Of all the problems and weird bugs or glitches I have faced in Microsoft Word, the cursor constantly flickering when typing has to be one of the most annoying and distracting issues.
And one cannot afford to get distracted when using Microsoft Word. Because everyone knows it’s time for some serious work when Word is launched.
So, in this article, I have described why your cursor is flashing abnormally in Microsoft Word and gathered all the fixes to solve this annoying problem for good.
Just go through them and rest assured your cursor will begin to act normal.
Let’s begin!
Check out our separate post on how to Fixed Error 0x8004010F Outlook Data File Cannot be Accessed
Why Cursor Keeps Flickering in Microsoft Word?
The cursors’ flashing when using MS Word can occur due to problems with the video driver or the printer driver, defective MS Office files, or when you open a document with multiple pages and the Same as Previous option is enabled in headers and footers.
Let’s find out why your cursor is flickering in Word, so you’ll know exactly how to fix it.
Here are the reasons for cursor keeps flashing in Microsoft Word:
Printer Driver Incompatible with MS Word
If your current printer driver version is not suited for the Microsoft Word version, you might see your cursor keep blinking when you type in Word. Also, the print spooler service can fail and cause problems.
Opening File in MS Word with Same as Previous Option Enabled
Enabling the Same as the Previous option in the header or the footer section of your document can cause the issue at hand.
Enabling Tables to Fit Content Automatically in MS Word
If you allow tables in the header or footer to automatically resize according to the content of your document in MS Word and one of the cells of the table includes enough letters to resize the table, your cursor might start flickering.
Corrupted Microsoft Office Data
In case the MS Office data files get affected by some kind of virus and malware or by an incorrect installation process, you might have problems with the Office apps such as the one you are facing.
Enabling Hardware Graphics Acceleration in MS Word
The hardware graphics acceleration can put too much stress on your GPU and, as a result, cause your cursor to flicker abnormally.
Now that you know the reasons why your cursor keeps flashing in Word let’s fix them one by one.
Follow our guide on how to Create a Gantt Chart in Microsoft Word
How to Fix Cursor Flickering in Microsoft Word
To solve the cursor blinking continuously, fix your printer driver, disable hardware acceleration in Word, repair Office files, keep the video driver updated, disable the Same as Previous option and automatically resize the table option from Word.
Cursor flickering can cause distraction, and you cannot afford to be distracted when using MS Word. So, let’s fix this ASAP!
Here’s how to fix the cursor that keeps flickering in Microsoft Word:
1. Deactivate Hardware Graphics Acceleration in MS Word
Turning off the hardware graphics acceleration feature will not put as much pressure on the CPU and GPU as before and might stop the cursor from abnormal blinking.
Here are the steps to disable hardware graphics acceleration in MS Word:
- Launch Microsoft Word.
- Go to Files > Options.
- Select Advanced from the left sidebar.
- Scroll down and look for the Display section.
- Check Disable hardware graphics acceleration under Display and click OK.
2. Update Printer Driver
If you are using a printer, an outdated printer driver can clash with Microsoft Word and cause problems, including the one you are facing.
Here’s how to update the printer driver:
- Right-click on the Windows icon and choose Device Manager.
- Expand Print queues.
- Right-click on the printer connected to your device and choose Update driver.
- Select Search automatically for drivers.
After these steps, if an update is available, Windows will download and install it automatically.
Check out our separate post on why Microsoft Word Ctrl+Z not Working
3. Turn Off the Same as Previous option in MS Word
You need to disable the Same as Previous option in the headers and the footer of your document because it’s causing the flickering cursor problem when you type in Word.
Open a document in MS Word and double-click on the header. If Same as Previous is enabled, you’ll be able to click Link to Previous in the Navigation group. And you need to follow the steps below to disable the Same as the Previous option.
But if the Link to Previous option is blurred out and not clickable when you double-click on a header document in Word, then Same as Previous is already disabled, and you don’t need to do anything.
Here’s how to Disable the Same as Previous in Microsoft Word 2007 & newer:
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Double-click on the header of your document in Word.
