Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Applications > Strange shape bugs in Powerpoint 2011

Strange shape bugs in Powerpoint 2011
Thread Tools
ibook_steve
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 15, 2014, 10:45 PM
 
All of a sudden, key things I use all the time in Powerpoint are broken.

I use shapes all the time (rectangles, circles, block arrows, etc.). Just recently, two key features have stopped working correctly with shapes and the failures may be related. First, I cannot delete a shape by hitting the Delete key on the keyboard. When I select a shape and hit Delete, instead of deleting the shape, it goes into text edit mode on the shape. The only way I can delete a shape now is with Cut, which thankfully still works.

The other failure is Duplicate. If I select a shape and hit cmd-d, I get the system beep. If I then go to the Edit menu, Duplicate is grayed out and the shape has entered text edit mode again! With the shape selected, just clicking Edit in the menubar puts the shape in text edit mode!! What is going on here?

These problems do not occur with lines and arrows, probably because they don't have text edit features.

I've tried removing preference files and completely uninstalling and reinstalling Office. Nothing works. I have not installed any software recently that (I think) could have caused this. Any ideas of what might be going on here?

Thanks,
Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 15, 2014, 11:47 PM
 
Update: the problem does not occur when I'm logged in as the guest user. Hmm. It must be some software interaction.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 12:01 AM
 
Try a run through System Prefs within your usual account. Keyboard Shortcuts and Universal Access especially, since both can alter standard input behavior.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 03:41 AM
 
Nothing is working. I even tried a Safe Boot and I still had the problem in my user account. I don't know what else to try and I don't know why these specific features are not working correctly while everything else in Office works fine. Argh.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 11:28 AM
 
Try the big one. Move the prefs folder and logout / login. Assuming that works, add back half the old prefs and repeat as needed until you catch the bugger.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 04:11 PM
 
Removing all the preferences did not fix the problem. Double ARGH!

It's something inherent to this particular user, but I have no idea what it could be. Also, it's such a particular feature failure where nothing else has a problem. The same features in other Office apps works perfectly fine.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 04:48 PM
 
Check your Sys Prefs -> Accounts -> Login Items. If they hadn't removed NetInfo Manager, I'd look at account config too. If you want to get fancy, you can check your crontab.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 05:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
Check your Sys Prefs -> Accounts -> Login Items. If they hadn't removed NetInfo Manager, I'd look at account config too. If you want to get fancy, you can check your crontab.
I tried safe mode, so I would think that would prevent the loading of login items, right? What in particular would you think I should look for in cron?

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 16, 2014, 05:34 PM
 
Anything. It is normally empty.

I'm running short on ideas. Maybe someone else will have suggestions too...
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 18, 2014, 03:16 PM
 
Is it brand new files from scratch, or old files? Try saving down a version then opening back up? If you've trashed preferences it makes me think the files are bad.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 03:31 AM
 
This happens on all files: old ones or brand new.

After fully uninstalling and reinstalling Office using Microsoft's instructions, I still have the problem. I still don't have the problem in any other user, a guest or another admin account.

I did figure something out though. If I select a shape and then immediately perform a selection action on the shape (delete, copy, paste, duplicate, etc.), the action will work, but the object still goes into text edit mode. It's like after selecting an object, about a second later, it goes into the text edit mode. Something is telling Powerpoint: always go into text edit mode when selecting objects. If I select the object again, I get that second of leeway again.

I've gone through all the programs I've opened or installed since this problem started. Uninstalling recent new programs hasn't done anything.

This is the strangest bug/software interaction I have ever seen.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 03:41 AM
 
Try a different mouse. Especially a different brand. It's sounding like Office is either getting a phantom return key after a selection click, or a second phantom click. Possibly a key-repeat or sticky keys setting, but zapping prefs should have fixed either.

Since you've ruled out the easy software causes, that suggests a subtle config issue in that account. If your mouse is acting slightly oddly, that might compound a subtle issue into a visible problem. It's a stretch, but easier to check than running down a non-GUI config setting.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 03:50 AM
 
Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
Try a different mouse. Especially a different brand. It's sounding like Office is either getting a phantom return key after a selection click, or a second phantom click. Possibly a key-repeat or sticky keys setting, but zapping prefs should have fixed either.

Since you've ruled out the easy software causes, that suggests a subtle config issue in that account. If your mouse is acting slightly oddly, that might compound a subtle issue into a visible problem. It's a stretch, but easier to check than running down a non-GUI config setting.
I'm using the built-in keyboard and trackpad on my rMBP. It can't be a peripheral issue. I would think that if it was, I would see this in all other apps.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 11:02 AM
 
the user preferences for mouse/trackpad tracking could be different for your user, than it is for other users. If you have an external mouse to test with, might be worth a shot.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 11:56 AM
 
The same thing happens with external mice and keyboards.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 01:19 PM
 
OK, this is embarrassing. It took me this long to remember prefs in OS X are not all in the Preferences folder. Time to check the rest of your user Library folder. In particular, Application Support. I don't use M$ Office, so you'll have to find their folders. Probably one in Application Support, possibly a standalone one in Library.

Removing one of these folders may break the app. Though you could rename one, copy the folder across from another user account, and chown it.
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
May 21, 2014, 03:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by reader50 View Post
OK, this is embarrassing. It took me this long to remember prefs in OS X are not all in the Preferences folder. Time to check the rest of your user Library folder. In particular, Application Support. I don't use M$ Office, so you'll have to find their folders. Probably one in Application Support, possibly a standalone one in Library.

Removing one of these folders may break the app. Though you could rename one, copy the folder across from another user account, and chown it.
I've already done this. I completely followed MS's instructions at How to completely remove Office for Mac 2011. Even after trashing every little thing, I still have the problem.

Thanks to everybody for their suggestions and support. If you have any others, that would be great, but I'm just going to live with this, keep investigating it, and possibly just move everything over to a new user account.

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
ibook_steve  (op)
Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Feb 23, 2015, 05:12 PM
 
Update: it seems, and I could be wrong, that after almost a year, the just released Office 2011 update fixes this annoying bug/issue. It's actually in the release notes for the update! I can now select a text box (or a line object!) and the cursor does not immediately get enabled in the text!

What a relief. But where's Office 2015/2016 for Mac M$, hmm?

Steve
Celebrating 10 years and 4000 posts on MacNN!
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:54 AM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,