Solution: Insert Symbol not working in Word and other Office Apps

Just putting this here in case anyone needs it - including me.
Second time I've had this problem, and it took me ages to sort it out (i.e. find solution in the Internet) - both times!! :-o
Trying to Insert a Symbol in Word - panel opens, but can't click on anything. Succeeded by tabbing to other buttons in the panel, then tabbing back into symbol area. After that, arrow keys can be used to select symbol.
Problem is a mouse setting. I have Nvidia mouse option set to "automatically activate window under cursor". When I turn this off, the problem ceases.
Problem can also be caused by Tweak UI X-mouse.

 

Nvidia has a mouse option? Where is it found? What nVidia driver version is this?

I've never seen any mouse-related settings in the nVidia software on my Windows XP system with a GeForce FX 5500 video card.

I just tried inserting symbols with Word 2003 and had no problem using the mouse to click on a symbol to insert it.

 

Card is NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT
Driver version: 6.14.11.8250
Screen shot of mouse options attached.

 

Well, after viewing your image, I see that I have the same feature in NVIDIA nView Desktop Manager. Perhaps I've see it before, but did not recall it when I read your post.

I just enabled the same setting as you have in your system and I got the same results. I could no longer insert an image in Word by clicking on it. As soon as I disable the setting, I can once again use the mouse when inserting symbols.

So, this seems to be a glitch in nVidia's software or, at least, a conflict with something else. I know of no other solution than to disable the feature.

 

And with Tweak UI, as noted below. A workaround is also noted below, using tab and arrow keys.

 

Where is the workaround you mentioned? I don't see it.

 

First post:

 

Oh, that's you mean by the "workaround noted below" which was not "noted below" in your post #5. rolleyes And, yep, I know that the tabbing works.

 

Aha! A little ambiguity on my part, n'est-ce pas? :-o I write a lot of reports. I shall endeavour to be more explicit in future.