Lagging cursor in Word while using arrow keys

Brass Contributor

Hello, As of a few days ago, my cursor in Word cannot keep up with my arrow keys. For example, if I press the right-arrow key five times, it takes Word a few seconds for the cursor to get there. This is particularly annoying if I want to say, highlight a sentence using arrow keys alone, as it takes Word much longer than usual to accurately move the cursor. 

 

The problem persists after a re-installation of Office. 

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

Edit 1: The problem only occurs on my personal PC, which has Windows 10 Home. It does not occur with my work PC, which has Windows 10 Enterprise. The computers otherwise have similar specs (former is Lenovo; latter is Dell).

Edit 2: Reiterating some points made below, the problem occurs in Word only. Powerpoint, Excel, etc. are fine.

Edit 3: The problem only occurs when multiple docs are open. Others have noted that disabling the Mendeley add-in fixes the issue. I confirmed this worked for me as well. Disabling Mendeley is not a satisfactory solution for me, however, as I rely on Mendeley for reference management.

53 Replies
I have exactly the same issue. Also, Word in my pc updated recently.

I also have been experiencing odd cursor behavior in Office (Word).  When holding an arrow key, it is slow to respond, and then suddenly jumps several words.

 

When selecting to the left with the arrow key (SHIFT-Left, hold), it initially selects to the RIGHT and then jumps to the left, selects some text leftward and then jumps right and then jumps back left, jumping and selecting to the right and then left of the initial cursor position as it slowly progresses leftward.  The language setting is English, with left-to-right paragraphs.

 

The behavior with single arrow presses is as expected.  It is only pressing and holding the arrow key that is causing problems.

 

Outlook is not affected, and it seems neither are PowerPoint or Excel.  This behavior began very recently, perhaps Monday, 6/14/2021.

I am also having this issue as of this month (June 2021). Someone from Microsoft please respond! This is a seriously annoying bug.

I have tried solving by changing compatibility settings, removing add-ins, and uninstalling then re-installing Office. Nothing has worked yet.
Same issue here since recent updates

@devzerker fixed this by changing repeat delay (firstly set max + save, then set initial value) in keyboard settings 
https://thegeekpage.com/how-to-fix-keyboard-input-lag-in-windows-10/

@devzerkerDo you mean the Repeat Delay under Keyboard Properties in Control Panel?  In the English version of Windows, the options are "Long" (far left) and "Short" (far right).  Which way did you go for "max"?  Also, in the English version of Windows, there is "Apply", which I think you called "Save".

 

Regardless, this did not fix the issue.

 

Also, how does a system setting affect a single program?  The problem is in Word alone.

Other Office programs are not affected for me either. Only Word.

I have recently encountered the same issue. Accidentally solved it by turning off the option "Use smart cursoring" in File>Options>Advanced.

Thanks! That worked for me as well. Marking as best response.

 

Edit 7/16/21: this solution seemed to have worked for me when I only have one Word document open, but once I have more than one document open, the issue returns. I've removed the "best response" badge from the suggestion to remove smart cursoring in case that badge implies to Microsoft that the problem is solved. It has not.

@michaeldgarber now I realize that every time I open the second word file the problem comes back.

I tried this and it did not work. The cursor still jumps forward when back selecting text using SHIFT and the left arrow key.

I also disabled all add-ins and actions without success.
what version of word are you using? Today I accidentally solved the problem again. By uninstall the problem version of office which is Microsoft 365 apps for enterprise and reinstall Office 365 Pro Plus, my issue is gone now.
Microsoft® Word for Microsoft 365 MSO (16.0.14026.20304) 32-bit
Version 2105 (Build 14026.20308 Click-to-Run)

Perhaps I should try installing the 64-bit, but if that fixes the problem, I will not re-install the 32-bit to continue troubleshooting.
Did Microsoft ever reply about this? I've been having this problem and it is driving me crazy. I have a Windows 10 machine with Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise. The issue is only in Word, and I've tried updating, and disabling "Use smart cursoring".

@michaeldgarber 

 

I continue to have this issue. Only occurs in Word (possibly also other Office products). Disabling the Smart cursor and other suggestions here haven't helped.

Same here. I continue to have the issue once I have 2 or more Word documents open. Disabling smart cursor doesn't help me either.
same problem

I have the same issue in word.

Smart Cursoring only solved problem when I have one document open. Once I open a second document, the problem persists.

Regards,

@killianlobato 

 

Seeing this post, I also tested. Only occurs if two or more Word documents are open.

 

For me, I want to clarify that when I press the arrow keys there is no delay in when the cursor starts moving across the line the of text. It's just that if I hold the arrow key down for more than a second, when I lift my finger off the key, the input cursor continues to move, sometimes up to a second afterwards and cannot be stopped. Doesn't sound bad, but it actually makes it very hard to edit documents.

 

I am using Microsoft Apps 365 enterprise 64 bit.