-06-17T20:40:21Z")
Is anyone else having this problem? I have the little text pointer icon when I hover over a post, but can’t do anything. Backspace is acting strangely, too. In fact just now I tried to backspace over the last part of this post’s title (ironically, “backspace, etc.”) and it deleted the entire thing. I’m using Chrome on Windows 10. The highlighting thing is especially frustrating since so many folks post something I want to Google. OTOH, it does cut down on the long chain of tabs that suck up my time. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/2 "2018-06-17T21:02:45Z")
Which browser are you using? If you are using Google Chrome, the text highlight problem is a known issue with one of the themes. To workaround it, switch to the Straightdope v3.7.3 theme. Link: [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=856903&highlight=highlight+text](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=856903&highlight=highlight+text) ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/3 "2018-06-18T03:29:58Z")
Thanks, **AHarris.** That fixed it. Now to go find all that stuff I wanted to highlight and google. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/4 "2018-06-18T11:39:02Z")
There’s a trade-off for switching themes, though. With the Straightdope 3.7.3 theme, you’ll no longer see the location and post count fields for guest accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/5 "2018-06-18T12:44:00Z")
I know this particular issue is resolved; however, I just want to add some general advice. When confronted with any kind of browser problem, make trying different browsers part of your trouble shooting technique. It’s worked for me many times. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/6 "2018-06-18T16:46:44Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > There’s a trade-off for switching themes, though. With the Straightdope 3.7.3 theme, you’ll no longer see the location and post count fields for guest accounts. Its not worth it then. I thought my laptop was screwed up, I’m glad I found this thread. You can still highlight and copy/paste, you just don’t get the blue highlighting. So it isn’t a major issue. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/7 "2018-06-18T17:34:52Z")
Is this a recent update? Because up until last week, I could highlight, and now it’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/8 "2018-06-18T18:22:11Z")
It was first reported here on 5/30. Poking around on google, I believe the update that broke it was released for Chrome on 5/26. I personally don’t use Chrome, but it looks like there are some beta updates available if anyone wants to give those a try. I have no idea if one of these updates will fix the issue or not. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/9 "2018-06-25T08:11:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Its not worth it then. > > I thought my laptop was screwed up, I’m glad I found this thread. > > You can still highlight and copy/paste, you just don’t get the blue highlighting. So it isn’t a major issue. [My theme tweaking extension](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=835640) also incidentally fixes the bug, while also keeping the location stuff, if you’re interested. I still use it, and no one has reported other bugs to me. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/10 "2018-06-26T20:19:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > [My theme tweaking extension](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=835640) also incidentally fixes the bug, while also keeping the location stuff, if you’re interested. > > I still use it, and no one has reported other bugs to me. Awesome. I just plugged that in. To be clear - we should plug your extension in, and switch back to the Sultantheme theme? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-highlight-text/816285/11 "2018-06-27T14:58:01Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Awesome. I just plugged that in. To be clear - we should plug your extension in, and switch back to the Sultantheme theme? Correct. What I basically did was modify the Sultantheme to make it more like the original theme, and fix certain bugs. One of the bugs I fixed back then was the highlight color.