I'm using Illustrator CC and I cannot select and move guides with the selection tools. The guides are not locked. I can select the guides in the Layers Panel, but I can only move with the arrow keys. I can also "Release" the guides once they are selected in the Layers Panel, but I still cannot move them with the mouse - only the arrow key. Summary of Problem:Guides are not locked.Some guides can only be moved when they are selected in the Layer Panels and when using the arrow keysNon-selectable Guides can be "Released" but only altered in color and line weight and still only moved with the arrow keys. Desired Outcome:I want to be able to move all guides using the mouse for greater accuracy vs the arrow keys.Thank you for your help.

New Participant

Answered

Why can't I select and move guides with selection tools?

Forum|Forum|11 years ago
July 3, 2014
21 replies
107697 views

I'm using Illustrator CC and I cannot select and move guides with the selection tools. The guides are not locked. I can select the guides in the Layers Panel, but I can only move with the arrow keys. I can also "Release" the guides once they are selected in the Layers Panel, but I still cannot move them with the mouse - only the arrow key.

Summary of Problem:

Guides are not locked.
Some guides can only be moved when they are selected in the Layer Panels and when using the arrow keys
Non-selectable Guides can be "Released" but only altered in color and line weight and still only moved with the arrow keys.

Desired Outcome:

I want to be able to move all guides using the mouse for greater accuracy vs the arrow keys.

Thank you for your help.

Correct answer logogogue

Got it!

In my scenario (AICC2015) the Guides do not show as locked but they are!

Go and unlock them from the View Menu.

Adobe Documentation here...

How to use rulers, grids, and guides in Illustrator
Does not seem to alert users to this bug/feature, unless I'm missing something?

Or perhaps it's in the manual

This is the answer that worked for me! In my layers panel, I couldn't select the guides but going to Alt + Ctrl + ; did my bidding. Guides move freely. I must have inadvertently locked it when I did some weird keyboard combos by accident.

E

Ethan26432297gc41

New Participant

To piggyback a top answer but for apple devices— The solution that worked for me when I was having this same problem was Command + Option + ;

Alternitevly you can use the navigation by going to view > guides > unlock guides

M

Melvin John29197979n97o

New Participant

If you're still having trouble, try unlocking the guides. You can usually find the option to unlock them in the program's properties panel.

D

David_at_Summit

Inspiring

The guide lock feature appears to occasionally get corrupted, acting as if locked for one, some, or all guides, but not indicated by either a layer lock or a document-level all-guide lock. This will cause frustrating attempts to select guides, which may appear to be selected for a split second just before being immediately deselected. When this occurs, as it recently often does, toggle the document-level all-guide lock on and back off again; use menu View > Guides > Lock Guides, then View > Guides > Unlock Guides, or double-tap the shortcut shown (Ctrl+Alt+; on Windows or Cmd+Opt+; on a Mac).

mattl63375823

Known Participant

The solution is easy.... Right click on the guide and select "Unlock Guides".

You probably don't recall locking them in the first place, but you'd be surprised by the things we do accidentally with quick commands we didn't know we initiated by typing too quickly.

M

Manan301899955n8n

New Participant

Go into properties panel and then under the guide section unlock the grid then you will be able yo delete or move the grid lines.

R

Red Point

Inspiring

I have the same issues in random intervals, cannot move guides in Illustrator, but guides are not locked (also not in the VIEW menu).

Not sure why many in this thread struggle with comprehending the intitial post, which clearly states that "GUIDES ARE NOT LOCKED". Responding to the post by suggesting the solution "to unlock guides" just leaves me wondering, why people fail to read and understand four simple lines of text. You people only read the headline?

This is a bug. One of many in Illustrator. Also, trying to move small objects in Illustrators is impossible.

"A flaw by design is still a design flaw!"

K

KnoxOnRocks

New Participant

Sorry I am a bit late in my reply,

I have been having the same problem frequently. My guides were unlocked in the properties panel, but I found if I went to View > Guides it was showing my guides were locked. So View > Guides > Unlock Guides seemed to solve the problem.

S

Shawqi5C16

New Participant

With the mouse on the guide click the right key and unlock guides .you should be right to go

B

BogStreet

New Participant

You probably have guides locked

VIEW > GUIDES > UNLOCK GUIDES