Can't color letters on Word 13

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

http://www.7tutorials.com/5-ways-boot-safe-mode-windows-8-windows-81

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode - Please let us know if works or not.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353/  - How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/281770/  -  How to perform clean-boot trouble shooting for Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267288/ -  How to perform a clean boot in Windows Millennium Edition

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/180902/  - How to start a Windows-based computer in Safe Mode

Note: You can’t do install in Safe Mode, installer service is not running

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/revive-the-f8-method-of-booting-windows-8-into-safe-mode/7643

Are you perhaps in Outline view? If so, note that the text won't display any formatting (including font, font size, or font color unless you check the box for "Show Text Formatting" in the Outline Tools group on the Outlining tab.

If you didn't see colors at all, the problem might be that you had a High Contrast color scheme selected in Windows, but if you see colors in the dropdown, then that is unlikely.

Hello.

Did anyone ever find a sure solution to this problem.  I just got Windows 8 with a new computer and installed Word, Excel, etc. 2013 with it.  I cannot change the font color in word or excel but it the page that I try to change prints out in the color I choose.  That's fine except I need to see the color on screen!  After following all of the above suggestions, it still does not work.

Also, does Excel have set colors for highlighting (like when you click to select the text you want to change the color of...) because mine is an UGLY brown and I can't figure out how to change that either!  

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks!

Not displaying font color changes is an issue between Word/Office and the Video display driver. Try contacting the video card maker or computer builder to see if this is a known issue with an updated video driver to fix it.

The selection colors are set by the system.  On my system selection is shown by a light blue. But I just noticed that when comparing a selection in Excel 2010 and 2013 the 2013 selection is darker shade, more purple than blue. 

Try changing your display settings.  Go to Control Panel > Personalization > and select a different "Theme".  In earlier versions of Windows you could change the various attributes, but I have not been able to find that option in Win 8. It may have been "improved" away.  Or someone else can tell us how to find it.

Thank you for your reply. I tried to find a video driver update on the HP website, but it took me in complete circles. I'll keep trying. 

I did find how to change the display, but it doesn't do anything to the selection marker in Excel!  Guess I'll live with the brown for now!  But there has to be a way to get the font color change working - I'll keep trying...

Exactly what steps did you take to change the "display".  In Vista and earlier you could control the size and color of many display element, borders, title bars etc.  I believe one of those elements was selection color.

When you changed the display, did you try alternate themes?  Maybe one of them has a better color selection for you.

With Windows 8: Control panel<Appearance and Personalization<Personalization<Color (at bottom of screen or you can click, under Personalization: Change the color of your taskbar and windows borders.

The above is basically the same thing you told me earlier.  "Try changing your display settings.  Go to Control Panel > Personalization > and select a different "Theme".  In earlier versions of Windows you could change the various attributes, but I have not been able to find that option in Win 8. It may have been "improved" away.  Or someone else can tell us how to find it."

Under this screen, there isn't any choice for when you select or highlight your text. I think it must come with the program (Microsoft Office Suite), like you said before. and you probably don't have a choice in Word or Excel.  If there is, I can't find it.  I guess these are the only things that you can change in Win 8. 

I didn't try their themes because the choices for other items were not what I liked. 

Still cannot resolve the font color issues - Word or Excel - still doesn't change on the screen, but it prints the selected color.