Document selection freezes

Install the newer Microsoft 365 Current Channel build first, then test a copy stored on the Zenbook’s internal drive; build 20527.20150 has been superseded, and Microsoft does not currently list this selection-lock symptom as a recognized Word for Windows issue.

1. Update Word before further testing

Your Version 2610 build 20527.20150 was released on November 4, 2026. The newer Current Channel build 20527.20196 was released on November 10, 2026 ^1^.

1. In Word, select File → Account.
2. Under Product Information, select Update Options → Update Now.
3. Close and reopen Word after installation.
4. Confirm the new build under File → Account → About Word. Microsoft documents this update path here ^2^.

The published Word for Windows issues list does not identify “an object cannot be deselected after prolonged editing” for your build ^3^. That does not rule out an unreported regression, but it is not presently a documented known issue.

2. Test from the internal drive

This is the most important isolation test because the working file is on an external USB disk.

1. Close Word.
2. Copy the document to a new folder on the internal drive, retaining the external-drive copy as a backup.
3. Open the internal copy and work with it normally for long enough to reproduce the problem.
4. Compare the result:
   • Only the USB copy freezes: continue editing locally and copy the closed file back to the external disk for backup.
   • Both copies freeze: proceed to the Safe Mode test below.
   • Only this document freezes: use Open and Repair.

Microsoft notes that USB disconnection while a document is open can damage Office files and recommends safely removing USB hardware ^4^. This does not prove that the USB disk caused your current symptom; the local-copy test distinguishes storage-related behavior from Word or document behavior.

3. Determine whether an add-in or template is involved

Start Word in Office Safe Mode, which suppresses add-ins and several customizations:

1. Close Word.
2. Press Windows key + R.
3. Enter:

winword /safe

4. Open the internal-drive copy and test it for a comparable period.

Safe Mode is specifically intended to identify problems caused by add-ins or extensions ^5^.

If the freeze does not occur in Safe Mode:

1. Restart Word normally.
2. Open File → Options → Add-ins.
3. At the bottom, select COM Add-ins → Go.
4. Record the enabled items, disable them, and restart Word.
5. Re-enable one add-in at a time until the problem returns.

Microsoft’s performance recommendations also advise disabling or removing unneeded Word add-ins ^6^.

4. Repair the document if the fault is file-specific

If other similarly complex documents remain usable but this document freezes:

1. Create another backup.
2. In Word, select File → Open → Browse.
3. Select the file once.
4. Select the arrow beside Open, then Open and Repair ^4^.
5. Save the repaired result under a new filename and test it locally.

If that fails, create a blank document and use Insert → Object → Text from File to import the original. Microsoft documents this as a recovery method and also recommends comparing behavior with other documents to distinguish document damage from a Word-wide fault ^7^.

5. Repair Microsoft 365 if all documents are affected

On Windows 11:

1. Right-click Start → Installed apps.
2. Find Microsoft 365, select the three dots, then Modify.
3. Run Quick Repair first.
4. If the problem remains, repeat the process and select Online Repair.

Online Repair is more comprehensive; it repairs the entire Office suite and may require a restart ^8^.

Graphics-specific fallback

If Word still responds to the keyboard but the selection merely appears stuck—for example, pressing Esc or an arrow key changes the active item although the handles remain visible—treat it as a display-rendering problem rather than a complete freeze. Update the Intel graphics driver through the Asus support utility/site and test again. Similar invisible or stale Word selection indications have been associated with graphics/UI rendering ^9^.

If the issue continues on the newest build, from the internal drive, in Safe Mode, and with a repaired or newly created document, report it through Word → Help → Feedback and Microsoft 365 Home support. Include the build, whether winword /safe reproduced it, and whether it affected a new document; those results sharply narrow the fault.

References

1. Update history for Microsoft 365 Apps (listed by date)
2. How to update Microsoft 365 or Office for Windows
3. Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Word for Windows | Microsoft Support
4. Open a document after a file corruption error
5. Open Office apps in safe mode on a Windows PC
6. Performance recommendations for Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10
7. How to troubleshoot damaged documents in Word
8. Repair an Office application
9. Word Can't Select Between Lines - Microsoft Q&A