Selection tool not working... please help

[HannahP]

I am using Illustrator CS 5.1 and the selection tool has stopped working.

It lets me select the object, but when I go to drag it I get an error sound and it won't move.  No error message appears so I'm not sure what is wrong.

I've tried locking and unlocking all objects, and opening previously working files, but all now have this same problem.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I've got a coursework deadline due next monday...

Thanks in advance.

[Monika Gause]

Try re-starting Illustrator | the computer.

Delete preferences.

have you installed anything? Fonts? new printer?

[mattj22311682]

i watched someone deleteing a logo on cs4 AE and is the mask  he used but then when i move the mask it wont animate to deletete logo

[Monika Gause]

mattj22311682  schrieb

i watched someone deleteing a logo on cs4 AE and is the mask  he used but then when i move the mask it wont animate to deletete logo

Please describe your issue, your system, your version of Illustrator.

Please describe what you have and what you want to achieve.

Take a look in the layers panel to inspect your artwork

Are you working in Illustrator or After Effects?

Please create a new thread for your problem.

[mattj22311682]

after efffects

[Monika Gause]

Please ask your question in the After Effects forum. After Effects

You might want to ask in a way that people understand the question (and of course include your system and version)

[Wade_Zimmerman1 · Accepted solution]

You accindentally hit Comand Shift B on the Mac or Control Shift B on the PC

You should becom aware of this there is also

Command H on the Mac and Control H on the PC that will give you similar problems

What they are is View> Hide Bounding Box and View Hide Edges.

Common accident.

[Steve Fairbairn]

Common accident.

Precisely because it seems to be such a common accident (because B and H are too close to G on the keyboard) it's not a bad idea to redistribute your keyboard shortcuts. So if you think you are Grouping and accidentally hit Cmd+B or Cmd+H you won't get into trouble.

I have redistributed a lot of mine. Things like Cmd+U for Ungroup (of course) and Cmd+Shift+G for Smart Guides, Cmd+L for Average (like it was in the old days) and that sort of thing. Keep more complex 3-key combinations for more seldom used commands and remember that a lot of commands are used so seldom that you go to the menu for them anyway.

If you find some of the default keyboard shortcuts illogical or difficult to remember, just change them. It will make save you a lot of frustration in the long run. One sometimes wonders why so many of the commonly used keyboard commands were made more complicated in newer versions of Illie. Personally I can see no good reason for it.

[Tadeu Garcia · Accepted solution]

That's it, the command + h made it work again to select for me. Thank you!

[Cruser77]

Thank you! I was getting ready to uninstall and reinstall illustrator! Thought I needed to buy a new computer if that didn't work LOL

[transform tool not workin]

THANKS A LOT

[alicemarya89]

Thanks a lot! this worked

[depaxi]

I was struggling with this for so long! Thank you!!!

[BettyPasghetti]

Thank you for sharing this! So helpful. My bounding box was in fact hiding.

[Зульфия28444538oqpy]

Oh, how I have been looking for your answer for a long time. Thank you kind person 

[irenapereira]

I'm getting the exact same problem ... and it's intermittent.  It depends on which file and when I use it.  I've tried restarting Illustrator with no luck.

Were you able to find a solution?

[graphias]

I am facing this issue in Windows OS 10. However, using CTRL+H has not worked for me. Should I restart illustrator after attempting that fix? 

Any other solution? 

[Monika Gause]

"I am facing this issue in Windows OS 10."

Please create a new thread.

[adamb23693615]

Monika,

would you mind linking on here to that new thread please?

[Monika Gause]

There is no new thread unless you create one. Please do so.