Moving and Selecting Multiple Objects in Word 2008

[drsmile]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I am new to Word 2008 and can't seem to be able to nudge objects or select multiple objects in a document. I am trying to make small movements to a selected object by holding the option key and then using the directional arrows----doesn't work. Also cannot select multiple objects by holding shift key. Do these functions need to be "turned on" somewhere? Maybe my old PC mind is giving me the wrong commands. Can anyone help?

 

[Patty Winter]

Also cannot select multiple objects by holding
shift key. Do these functions need to be "turned on" somewhere? Maybe my
old PC mind is giving me the wrong commands.

Unless something has changed between Word 2004 and 2008, you should
be able to do that with the Command (Apple) key.

I think you will find that many functions you were accustomed to
with Word on a PC can be done with slightly different keys on the
Mac. Just play around with those keys at the lower left.


Patty

 

[drsmile]

Patty,

Thanks very much for replying! My guess is that a lot has changed from Word 2004 to 2008. I played with this quite a bit after my original post and I am hoping this will help others as well. In Word 2008, it might be called a "nudge" but you cannot make very slight adjustments to inserted objects unless you are in the Publishing Layout. In other views, the arrows make more uncontrolled horizontal and vertical adjustments. You cannot use the Command Key to "nudge" objects and you cannot use the Shift Key (while in anything other than Publishing Layout) to select multiple objects. When you are in Publishing Layout, the arrow keys automatically nudge an inserted object and the Shift Key will allow to select multiple inserted objects. What a change!!!!

Marty

 

[Patty Winter]

In Word 2008...
You cannot use the Command Key to "nudge" objects and you cannot use the
Shift Key (while in anything other than Publishing Layout) to select
multiple objects. When you are in Publishing Layout, the arrow keys
automatically nudge an inserted object and the Shift Key will allow to
select multiple inserted objects. What a change!!!!

Can you still use the Command key to select multiple parts of the text
when not in Publishing Layout? If so, then that hasn't changed from
what I described in Word 2004.


Patty

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm not questioning your findings but at least some of them are local to
your system. Shift-Click in 2008 is the same as it ever was regardless of
what View you're using. If you're unable to have success with it there must
be a reason. Unfortunately you are right about the nudge... Almost

Since neither of your messages state your update level the first
consideration is to confirm that Office is fully updated. Likewise, confirm
that OS X is at 10.6.3 (as of this week). Repair disk permissions then
restart your Mac. If the software isn't up-to-date it's pointless to go
chasing symptoms. That alone may resolve the Shift-Click issue.

The Option-Arrow nudge 'should' work as expected. However, I have a similar
situation here... It does work on my MBP/Snow Leopard Mac but doesn't work
on my G5/Tiger. To be honest, I haven't been able to figure out why. I've
tried removing every pref/plist, Normal.dotm & everything else I can think
of but it refuses to work in any of the Office 2008 apps. What really has me
hung up is that it on the MBP doesn't work in 2004 either. Will let you know
if I come up with anything on the issue.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[CyberTaz]

NEWSFLASH!!!

It appears that the culprit is the OS X Keyboard Layout. I switched to US
rather than US Extended & the Option-Arrow worked like a charm on the G5

Didn't make sense, so I switched back to US Extended & it continued to work,
but as soon as I switched it to Unicode it stopped again. Going back to
either US or US Extended now operates as it should.

Moral: Switch to any other keyboard layout then back again. Perhaps it will
work for you. OS X has had a history of getting that setting 'stuck' from
time to time.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac