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J
J_Prinz
Participant
April 14, 2014
Answered

InDesign CC Shift Key not working

  • April 14, 2014
  • 53 replies
  • 144672 views

Normally I'd just hold the shift key down to resize an image or object in InDesign CC to constrain its proportions. Lately when I try to resize an image, the shift key doesn't do anything anymore. It no longer holds the proportions of the image box. Is there a way to fix this problem or is there a new tool that replaces the hot key shortcut? Transform > Scale is taking way too much time to resize an image to the proper size I need it to be.

Any and all help is very appreciated.

-Jon

    Correct answer juarthy

    Hello Carol, I posted a fix that worked for me perfectly, it was webroot virus scanning software. I turned it off, and the problem disappeared. I only run it at night, when I’m not working. An apple tech told me virus scan software can interfere with key commands.

    Not sure if this is your issue, but hope it helps. My macbook pro was fine, the software wasn’t installed on it, it was the mac pro with the virus scanning software that had the issue.

    Good luck

    53 replies

    Show previous replies
    J
    jamescottlewis
    Participant
    January 27, 2015

    It was Smart Guides for me too. Macbook pro, InDesign CC2014. I cannot live without Shift>command resizing so glad it's back but the loss of smart guides is a drag. Cmon Adobe.

      U
      uberkraaft
      Participant
      January 27, 2015

      Have smart guides off by default so that resizing proportionally works - Hold CTRL when moving items & you temporarily see the smart guides - it's fine once you get used to it

        V
        Verity_ink
        Participant
        May 18, 2015

        This fix worked for me!!  Thanks

        S
        stehaygarth
        Participant
        January 27, 2015

        I had the same problem - could not constrain scale objects using shift, control and command, but they were working fine in my CS6 version.

        I installed an update through Adobe App manager, then restarted my mac.

        After that it worked fine - must have just been a bug that either the update sorted out or the restart did, or both.

        G
        geezluweez27
        Participant
        January 25, 2015

        TOTALLY WAS SMART GUIDES. View>Grids and Guides> Smart guides

        i unchecked then re checked and seems like my shift button scaling is back, also back is the space bar hand tool hot key. thanks.

          Molly Anderson
          Molly Anderson
          Participant
          May 10, 2016

          This didn't work for me

            Peter Spier
            Community Expert
            Peter SpierCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            May 10, 2016

            I was responding to geezluweez27​ in regards to turning on and off the Smart Guides in order to get the shift key working again.

            Am still looking for a simpler version than uninstalling and reinstalling InDesign in order to get it working again.


            Many users are finding it's caused by the secure input settings of WebRoot.

            J
            juarthy
            Participant
            January 7, 2015

            I was having this problem as well, within indesign CC 2014 only, not photoshop or illustrator. Virus or firewall can interfere with key modifiers. I have webfoot virus software. When I turn it off temporarily the shift key constrains angles and draws straight lines again as usual.  There may be a better workaround, but this works for me, though I have to turn the virus software off and on.

            I have a laptop that I haven't installed webroot on yet and it runs the same version of indesign cc 2014 as my main mac… there was never an issue with the shift key on the laptop.

            Good luck!

              CourtenayH
              CourtenayH
              Participant
              January 23, 2015

              I have been having this problem and none of the above fixes worked for me, until now. Webroot was recently installed on my machine and when I turn it off, the shift key immediately starts working again. Thanks for the tipjuarthy!!

              J
              J_PrinzAuthor
              Participant
              November 6, 2014

              On a similar note, the spacebar quick key for the hand tool in Illustrator sometimes stops working as well. Not as annoying to deal with but its kind of inconvenient.

                I
                inkbiz
                Known Participant
                November 6, 2014

                Has there been a fix for this? My shift key just stopped working today in InDesign CC 2014. I thought it might be a broken shift key but that's not the case as I went to open Illustrator and it's also doing the same thing in there.

                Is there a universal setting that might have been affected? Is there a constrain-proportions-property setting somewhere that may have been thrown off? I'm still looking for a solution. Any help would be appreciated.

                  U
                  uberkraaft
                  Participant
                  October 16, 2014

                  Been having exactly the same problem for months - just realised it's related to having Smart Guides switched on. If you hold down 'ctrl' to ignore smart guides & 'shift' to keep your image in pro it should solve the problem

                    SirWesley
                    SirWesley
                    Participant
                    June 2, 2017

                    THIS is the issue. Thanks for solving!!!

                    K
                    kjhvkjv
                    Participant
                    September 29, 2014

                    I have this same issue. mine is only on indesign cc 2014. my shift and option key won't work as well. I've tried quitting the programs and rebooting my computer. I've also tried to reinstall them as well... nothing seems to be working. any ideas?

                      morenoemi
                      morenoemi
                      Participant
                      August 24, 2014

                      I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THE SHIFT BUTTON DOESN'T WORK FOR SCALING OR FOR ALIGNING OBJECTS.

                      IS RESTARTING THE ONLY SOLUTION FOR THE MOMENT?

                        obilal
                        obilal
                        Participant
                        August 25, 2014

                        I haven't heard of another method, do this seems to be the only solution for the time being. Adobe really should look into this.

                          obilal
                          obilal
                          Participant
                          August 22, 2014

                          Jon,

                          Same issue on multiple occasions... it seems a bug in CC 2014 that the shift key just stops working.  The only way I've found to get it back is to quit all programs and restart my mac.

                          ~ hope that helps

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