# How to 'select' exactly the words/text you want on a PC **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859 "2025-11-14T20:25:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/1 "2025-11-14T20:25:02Z")
I’m a Mac person. But I have to use a PC at work. My work often requires me copy and pasting text from one document to another. On a Mac, you put the curser where you want to start copying and drag it to where you want to stop. Easy and intuitive. But on the PC it’s always second guessing me an grabbing the word before or after assuming that’s what I meant. It’s a small thing but it’s infuriating as hell. Is there a way to turn off the ‘smart’ select so it will just select what I’m asking it to select? ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/2 "2025-11-14T20:37:35Z")
In what app? Word? You can hold down ALT while selecting to do a “normal” select. Or turn off that option: [![](https://fightingignorance.org/6e922bad-f758-4640-9f7e-f1b89203aab7-windows-11-november-14-12-37-16-pm.jpg) ](https://fightingignorance.org/6e922bad-f758-4640-9f7e-f1b89203aab7-windows-11-november-14-12-37-16-pm.jpg) That’s a Word peculiarity. It shouldn’t happen in other apps. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/3 "2025-11-14T20:37:44Z")
If you’re in an editable text box, ie the reply box here, you can use the shift and arrow keys to select, or shift+ctrl and arrows to select whole words. For non editable text, use the left click + cursor to select. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/4 "2025-11-14T20:40:24Z")
PS on both Mac and PC, in and out of Word, an easier way to select is: - Click the cursor where you want the selection to start or end - Hold SHIFT and click the other end Done! No tedious dragging needed, and works even after scrolling through a multi-page document. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/5 "2025-11-14T20:43:54Z")
Ooh, that’s cool ! ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/6 "2025-11-14T21:06:35Z")
Thank you all I’ll give a try! ETA: That worked, thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/7 "2025-11-14T21:19:26Z")
You betcha. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/8 "2025-11-14T22:19:47Z")
You can just double click on a word to highlight it. Or triple click to highlight the whole paragraph. Or use Ctrl A to highlight everything. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/9 "2025-11-14T22:29:28Z")
Thank you, yes I know those tricks but selections I need are usually random bits of documents. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/10 "2025-11-14T22:54:47Z")
Back when I did a lot of text editing I would often use the keyboard shortcuts for selecting words, lines, etc. You can find them here: [Keyboard shortcuts in Word - Microsoft Support](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/keyboard-shortcuts-in-word-95ef89dd-7142-4b50-afb2-f762f663ceb2#bkmk_selectwin) Way easier than trying to highlight with a mouse. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/11 "2025-11-14T23:06:23Z")
I’ve learned that about 30 times. Let’s see how long it will take until 31. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/12 "2025-11-14T23:11:01Z")
Practice makes perfect with all this stuff. Use it; you’ll remember it. Don’t; you won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/13 "2025-11-14T23:16:53Z")
No kidding. I started a PowerPoint today, the first since, oh, about 2019. My fingers remembered nothing and my mind even less. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/14 "2025-11-14T23:52:51Z")
Text handling is text handling. Thorughout all Windows apps it works the same or nearly so. For darn sure PP is its own dog and thankfully I never achieved anything close to proficiency in it. Every menu is a mystery, every keystroke fraught with unexpected side effects. Thar be dragons for sure! ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/15 "2025-11-16T20:41:41Z")
I’ve loathed this feature ever since it came out. Thank you for showing me how to turn it off! ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-select-exactly-the-words-text-you-want-on-a-pc/1024859/16 "2025-11-16T22:15:45Z")
Thank the blessed wise soul at Microsoft who made it an option instead of forcing it. But curse whoever made it on by default!