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aliceinthemiddle
Participant
October 22, 2013
Answered

Cannot move selected objects in Illustrator

  • October 22, 2013
  • 31 replies
  • 93511 views

I'm using Illustrator CS5.5.

I cannot move anything I select. I try to drag it and it makes the "bump" noise. 

-I made sure that my preferences are not set to "object selection by path only".

-I've restarted my computer several times

-I tried to open a previous Illustrator file and I have the same problem

-I even uninstalled and reinstalled my entire Abode Suite beacuse I've been having several issues

I'm not sure if this is related but I also can't create a new document unless I use picas and CMYK coloring. It refuses to adjust to anything other than the default settings. Also, I can't increase the stroke of an object unless I type in the number, meaning I can't use the arrows for adjustment.

So basically I am having a ton of problems and even reinstalling the program didn't fix them.

Help please.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer onebleep

    @ramis85927975 is correct the temporary fix is to hover with your cursor over the center of the object (blue tiny square) and then click drag. It's almost like the mouse doesn't pick up the pixels of the image.

    I've also tried all the other suggestions and this is all that is working for now.

    31 replies

    Show previous replies
    fi1900
    fi1900
    Participant
    March 11, 2017

    I'm having the same problem? Has this been fixed? Driving me crazy!!

      O
      OctaviusIII
      Participant
      March 11, 2017

      It has not, but a reinstall of Adobe should do it AFTER uninstalling the offending program Revo Uninstall. Revo erases all traces of the program from your computer so you can be sure what you're installing is totally clean and fresh. Upgrades to your program should also work - I just upgraded to a new Illustrator and that fixed my problem.

      Also, BEFORE you uninstall, for the sake of bug reporting, is my description of the problem above accurate for you, too? Is there anything else you notice about the issue, and any idea about when or how it started?

      J
      jasoncdu
      Participant
      February 28, 2017

      super frustrating .. it just seems like the object is locked and the window DING sounds whenever i try to move it.

        ramis85927975
        ramis85927975
        Participant
        January 8, 2017

        I found the solution...
        I have no idea what the hack happend, and why is it working like that now..
        but if you wanna drag an object, try by dragging from the center of the object.
        yes, hover your mouse over the center and drag... it should work.

        I wish there is another solution out there...
        Cheers!

        O
        OctaviusIII
        Participant
        September 13, 2016

        Just had this problem myself. Still unresolved. I will reinstall shortly and post an update. Before then, however, I wanted to dig a bit more into what this might be, and I think it has to do with how Illustrator interfaces with the mouse and keyboard:

        • If I restart Illustrator, I can click and drag until I use my keyboard for anything.
        • If my first use of the keyboard is to hold down alt while dragging an object, immediately the object freezes in place. Weirdly, the interface still thinks I'm dragging something (the cursor doesn't change), but the alt doesn't register and the object is stuck in place.
        • Once the error appears, it seems as though mouse clicks interrupt themselves somehow. For example, if I hold down ctrl while clicking with the direct selection tool (so that it transforms back into the selection tool), each click causes the cursor to flash back to direct selection for a split second, and vice versa.
        • A complication to this theory is that clicking and dragging using a shape tool to manipulate a pre-existing shape does seem to work even after the error appears.
        • A further oddity is that alt-tabbing away and back to Illustrator after the first use of the keyboard (sometimes it takes a couple of tries) seems to reset the problem: click and drag works again until I use the keyboard. However, if I've used the keyboard a few times already the alt-tab trick doesn't always reset the problem.
        • The final oddity is that pressing the Windows key twice resets the problem, too.

        This is clearly a persistent bug in multiple versions of Illustrator, as I've found mention of it going as far back as 2008. I'm curious why it hasn't been discovered and fixed at some point by the debug team. That said, I have no idea how to reproduce this error so I can instruct the bug team on how to fix it.

        Windows 10 (1511 (OS build 10586.545))

        Illustrator 2015.2 (Version 19)

        PZ Prepress
        PZ Prepress
        Participant
        August 30, 2016

        I was having the same problem. I zoomed clear out so I could see the edges of the "drawing area" and noticed some "handles on the edges. I used my white arrow and selected and deleted them. After that, I was able to move the objects on my artboard with no problem.

        atomic sponge
        atomic sponge
        Participant
        May 6, 2016

        I had the same problem and nothing worked until I selected the item and clicked 'expand appearance' and it worked.

        K
        kazmology
        Participant
        March 13, 2016

        It eventually comes right; no need to reinstall. Just sit right for a couple of restarts. Took me a day to recover

        T
        tobiasb45643019
        Participant
        March 13, 2016

        I had a similar problem on my Mac when trying to move objects. In my case it helped to simply disconnect my drawing board.

        K
        kazmology
        Participant
        January 26, 2016

        This is literally the most annoying thing in the world, uuurgh. I have to work and now this happens.

        Please let me know if there are actual causes to this and what the working solutions are. Thaaanks

        Monika Gause
        Community Expert
        Monika GauseCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        January 26, 2016

        kazmology schrieb:

        I have to work and now this happens.

        Please tell us what exactly happens.

        K
        kazmology
        Participant
        January 26, 2016

        This morning I was using Illustrator and InDesign preparing a presentation for my meeting and it just stopped. I couldn't move and objects using my mouse and the select button, only by the arrow keys. I thought my computer was tired and it would be fine when I came home after work - No change when I returned. This was after a reboot and a few restarts tot he program. I need to do design work tonight and I simply do not have time to reinstall my software.

        This is obviously a very common problem, Adobe cannot simply suggest reinstalling the software in every case.

          T
          tiffanya49747929
          Participant
          January 16, 2016

          Has anyone figured out a solution?!!!! UGH its so annoying! I need to work and I don't have time to move things with my arrow keys!

            Monika Gause
            Community Expert
            Monika GauseCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            January 16, 2016

            tiffanya49747929 schrieb:

            Has anyone figured out a solution?!!!! UGH its so annoying! I need to work and I don't have time to move things with my arrow keys!

            Most people are able to use their arrow keys so any solution needs to be found in your individual system set up. You might want to tell us about it. Also: when did this start to happen?

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