# Why can't I select text anymore? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 1, 2018, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908 "2018-08-01T05:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/1 "2018-08-01T05:14:48Z")
In the past, when I composed a message, I could ‘select’ a word or two or more in the body of my post (then bold them, underline them, delete them, create a link, etc). I would do this putting my cursor next to the first word I wanted to highlight, then dragging it across to the last letter of the last word I wanted to highlight. Alternatively, I could use shift+option+arrow to accomplish the same thing. Or I could double click on a word, which would select it & if I kept clicking it would select multiple words, then the whole sentence, then the whole paragraph, etc. But I can no longer do that. Nothing happens when I use any of the methods that used to work to highlight text. So if I want to delete a sentence (e.g.), I have to place my cursor at the end of that sentence, then hit the delete key until the sentence is all gone. I use a macbook pro, but I don’t think it’s my computer because I can still highlight text in outlook, word, on facebook, etc. So if this even makes sense to anyone…why can I no longer highlight text when posting on the sdmb? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/2 "2018-08-01T06:20:07Z")
What browser are you using? This affects posters who are using Chrome. For whatever reason, the bug also only affects the SDMB Mobile theme (Sultantheme’s Responsive vB3-blue). There are several fixes for this. 1. Switching to the regular theme (Straightdope v3.7.3). The drop-down menu to select the theme is on the lower left side of the page. 2. Use a different browser. 3. Revert to an older version of Chrome. There’s a sticky thread with this information in ATMB. [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857192](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857192) ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/3 "2018-08-01T15:48:09Z")
I have this problem with Chrome and Windows 10. But the text is still selected, you just can’t see the selection highlight. Annoying, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/4 "2018-08-01T15:50:29Z")
Read the sticky at the top of the page; “[Can’t highlight text in Chrome? Read this.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=857192)” ---
**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:** [August 1, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/5 "2018-08-01T17:01:39Z")
Try flushing your cache. That solved the issue here. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/6 "2018-08-01T18:28:40Z")
Thanks, everyone. I followed **cochrane** ’s Fix #1 and it solved the problem. Weird thing is that I’ve been using Chrome for years & have never had this problem-- it just started happening within the past week. Not sure why, but I appreciate the solutions. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2018, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-select-text-anymore/818908/7 "2018-08-01T18:35:42Z")
🙂 **engineer\_comp\_geek’s** advice, actually. I only copied it over from the sticky. I like to give credit where it is deserved.