WD2000: Deleting Block-Selected Text May Cause Crash If Right-to-Left Language Is Turned On

ID: Q231496

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 2000
NOTE: This article discusses complex scripts functionality. Complex scripts functionality is available when you use the Office Language Settings tool to enable a language, such as Arabic or Hebrew, that requires this functionality. For more information about multilingual features, click Microsoft <your Office product> Help on the Help menu, type multilingual features in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

SYMPTOMS

If you have a right-to-left language selected for editing in the Microsoft Office Language Settings application, and you delete text by pressing ALT and dragging the mouse over the text, Word may stop responding.


CAUSE

This problem seems to occur if the selected text includes a paragraph mark.


WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, avoid using block-selection (pressing ALT and dragging the mouse) to select a line of text if you are planning to delete it, particularly if the selection contains a paragraph mark.

If your document contains only Latin left-to-right text and you need the block selection capabilities for a specific task, you can also turn off right-to-left editing in the Microsoft Office Language Settings application. This turns off all right-to-left features and functionality in all the Office applications.

To turn off editing for right-to-left languages, perform these steps:

  1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and click the Microsoft Office Language Settings application.


  2. On the Enabled Languages tab, clear the check box for the right-to-left language you want to turn off (Arabic or Hebrew, for example).


  3. Close the Office Language Settings application and restart Word and other Office applications as prompted.



STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.


MORE INFORMATION

The paragraph direction of the text (right-to-left or left-to-right) does not seem to affect this problem, and neither does the actual language of the text (Latin or a complex scripts language).

Additional query words: bi-directional bidirectional bi directional

Keywords : kbdta kbBidi wd2000
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug


Last Reviewed: October 1, 1999
© 2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.