Microsoft KB Archive/189936

= PPT97: Cannot Copy or Paste Objects in PowerPoint =

Article ID: 189936

Article Last Modified on 11/9/2000

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft PowerPoint 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q189936





SYMPTOMS
Many of the AutoLayouts for PowerPoint slides include placeholders for titles, body text, and OLE objects. If you include an empty object placeholder in a multiple selection, you can copy the selection to the Clipboard, but the Paste and Paste Special commands will be unavailable (dimmed) even though the objects are on the Clipboard.



CAUSE
This problem is caused when you use the Select All command on the Edit menu rather than selecting several objects individually while holding down the SHIFT key. The Select All command selects the empty placeholders first. PowerPoint assigns special status to the object and the title placeholders and builds slides from the back of the slide to the front. If the placeholders have not been filled in, the objects resting in front of them are copied to the Clipboard, but they cannot be pasted.

Sending the empty placeholders to the front does not correct the problem.



Method 1: Use a Copy and Paste Operation
Select each of the objects by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking each object with the left mouse button. Do not select any empty placeholders. Copy the group of objects to the Clipboard and paste them into the new Slide.

Method 2: Fill in the Placeholders
Fill in the placeholders before using the Select All command. As long as they are all filled in you will be able to paste them.

Additional query words: ppt winppt powerpnt ppt8 ppt97 Object Area 8.0

Keywords: kbprb kbusage KB189936

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