paste problem: clipboard appears

Question

Hi, Powerpoint (for mac 2011) has started showing a "clipboard" when I try to copy and paste from another source.  I've tried what I can (reboot, change preferences, etc.).  If I close the default text box in the layout, the information is there unformatted in a new text box created by the paste.  Any thoughts?  Thanks.  I am sure there is an easy answer, I just can't find it......

Answer 1

HI,

I narrowed it down and it seems to be an incompatibility between Chrome and Powerpoint.  The copy/paste function works fine with Firefox but is still problematic with Chrome. It won't paste into an existing text box and only works if you paste into a blank area of the slide.  It then creates its own text box when it pastes.  It must have something to do with the most recent update of Chrome.  It worked fine before this

I don't know if you have a way of sending this on to someone at Microsoft or not....

Thanks.

Mark

Answer 2

Keep in mind that what happens when you paste text into PPT is determined by whether you simply paste as opposed to pasting into a Placeholder or Text Box. If you do not select one of those objects [or have an insertion point within one] the program has no idea where the content is intended to go. It will create a new text box for it as you paste & the new text box with the pasted content will be 'dumped' into the middle of the current slide. It sounds like that's what is happening.

If that doesn't resolve the issue, before chasing symptoms make sure that:

1. Office 2011 is fully updated [14.2.2]
2. OS X is fully updated
3. Run Disk Utility to repair disk permissions
4. Restart your Mac

I'm not sure what this means, though: " If I close the default layout of the slide..." -- Can you clarify? It's also a bit confusing because you explicitly say that you can't copy/paste but then go on to describe what happens when you do.

Include as much descriptive & specific detail in your reply as you can:

• What you're copying
• Where you're copying from
• The step-by-step process you're using
• Whether you've installed any utilities intended to augment or enhance the features of OS X
• Any other information you can supply

Regards,

Bob J.

Answer 3

Thanks for the reply.  Yes, I know that it disappears.  What is happening, though, is that I can no longer copy and paste from the web or even other Office documents (in to Powerpoint).  If I close the default layout of the slide (after doing a paste), the text is sometimes there in a new text box in unformatted form, "hiding" behind the default text area of the slide.

This occurs regardless of what option I choose from the little clipboard menu.

This problem started at the same time that the little clipboard started appearing as an option when I want to paste something.

So, the little clipboard, cute as it is, started appearing the same time the paste problem did.  I don't know if this is related or not but they are temporally occuring at the same time.

Thanks.

Mark

Answer 4

The little clipboard is a temporary little thing that when clicked on, offers you options about the formatting to used for the object you pasted. It disappears all by itself when you do something else.

Answer 5

Hi son of cthulhu,

The Clipboard menu allows you to change the formatting of pasted text within PowerPoint. The following video does a great job of explaining how to use the Clipboard menu:

PowerPoint > Training > Copy and paste basics

After watching that, let me know if you have any questions.