After the latest Office update PowerPoint get locked in ink mode

Anonymous
2016-02-20T01:24:06+00:00

after my recent office update, PowerPoint is locked in ink mode and I can't use my pen to do anything but to draw. It's so annoying I can't even select anything with my surface pen in order to re-size the text or change text color. and when I use my finger it only moves the cursor, it won't let me select. what should I do?

[Original Title: power point ink]

Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2016-02-28T01:54:03+00:00

UPDATE 4/8:

We have started to roll out the change that also adds the Select button to the Draw tab (#1 in my original email below), so if you want to continue to use your pen to ink by default you can do that, and now use that button to use the pen for selection temporarily.  Of course if you want to use the pen to select by default, the preference we added in the Options dialog and detailed below allows you to do that.

UPDATE 3/15:

I wanted to let everyone know that in the update to Office that started rolling out to Insiders today, you will find a new preference in the Options dialog to allow you to make the pen select instead of ink by default.  Enabling this preference will make the pen function exactly like it did before, plus you can use the options on the Draw tab if you do decide you want to ink.  If you are an Office Insider (which anyone can join), you should get this update within the next day or so.  If you are not an Office Insider, it may take another week or two to reach you.

This is a per-app preference, so you can enable selection by default in Excel for instance while leaving ink as the default in Word and PowerPoint, or you can switch all three.  To access this preference select File > Options, and then in the Options dialog select Advanced and check ‘Use pen to select and interact with content by default’ in the new Pen section.

We’ll be releasing the second piece (#1 below), which is the ability to toggle on pen selection via the Draw tab for those that only want to use the pen to select occasionally, with the next monthly update.

Thanks again to all of you for your feedback, and we hope this change addresses your concerns.

ORIGINAL:

I wanted to first thank all of you for your feedback both here, and on our UserVoice site.  We’ve heard you loud and clear, and as a result we are actively working on two changes:

  1. For people that want to use the pen as a precise pointer temporarily, we will introduce the ability to do that via a button on the Draw tab.  This will keep the new default of having the pen ink on the document canvas, but give the ability to use the pen to do selection when needed.
  2. For people that want or need to use the pen like a mouse by default, we will also add a new preference to the Options dialog that will allow you to restore the previous behavior.  If you want to ink, that will be easier than before because you’ll be able to just tap a pen on the Draw tab and start inking, but you will be able to set your default behavior to be that the pen selects, just like it was before the update.

We are actively working on making these changes so that we can get them out to you as soon as possible.  Note that you may see #2 (the preference in the Options dialog) appear first, because we are prioritizing getting that change to you based on your feedback.

I will keep this post updated with the latest status, or you can follow along at one (or all) of the three relevant UserVoice topics: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

In addition, if you’d like to get these changes even before they are officially released to everyone, please consider joining our Office Insidersprogram.  It’s a great way to preview the upcoming changes and help provide us with feedback early.

Thanks again,

Dan

Was this answer helpful?

7 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

196 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T16:09:55+00:00

    Thanks for your frank observations on the effect of this ill advised "improvement" (you can read that as a 4 letter word in this situation, as you put it a F.......). 

    This forum is for help trouble shooting. We can't help with shipped MS code that is that seriously broken. Actually, there are very few "real" softies on this forum.  These days, the place to get in direct, read-only, contact with real softies is the UserVoice forums. MS has reportedly fixed the problem (see comments below), but apparently has not pushed it out fast enough or far enough.  It would be helpful if you copied your comment and posted it in UserVoice where more softies will see it. They need a good swift kick in the ... pants (front or back, your choice) to get the message.  Here are links to suggestions already posted in UserVoice:

    Back out change to make pen Ink default ****341 total votes as of Feb 26, 2016

     30 votes - https://office.uservoice.com/forums/285186-general/suggestions/12473571-have-some-way-to-turn-inking-off-for-machines-usin Office in General

      52 voteTo using Surface Pro 4 Pen as a mouse in PowerPoint 2016 instead of inking - PowerPoint

    106 vote Use the pen as a mouse- Word

    153 vote let pen usage toggle between inking and pointer - Excel

    "UserVoice.com" - MS Suggestion box sites

    If you have an (other) feature suggestions to make for various MS products, here is a longer collection of MS UserVoice.com sites:

    http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-desktop/ms-suggestion-box-sites-at-uservoicecom/7397119c-6d48-49e6-8d94-7bd0a50d214f

    In theory, MS has already pushed out a fix that was posted on other similar questions (they missed this one)

    2016 02 25- **"Ink" Tab replaced with "Draw" Tab in Office 2016 v16.0.6568.2025**

    ****There is a work around for external tablets, like Wacoms. Unplug it before starting Word, then plug it back in after starting Word.

    MS is working on the Problem and will be pushing the fix out “soon”.  Here is a reply they provided on Feb 28, 2016. If you want to be kept up to date, you can clink on the link below and then click on the “Subscribe” link in the original question. You will then get emails for any replies, including updates from MS Dan.

