Hello!
I hope someone has seen this before - I sure have not and searching the web has not provided me any insight.

I am editing a PowerPoint 2007 presentation and the person who created it somehow managed to have random objects - sometimes text boxes, sometimes pictures - locked. The handles that are normally round and white are grey with slash marks through them. They won't move and you can't edit them.

I need to edit the text boxes and if I can't figure out how, I will have to delete and retype (not a big deal but I'd really like to know how he did it - I'm pretty sure he did it accidentally!)



TIA

C J Lang

Those slashes represent screwheads ie the shape is screwed down! You can see the effect by adding a modify password to a presentation and choosing "Read Only" when you open it.

To get this on individual shapes rather than the full presentation you would need to edit the XML data and this is unlikely to be an accident. Are you able to edit the XML?

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Microsoft PowerPoint MVP 2007-2023
Free Advanced PowerPoint Tips and Tutorials

Thanks for the reply!

Wow - no - I'm not even sure what XML data is! Could something like this happen if you were moving between versions? I am working in 2007 and I am pretty sure my boss is as well but it is possible he could be on 2003 or 2010. I really doubt he did it purposefully - there things that are screwed down are totally random.

If it's not too private I'll be happy to look at the XML and see what's been done (if anything). john ATSIGN pptalchemy.co.uk

If shapes have somehow opened in read only (not normally possible) then you won't be able to delete them.

If the XML has been altered and you can see "screws" then usually you can cut and paste it (this won't unlock it though)

I've attached an example of an XML'd file

Attached Files

test.pptx (52.1 KB, 19 views)

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Microsoft PowerPoint MVP 2007-2023
Free Advanced PowerPoint Tips and Tutorials

Thanks John - it isn't anything I can disseminate. I can cut and paste, just not move or edit. Guess I'll just re-type!

Thanks again!

Chirag Dahl from OfficeOne has an AddIn that automates the XMl changes and is simple to use. I think there's a free demo. It might unlock the shapes??

http://officeone.mvps.org/shapelocker/shapelocker.htmlhttp://officeone.mvps.org/shapelocker/shapelocker.html

__________________
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP 2007-2023
Free Advanced PowerPoint Tips and Tutorials

I have been having the same issue - best fix:
Right click on the "screwed down" box, select "save as a picture".
Then, insert the picture you just saved, and voila! it is a new version that can be resized and moved (just not edited ).

A tad late, but hope that still helps!

Even easier is cut and paste as picture.

__________________
Microsoft PowerPoint MVP 2007-2023
Free Advanced PowerPoint Tips and Tutorials