Convert Type on a path elipse back to elipse

Michael,

Below is a longer and hopefully more intelligible version of my suggestion, based on the (mis)understanding that you wish to go back to the original plain/notext ellipse.

If you wish to have both the ellipse and the Type, just skip 4).

And the rest of what Hans-Jürgen said.

You can:

1) Click an empty spot to deselect your Path Type;

2) ClickDrag with the Direct Selection Tool while holding Alt (for Win) or Option (for Mac) over the ellipse (away from the Type) with the Direct Selection Tool to select just that; you can do that in the upper part well away from the actual Type at the bottom;

3) Hold Ctrl (for Win) or Cmd (for Mac) while you press C and then B to have a new independent path beneath the Path Type;

4) Switch to the (normal) Selection Tool, then Click the Path Type (easy to see/do at the bottom) and press Delete so you only have the ellipse from 3); as another way of selecting the original Path Type you can also click it in the expanded Layers palette.