Textbox margins keep changing

Question

I have two issues:

First: my regional settings on the Mac are set to metric but my PowerPoint shape sizes and margins are still in inches. How do I change that?

Second: When entering a new value for the text box margins, the margins either change to zero or do not change at all. Using the arrow buttons to change the margin by clicking doe snot help either. How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Please click the small button in the upper right corner of the presentation window, then choose Report a Problem:

Answer 2

Thanks for replying Hendrik.

Yes, that is exactly the same issue.
Also using macOS Sonoma 14.5, though PowerPoint Version 16.86.

Uff, boxes on top of boxes is something my soul can´t accept :-)

Glad not to be alone, unfortunately I have very little time to dedicate to this atm. Will try my luck at the IT dept. once they are back from holidays.

Will let you know if I get to solve it.

This is really terrible.

Answer 3

I also still have the same problem and can only work with workarounds, e.g., adding additional text boxes on top of other boxes, to build acceptable slides.

It appears that I can change the margins from 0" to 1" once I have set them to 0 but no smaller increments work which is, of course, not helpful.

I am using macOS Sonoma 14.5 with PowerPoint for Mac Version 16.85. I have only installed an add-in called "BrightSlide" but also had the issue before installing the add-in. The issue occurs in every single PowerPoint file (at least 40+ different documents over the past three months).

Answer 4

Unfortunately, the measurement system used by PowerPoint cannot be changed. This is a long standing complaint but all you can do is add your voice to the choir by using Help> Feedback in the PowerPoint menu bar.

Please provide the specific Version Number of both Mac Office & macOS in order to help identify the Text Box issue. Also, please clarify: Are you referring to Margins or Dimensions? Where are you attempting to make the changes? Explicit details are most helpful.

Answer 5

Dear Hendrik Fröhling

Good day!

Based on my test, I cannot reproduce this situation.

Please check whether your Office applications have been up to date with the latest version. You can reference this article：Update Office for Mac automatically - Office Support (microsoft.com).

If the problem persists, please try running Office by starting up your Mac in safe mode to see the result. This can help us check whether issues you are experiencing are caused by software that loads as your Mac starts up.

Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology.

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Sincerely,

Tin