- Select Link to Previous from the Navigation group if Same as Previous is enabled.
- Click Go to Footer.
- Select Link to Previous again if Same as Previous is selected.
- Click on the Next button in the Navigation group.
- Repeat the steps to turn the Same as Previous options into Link to Previous in all the headers and footers.
Here’s how to Disable Same as Previous in Microsoft Word 2003 & Word 2002:
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Go to View and select Header and Footer.
- Select Link to Previous again if Same as Previous is enabled.
- Click Switch Between Header and Footer to go to the footer.
- Select Link to Previous again if Same as Previous is selected.
- Click on the Show Next button.
- Repeat the steps to turn the Same as Previous options into Link to Previous in all the headers and footers.
You may also like to read how to Flip Quotation Marks in Word
4. Disable Automatically Table Resize in MS Word
Suppose your Word document has tables in the headers and footers, and the tables are set to resize automatically to fit the content.
In that case, follow the steps below to disable that option because it might be causing the cursor to behave abnormally.
Here are the steps to disable automatic table resize in MS Word 2007 & newer:
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Double-click on the header or footer with a table and click anywhere on the table.
- Go to Layout and select Properties from the Table Group.
- Choose Options in the Table tab.
- Uncheck Automatically, resize to fit contents and click OK.
- Click the OK button on the Table Properties window.
- Repeat the process to all the header and footers with tables in them.
Here’s how to disable automatic table resize in MS Word 2003 & Word 2002:
- Open your document in Microsoft Word.
- Go to View and select Header and Footer.
- Select Properties from the Table Group.
- Choose Options in the Table tab.
- Uncheck Automatically resize to fit contents and click OK.
- Click the OK button on the Table Properties window
- Repeat the process to all the header and footers with tables in them.
5. Repair Microsoft Office Files
Repairing Microsoft Office can sometimes fix the problem. So, follow the steps below to repair the corrupted data of your MS Office.
Here’s the procedure for repairing Microsoft Office:
- Click on the Search icon, type Control Panel and open it.
- Move to Programs > Programs and Features.
- Choose Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2016 or whichever version you use and click Change.
- Select Quick Repair, and if the problem continues, choose the Online Repair option.
Check out our separate post on Fix Export to PDF Error in Word
6. Update Microsoft Office
Try to update your MS Office to a newer version because the cursor continuously flickers when you type in Word can only be seen on the old Office versions.
Here’s how to update Microsoft Office:
- Launch Microsoft Word or any other Office app.
- Go to File > Account.
- Click on Update Options and select Update Now.
7. Update Video driver
If a temporary bug or glitch due to an old graphics card driver is causing the cursor to blink abnormally, updating the driver will solve the issue.
Here are the steps to update the video driver:
- Right-click on the Windows icon and choose Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters.
- Right-click on your graphics driver and choose Update driver.
- Select Search automatically for drivers.
And now, Windows will search for an update. If an update is available, Windows will download and install it automatically.
FAQs
How do I stop the cursor from blinking in Word?
To stop the cursor from blinking in Word, update the printer driver, disable the Same as Previous option from headers and footers in MS Word, turn off hardware graphic acceleration in Word, and repair the Microsoft Office files.
Why does my cursor keep blinking in Word?
Your cursor keeps blinking in Word because of the hardware graphic acceleration feature, enabling the Same Previous option in the header and footer of your document, and corrupted Microsoft Office files.
What causes cursor to flicker in Excel?
The hardware graphic acceleration feature in Excel, your printer driver is incompatible with the Excel version, corrupted Microsoft Office files, or outdated Office version can cause the cursor to flicker in Excel.
Final Thoughts
The cursor constantly flickering in Microsoft Word is a known problem that has been out there for over seven years since Office 2016 was first launched.
So all these years, people have tried many solutions, and different fixes worked for different users due to separate reasons for their cursor blinking continuously.
And in this article, I’ve combined all the possible solutions. Therefore, the problem will be solved indefinitely.
Let me know if you face any further problems regarding this issue on other apps. See you in the comment section.