    <snip Feb 29, 2016 Pen / Digital ink versus mouse >

    Thank you for your feedback Wayne.  We’ve heard you loud and clear, and as a result we are actively working on two changes:

    1. For people that want to use the pen as a precise pointer temporarily, we will introduce the ability to do that via a button on the Draw tab.  This will keep the new default of having the pen ink on the document canvas, but give the ability to use the pen to do selection when needed.
    2. For people that want or need to use the pen like a mouse by default, we will also add a new preference to the Options dialog that will allow you to restore the previous behavior.  If you want to ink, that will be easier than before because you’ll be able to just tap a pen on the Draw tab and start inking, but you will be able to set your default behavior to be that the pen selects, just like it was before the update.

    We are actively working on making these changes so that we can get them out to you as soon as possible.  Note that you may see #2 (the preference in the Options dialog) appear first, because we are prioritizing getting that change to you based on your feedback.

    I will keep this post updated with the latest status, or you can follow along at one (or all) of the three relevant UserVoice topics: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

    In addition, if you’d like to get these changes a week or two before they are officially released to everyone, please consider joining our Office Insidersprogram.  It’s a great way to preview the upcoming changes and help provide us with feedback early.

    Thanks again,

    Dan

    </snip>

    <snip After the latest Office update PowerPoint get locked in ink mode >

    Reply:

    I wanted to first thank all of you for your feedback both here, and on our UserVoice site.  We’ve heard you loud and clear, and as a result we are actively working on two changes:

    1. For people that want to use the pen as a precise pointer temporarily, we will introduce the ability to do that via a button on the Draw tab.  This will keep the new default of having the pen ink on the document canvas, but give the ability to use the pen to do selection when needed.
    2. For people that want or need to use the pen like a mouse by default, we will also add a new preference to the Options dialog that will allow you to restore the previous behavior.  If you want to ink, that will be easier than before because you’ll be able to just tap a pen on the Draw tab and start inking, but you will be able to set your default behavior to be that the pen selects, just like it was before the update.

    We are actively working on making these changes so that we can get them out to you as soon as possible.  Note that you may see #2 (the preference in the Options dialog) appear first, because we are prioritizing getting that change to you based on your feedback.

    I will keep this post updated with the latest status, or you can follow along at one (or all) of the three relevant UserVoice topics: Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

    In addition, if you’d like to get these changes a week or two before they are officially released to everyone, please consider joining our Office Insidersprogram.  It’s a great way to preview the upcoming changes and help provide us with feedback early.

    Thanks again,

    Dan

    </snip>

    ************************

    "Ink" Tab replaced with "Draw" Tab in Office 2016 v16.0.6568.2025

    It is a “FAD”!

    It is failing as designed.  This is an intentional change. Yet another example of a unilateral change made to one of their products that people in the “real world” can’t understand.

    To date there have been 2 “fixes” (using the term loosely) proposed. Downgrade to 2013 and uninstall the feb update. But in a CTR environment, uninstall updates is harder than in the “good old days”.

    <snip "Ink" Tab replaced with "Draw" Tab in Office 2016 v16.0.6568.2025 >

    Hi Timothy,

    Please see the response from Dan Parish on After the latest Office update PowerPoint get locked in ink mode. To sum up, the behavior is intentional, but the team is open to feedback.

    If you feel strongly, I encourage you to voice your opinion on the Office UserVoice sites, which the teams review regularly and use to prioritize suggestions and feature requests. The benefit of doing this is that other people can vote on a suggestion and lend it weight. In fact, there are already several threads that others have started about the need for an ink/mouse toggle, which you can simply vote and comment on.

    PowerPoint: To using Surface Pro 4 Pen as a mouse in PowerPoint 2016 instead of inking

    Word: Use the pen as a mouse

    Excel: let pen usage toggle between inking and pointer

    Michelle V

    Office Team

    Read this reply on Microsoft Community.

    </snip>

    <edit Rohn007> Personally, I suggest your vote and comment on each of the links to make the issue clear to everyone at MS>

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T15:33:33+00:00

    Hi there,

    I have done the latest update to  16.0.6568.2036 and guess what, like everyone else here open any Word, PowerPoint or Excel document and all you get is the pen tool.  You cannot type anything, copy or paste ANYTHING because you cannot highlight anything.

    We are in Business, like most people that use this software, and at the moment we have had to look at and download open office, yes, that is right Microsoft... Open Office!!!!!  What do you say to that.  The people who are at your call centre have no idea what they are talking about and we are loosing business because we can't do things in Microsoft products.

    The software should have been tested before rolling it out to your users across the world.  Are you going to pay uscompensation for lost of work? WELL?

    This is a big F*** UP Microsoft and you need to put it right as soon as possible, or make an update available with the reverted software, so that people like us can go back and work properly!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2016-03-05T02:29:46+00:00

    Was this ever properly field tested prior being released?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-03-04T14:23:43+00:00

    HI Where is the option to use pen as pointer,  I'm using my tablet for business, and now I'm stucked and cannot work anymore ????  Please give a solution very FAST, to not say NOW!!!!

    Where is from this stupid idea to use pen a draw in default when creating PPT...   Someone who never had to do professionnal deck, I guess!

    Thanks for your help.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments