Copy here/move here

Question

When using PowerPoint 2010, I'll often highlight something so I can copy it someplace else. But when I right-click, I frequently get a window with the choices of "Move here, copy here or cancel." I don't know why this comes up. Move what where? Copy what where? What I would like to come up - 100% of the time - is the longer window that includes Cut, Copy, Paste, etc. Is there something in my clipboard that makes PowerPoint think I want to copy something there? Because I almost never do. So I have to right click on the the area 2 or 3 times to get to the window I want. What exactly is going on here?

Answer 1

Probably you're moving the mouse slightly while right clicking.  That'll give you the various Move/Copy choices you're seeing.

Try holding the mouse very still while right clicking.  If that doesn't help, there may be some other problem that's triggering this behavior.

Alternatively, use Ctrl+X to Cut, Ctrl+C to Copy, Ctrl+V to Paste.

Answer 2

Move here means "Move the shape you've selected to wherever the mouse is pointing when you click Move Here".

Copy Here does the same thing only it puts a COPY of the original shape in the new position and leaves the original in place.

Try it and you'll soon catch on.

Remember:  Press Ctrl + Z to undo whatever it might have done.  Unless you like the result. ;-)

Answer 3

If you have an object highlighted and move the mouse when you have the right mouse button depressed Powerpoint assumes that you either want to move or copy that object to a new position - hence the options that appear. To get rid of them just make sure you don't have any object highlighted and the standard options will appear.

Answer 4

It's a totally crazy set up.

Two solutions that work for me

Click and release very quickly (sort of tap the right button.)

and bizarrely

Try double right click

It's not at all obvious what Move Here / Copy Here do!

Hold down the right click and drag the ghost image to a new position then release Move Here / Copy here make a little more sense now.

Answer 5

Ok, that's helpful. That seems awful sensitive if a minor mouse movement can cause that to happen. But that begs the question of what those other choices are for.