Action button settings

[Steph]

Is there any way to prevent the pointer from changing to a
little hand when the mouse moves over an action button in
a presentation? I'd like to keep my action buttons
hidden, and the little hand is giving them away. I tried
changing the settings on the computer on which I'll be
running my presentation so that the Link Select pointer
matches the Normal Select pointer, but it didn't help.

Thanks!

 

[David M. Marcovitz]

If you can't find a real way to do this, here is a work-around. Draw a
rectangle that is the size of the whole slide. Now adjust the draw order
(in the Draw menu on the Drawing toolbar, choose Order) so that it is
behind everything clickable but in front of everything else. Set the
transparency of the shape to something large like 99 or 100%). Now set
the action setting for this shape to do something inoccuous, such as
hyperlink to the same slide or play a blank sound (you'll probably have
to record your own blank sound). By doing this, the mouse will always be
the hand and never the arrow.
--David

--
David M. Marcovitz, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Programs in Educational Technology
Loyola College in Maryland
Author of _Powerful PowerPoint for Educators_
http://www.loyola.edu/education/PowerfulPowerPoint/

 

[Steph]

Thanks so much! That's a great idea. IMO, the solutions
that simply involve outsmarting the machine are often the
best--not to mention the most satisfying.

 

[Bill Foley]

If you use any other type object (like a rectangle) the "Highlight Click"
option is not defaulted. So in other words, use any other basic shape
except the built-in Action Buttons and you will be fine.