Cut/Copy and Paste Problems in PowerPoint

Anonymous
2013-09-30T02:03:09+00:00

PowerPoint will not allow me to paste anything into a slide.  I have tried text into a text box, shapes, entire slides.  It allows me to copy or cut, but when I try to paste it is greyed out or does nothing when I use Command+V on my MacBook Pro.  I am running Office 2011 Home & Student and copy and paste work fine in Word and Xcel.  I have tried to reinstall the software and that didn.t help either... Any ideas?

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For home | Windows

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  1. Jim G 134.1K Reputation points MVP
    2013-11-03T00:43:24+00:00

    I created the account like listed here and it did not fix the problem.  I tried playing with preferences and settings both in the MSOffice and the iOS settings - none of this worked to fix the problem.  I uninstalled and reinstalled MSOffice, and that didn't work.  I reloaded my iOS operating system and that didn't fix the problem.  I upgraded my MSOffice from Student to Business and that didn't fix the problem.  I went to Apple and had them do a bare metal restore of my machine and then reload the app from scratch - that didn't fix the problem.

    The only thing that I have done that fixed my problem, really isn't a fix ... I bought Apple's Keynote, and now I import .ppt into Keynote when I need to cut and paste objects and then I convert back to .ppt.

    There is some type of a bug in the MSOffice application and PowerPoint.  I have eliminated everything else.

    Darin -

    The troubleshooting step of trying PowerPoint in a new user account lets us know whether or not preference files are corrupt. Since the problem continued into a new user account, we know that the problem is not with PowerPoint preferences because in the new user account there are new, default preferences.

    Everything you said so far indicates the problem is external of PowerPoint. The next troubleshooting step to take is to start your Mac in Safe Mode by restarting and holding the shift key down when you hear the startup chime. It takes a long time to boot this way, but doing so prevents programs from loading when the computer starts up. When you get to your desktop in safe mode, open Powerpoint and try to paste something. If the problem is gone, we know that something else that starts up when you start up your Mac is causing the trouble. You can then do a process of elimination with your startup items and track down which one is causing the trouble, There's a little, free diagnostic app here that can help you figure out which things are running at startup http://www.etresoft.com/index

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-11-03T17:45:52+00:00

    I have already tried this booting up in Safe mode and trying these steps.  It did not work.  I also had a person at Microsoft Lv-2 support do the same thing remotely taking over my machine and stepping me through the process.  The information you have provided above does not fix the problem.  I tried this before doing all the other O.S. reloads and other actions.  There is clearly a problem with MSPowerPoint, we have eliminated every other thing (O.S. , the settings, user accounts, preferences, etc.).  I have done the process of elimination including the steps you have provided above, and none of that works.  I have seen other posts on my thread here and it looks like others are having the same problem.  It must be a MSPowerPoint problem that Microsoft needs to fix.  ... thanks!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-11-03T17:46:25+00:00

    This has got to be a MS problem.  I have eliminated every other thing that it could be.

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