Cannot Select Objects using mouse cursor (Word 2010)

Question

Hi

I recently upgraded from Office 2007 Pro to 2010 Pro+. I inserted some shapes and when to select them - prior to grouping. I did the 'normal' thing: click the arrow shape on the ribbon, clicked Select Objects, brought my cursor on the page again and left-click and hold while I lasooed the objects. The lasooe part didn't happen. Nothing was captured by moving the cursor over the area where the objects were.

Can anyone suggest what's happening, and how it can be put right?

Thanks

Answer 1

Lasso selection works as long as the document is in Word 97-2003 format (in Compatibility Mode). When it's converted to Word 2010 format (or created new in Word 2010), dragging doesn't even show the lasso outline.

This is not true in Word 2007, which does lasso selection in both formats.

I assume this has something to do with the change in the graphics engine between 20007 and 2010, but it's a bug whether Microsoft classifies it that way or not. Ctrl+click is not a usable substitute when there are a large number of small pieces to be grouped.

As a sort-of-workaround, try using the Selection Pane (on the dropdown from the Select button). Unfortunately, that doesn't support Shift+click to select a lot of items in one click.

Answer 2

I had the same problem.  Traced it to a specific issue with the my Thinkpad Security Chip and Password Safe.

http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-74151

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

It's fixed!

In the "security update" of MS Office (the one that Windows Update gave me yesterday), this issue seemed to be fixed.  Thanks Microsoft!

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I'm having same issue as well, clicking and dragging but nothing came out on Microsoft 2010. Which updates are you referring to? How to get it?

Thanks

Answer 4

Can i have the updates as well? I'm having the same issue as well...dragging doesn't even show the lasso outline...

Answer 5

Your reply seems to be directed toward Excel, while this forum is for Word. And the problem is not that the Select Objects tool is not available but that it cannot be used to "lasso" multiple objects.