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A
Awesome_Lionheart6C15
Participant
July 3, 2014
Answered

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

  • July 3, 2014
  • 21 replies
  • 107946 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:

  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.

    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.

    21 replies

    Show previous replies
    Kris Hunt
    Kris Hunt
    Legend
    July 3, 2014

    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?

    A
    Awesome_Lionheart6C15Author
    Participant
    July 3, 2014

    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.

    Jacob Bugge
    Community Expert
    Jacob BuggeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 12, 2014

    The layers are unlocked.


    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

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