Cannot Select Objects using mouse cursor (Word 2010)

Anonymous
2010-07-09T08:11:42+00:00

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

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Jay Freedman 208.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2010-07-15T01:52:24+00:00

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-03-11T09:27:04+00:00

    Hi,

    I had the same problem.  The workaround I came up with was to save the document as a doc (word 97-2003).  Object selection lasoe works then.

    Adrian

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-02-23T10:42:49+00:00

    Made a screencast video to demonstrate the bug.

    URL:

    http://screenr.com/QLv

    If anyone at Microsoft is looking, please report this bug to the developers. It's a very annoying bug!

    <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="560" height="345" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0"> <param name="movie" value="http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf" /> <param name="flashvars" value="i=175260" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="560" height="345" src="http://screenr.com/Content/assets/screenr_1116090935.swf" flashvars="i=175260" allowfullscreen="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed> </object>

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-02-21T21:50:36+00:00

    @Michael ZH

    I have seen the behaviour of being able to select and edit / move an individual item within a group advertised as a new feature of the way things work in 2010. I don't think MS will classify a deliberate change to the controls as a bug...

    Adam Vero MCT, MMI, MBMSS:CRM 4, MCSA:Messaging Meteor IT - Training and Consulting Services

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-02-20T18:19:26+00:00

    I'm sorry I claimed in an earlier post that an update fixed it. I tried it after an update and it seemed to work for me (on a .docx, not just a .doc). Since then it hasn't worked again. I guess this, and Brent Hall's post (where it doesn't even work on a .doc), show how temperamental this bug is.

    Since then I've reformatted my computer (hard drive crash) and freshly installed Office 2010, this time the 64-bit edition.  The bug persists.

    Updated workaround: I suggested using drawing canvases to workaround this problem, and mentioned adding a toolbar button. Well it turns out that you can insert a drawing canvas straight from the ribbon: it's on the Insert tab in the Shapes dropdown (right at the bottom).

    As posted on another thread, Microsoft devs are aware of this problem, but the chance of them fixing it seems low: http://notepad.patheticcockroach.com/1097/how-to-use-lasso-selection-in-ms-office-2010/

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