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

[ChanningBailey]

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:

1. Guides are not locked.
2. Some guides can only be moved when they are selected in the Layer Panels and when using the arrow keys
3. 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.

[Kris Hunt]

Does it happen all the time, or just with certain documents? If you create a new file and throw some guides on it, can you move them around with the mouse immediately?

[ChanningBailey]

Only on certain documents, infrequently. The file I'm working on right now will allow me to move some but not others.

If I create a new file, I can move them with the mouse immediately.

[Kris Hunt]

And the layers the guides are on aren't locked, either, I assume?

[ChanningBailey]

The layers are unlocked.

[Jacob Bugge]

Channing, anotherhead,

The following is a general list of things you may try when the issue is not in a specific file (you may have tried/done some of them already); 1) and 2) are the easy ones for temporary strangenesses, and 3) and 4) are specifically aimed at possibly corrupt preferences); 5) is a list in itself, and 6) is the last resort.

1) Close down Illy and open again;

2) Restart the computer (you may do that up to 3 times);

3) Close down Illy and press Ctrl+Alt+Shift/Cmd+Option+Shift during startup (easy but irreversible);

4) Move the folder (follow the link with that name) with Illy closed (more tedious but also more thorough and reversible);

5) Look through and try out the relevant among the Other options (follow the link with that name, Item 7) is a list of usual suspects among other applications that may disturb and confuse Illy, Item 15) applies to CC, CS6, and maybe CS5);

Even more seriously, you may:

6) Uninstall, run the Cleaner Tool (if you have CS3/CS4/CS5/CS6/CC), and reinstall.

http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

[sahil_maan17]

XDDD

[anotherheadx]

I am having the same problem in CC.  Layers not locked, Guides not locked, mouse will not selcet Guide after having been locked.

[tomaugerdotcom]

In my scenario, it was a second window (of the same document) with Hide Edges on that caused the problem. Closing the second window solved the issue, though this is certainly a bug, and can be really annoying.

See this thread, lend your voice: Illustrator - Can't move guides when 2 windows open on same document

Tom

[runninghead_design]

I've found a plethora of bugs since i began getting up to speed, moving from CS6 to CC2015.5.

Had a few words with Adobe staff- they tend to suggest making a Feature Request- can I make a Feature Request for fewer bugs please?

[runninghead_design]

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

[logogogue · Accepted solution]

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.

[Olena5F84]

this shortcut helped me. Thanks for sharing!

[Jennifer297881650my7]

This shortcut did the trick! Thank you!

[Eric3566750574ff]

i know this is about 4 years old but it came in handy today. thanks

[claudiawennberg]

This was driving me crazy, it turned out that when I selected to 'trim view' so I would see only things on the artboard it also disabled the use of guides. When I clicked off the trim view under the main menu 'view' my guides were back to normal.

[rhianneb72915060]

right click the layer that you were working on in the layers panel and go layer options unlock lock guides.

[runninghead_design]

Thanks, but the issue in the end proved to be the misleading indications as

to whether the guides were locked or not, not how to unlock the guides.

On 4 November 2016 at 04:57, rhianneb72915060 <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

[mimarchewka@gmail.com]

Try
View > Guides > Lock Guides (uncheck)

It helps in my case.

[runninghead_design]

Please read the discussion before replying.
This has already been laid to rest...
Re: Why can't I select and move guides with selection tools?

[Макс5E54]

Thanks, it helped me!

[bpricemsp]

Thank you this is the correct answer and easiest!

[jordans98992793]

Restarting and power cycling did nothing. The ctrl + shift + alt while opening illy worked in solving this for me.

[dannyg91328563]

I have a complex file that this happens to and was tearing my hair out.  Most of the guides are rotated so they are not horizontal or vertical, so I don't know if this contributes to the issue.  I could select in layers and nudge with keyboard but not select or move with mouse.  I was deleting prefs and each time I would get a few guide moves before they all refused to be selected. 

My solution was to:

- create a random object (I have it overlapping the guide but I don't know if this is necessary)

- select the guide in the layers panel

- shift select the random object so both guide and object are selected

- move the random object with the mouse

- the guide would then happily be moved with the mouse to the precise location

Worth a try for anyone with this issue. 

[nichh44056406]

I was having the same problem, exactly as described by OP. I could create a new document no issue, open random documents no issue. Couldn't move the guide with the mouse though it was unlocked, I could move it with the keyboard.

For me, it turned out to be something rather simple. When you select a guide and want to move it with a mouse, there is a minumum move threshold. Meaning you have to click the guide, then move the guide a certain distance from its current location with the mouse before you can freely move it.

My problem was that in the document I was working with, I was simply too far zoomed in. So the minimum movement threshold was greater than the distance of half the screen. So it appeared as if the guides wouldn't move, even though they were clearly not locked in any way.

The object I was editing was part of a larger document, so it needed to be small. What I ended up doing was making a new file, resizing the object much bigger, and editing it with guides as needed. Then bringing that object back into the main document and resizing to the size I needed.

I hope that helps someone out there.