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

God. I found a new bug with object selection.

After group them, you may try to select the group and then select one object and move it. You see what. It can be moved seperately.

I think I need to switch back 2007 right now. It is wasting time with 2010.

Answer 3

Look the weblink below. It is not something new actually. It is a bug definately.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/office2010/thread/54f0e690-ac97-425e-a5d6-20a6d14bd80e

Should be solve ASAP. Or I need to switch back to 2007. But why I got 2010?

Answer 4

Indeed. For some reason I thought this was a first post. I think the heat here has fried my brain, and the demise of a UPS (which abruptly shut down my computer in my absence) followed by a two-hour power outage has not helped, either.

Answer 5

Suzanne S. Barnhill wrote:

Please provide more detail on your problem. Are the objects Behind

Text?

Suzanne, you've lost the context of the thread. The original post (from July 9) noted that the click-and-drag "lasso" selection of multiple objects doesn't work in Word 2010 except in documents that are in Compatibility Mode, or on a drawing canvas. That has been confirmed, and there is no indication that it will be fixed.

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Jay Freedman

MS Word MVP  FAQ: http://word.mvps.org