Word 2016/2019 and Grammarly – ‘Insert a Shape/Text Box’ is not working

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[WCHS]

I used both Word 2016 and Word 2019. They are C2R versions (Office Retail) – Microsoft Office Home and Student 2016/2019.

I haven’t been able to insert a Shape or a Text Box in a Word Document for quite some time. (Word > Insert > Illustrations section > Shape > then select a shape. Or Text section > Text > then click the drop-down arrow and select ‘Draw a box’). In either (shape or text box), up pops a a set of ‘cross-hairs’ which you can move to the location where you want the shape or text box to be placed.)

I’ve just discovered that if I block Grammarly, I can insert a shape/text box – no problem.

Is there a way to fix this so that I can do both – insert these AND have Grammarly working?

• This topic was modified 5 months, 2 weeks ago by WCHS.

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WCHS wrote:

I’ve just discovered that if I block Grammarly, I can insert a shape/text box – no problem. Is there a way to fix this so that I can do both – insert these AND have Grammarly working?

I do not use Grammarly, but I have read about this AI addon blocking insert shapes in Word and Microsoft’s suggestion is to turn Grammarly off.
Since you want both, here are some possible solutions (no guarantees since I can’t test).
1. Other addons may be conflicting for control with the Grammarly. Disable (turn off) all other addons so Grammarly is the only addon running. Since you know how to block Grammarly you should know how to turn off any other addons. If not, let me know.
2. Your AV software may be conflicting with Grammarly in Word. Temporarily turn your AV off and see if that corrects the problem.
3. An alternative to using Grammarly in Word would be to use the Grammarly web app by pasting to the web app.

There are others that have this problem with Grammarly. I suggest you monitor/contact Grammarly makers to see what their solution (possible update to their addon) for this problem.

HTH, Dana:))

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WCHS

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I am using Grammarly for Windows, which seems to be working in anything that is opened on my Windows 10/Pro 22H2 device. For example, when I type in the Askwoody message box, it will suggest corrections. It does the same thing in any other forum I subscribe to. It will suggest corrections to messages I compose in my email, too. (It’s also supposed to be working in Excel, but I haven’t seen it there.)

Drcard:)) wrote:

Other addons may be conflicting for control with the Grammarly.

In Word 2016, when I click on the ‘Add-ins’ square on the ribbon, I get the message that “This add-in store has been disabled. Please turn on the ‘optional connected experiences’ setting through your File > Account > Account Privacy”. On the other hand, on my Word 2019, when I click on the ‘Add-ins’ square on the ribbon, I see a list of add-ins that I could select. But I know why this difference exists between 2016 and 2019 when I click on the icon in the Add-ins square on the ribbon: I do not have File > Account > Account Privacy > Manage Settings > Connected Experiences > the ‘Turn on all connected experiences’ checked in 2016, but I do in 2019. This “Connected Experiences” business is something new to me.

I also think I know why there is no icon in the Add-in square on the ribbon: I do not have Grammarly for Word installed. I have Grammarly for Windows installed instead. The web demonstrations for using Grammarly for Word show Grammarly in the Add-ins square on the ribbon. The suggestions for corrections are presented in a right panel in Grammarly for Word, whereas the suggested corrections show up as red underlines in the text in Grammarly for Windows, and it does this across many apps.

I’ve gone to File > Options > Add-ins to see what’s there. The Active and Inactive Application Add-Ins are the same in 2016 and 2019. There are no Document Related Add-ins and no Disabled Application Add-ins on either device. Grammarly isn’t on any of these lists. (It might be if I had Grammarly for Word installed, instead of Grammarly for Windows.)

So, all in all, I don’t think any other add-ins are conflicting with Grammarly–because Grammarly itself is not an add-in, at least not in the sense of ‘Add-in’ in the square on the ribbon (because Grammarly doesn’t show up there {or even its possibility}. As a matter of fact, I do not see any add-ins that are not part of the normal Windows 10 set up (I see Dates, Measurement Converter, Instant Messaging Contacts, Phone Number in the list of Active Application Add-ins under File > Options > Add-ins and that’s all).

Drcard:)) wrote:

There are others that have this problem with Grammarly. I suggest you monitor/contact Grammarly makers to see what their solution (possible update to their addon) for this problem.

I guess I will have to keep digging around to see what I can do to have both Word’s Insert Shapes/Text box and Grammarly working. I’ve sent a “contact us” message to Grammarly about this. Maybe, I’ll get an answer. It does seem like a bug.

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Here’s a report about my contact with Grammarly:
I received an email reply the next day, saying that it had looked into the problem and had added my account to an experimental group. I needed to sign out and sign back in.

After that, no problems with Insert Shapes and Insert Text Box.

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