InDesign CS5 - Can't Select Text Box...

[Guest]

Hi,

I'm having a problem with a text box, I can't select it or select the text inside or anything. I don't know what to do. I am able to select anything else I want on the page except for this one text box.

Any ideas?

Monica

[Rupam_Delhi]

You can try Resetting the preferences and then give a try

For that if you are on Mac::

1. Quit InDesign.
2. Drag the "Version x.0" folder from Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/ to the desktop.
3. Drag the "Version x.0" folder from Users/[user name]/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign/ to the desktop.
4. Restart InDesign.

For windows XP::

1. Quit InDesign
2. Drag the "Version 6.0" folder from C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\ to the desktop.
3. Drag the "Caches" folder from C:\Documents and Settings\[user  name]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version 6.0 to the  desktop.
4. Restart InDesign

For windows Vista/Windows 7::

1. Quit InDesign.
2. Drag the "Version 6.0" folder from C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\ to the desktop.
3. Drag the "Version 6.0" folder from C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\.
4. Restart InDesign.

[ozworldz]

Did you put your text box on a master page by mistake? Just a thought.

[Guest]

No, not on master page...

[sayharr]

You rock! That is the last thing I would have thought of; thanks for solving my problem!

[cakeholio]

ozworldz, you rock -- occam's razor!! I had put the damn artwork on master-page (by mistake) and I'm a user from way back who uses masterpages. Sheesh -- asleep at the wheel. thanks for keepng it simple.

[Guest]

Unfortunately this didn't work...!

[Guest]

What am I supposed to do with these folders now on my desktop? Delete them? Or what?

Thanks!

Monica

[Guest]

Hi,

I figured it out, it was locked and I found an unlock all on spread function that fixed it. I've just started working with CS5, a bit to get used to after CS3, big jump. Thanks for all your responses and attempts to help me. It's always greatly appreciated ; )

Monica

[Peter Spier]

The Layers panel in CS5 is much improved. You can open each layre and see each object, and like in Illustrator you can lock or hide each object from the panel. In addition, every locked object should have an "adornment" near the upper left corner that you can click to unlock. This should show up even in preview mode if you move th mouse over it.

[JohnKutz]

Thanks for solving this.

[union_bug]

I know this thread is old, but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

You would think that "Unlock All on Spread" would be in a contextual menu or at least in the pages docker!

I've been using ID forever, but even so, like most of us — I only use the tools that complete my job, and mostly ignore the other ID offerings...that is, until something like this happens!

Maybe ID has streamlined the unlock all on spread in the newer versions of the program — hopefully so that it's accessible with a right click. But I'm a big sissy, as I'm still using ID 5.5 and haven't headed to the cloud quite yet.

I'm fearful of the cloud and what pitfalls lie ahead.

Thanks, T

[lizs23645254]

same, been using Indesign for very many years but just upgrade my maching and program and had never heard of this!

[Peter Spier]

molee727 wrote:

What am I supposed to do with these folders now on my desktop? Delete them? Or what?

Thanks!

Monica

You can delete them, or put them back and restore any customizations that you lost when you dragged them out.

[Peter Spier]

Besides being on the master page, it could be locked, or on a locked layer.

[Guest]

Hi Peter,

Not locked as far as I can determine, however I can't select it so can't really tell! Only one layer document, so not on locked layer. If I put an image or text box where the copy is (inside unselectable textbox) the copy reacts to it, moves. I've tried doing a larger marquee around it but it just won't select. It's driving me nuts. Any other ideas?

Monica

[sage5696]

Yep. This worked for me. I opened all layers and some layers were accidentally locked.
Thanks.

[iPirate727]

Monica-

Thanks for finding this.  I've been FREAKING out for 2 hours trying to unlock this.  I just started using CS5 and did NOTHING to make this happen (probably hit a shortcut key by accident).

Your solution got me back to my crappy Monday. 

Thanks!

Ken in St. Pete

[Peter Spier]

iPirate727 wrote:

Monica-

Thanks for finding this.  I've been FREAKING out for 2 hours trying to unlock this.  I just started using CS5 and did NOTHING to make this happen (probably hit a shortcut key by accident).

Your solution got me back to my crappy Monday. 

Thanks!

Ken in St. Pete

Must have missed this post last month...

Locking behavior in CS5 has changed from earlier versions. By default a locked object cannot be selected, but there is a preferences setting to change that so you can get back the behavior you are used to from earlier versions where locking an object locks the position only, but allows selection and editing of the content. This is particularly important if you are in the habit of locking things like placeholder frames so they don't move, or for re-using older files and templates in CS5.

[NH Steve]

I am having this same problem -- am am pretty new to Indesign CS5 and I must have done something wrong when I tried to copy a text box from one page to a couple others, so maintain the same font and format, etc. Now I have these unselectable text boxes that Icannot work around and cannot select to remove! Please help asap I have a deadline!!!!

[iPirate727 · Accepted solution]

Hey Steve -

Go to the Object menu and choose "unlock all on spread."  Should do the trick.  That drove me totally crazy, too.  Good luck on your project.

Ken

LiveFromStPete

[NH Steve]

Thanks for the suggestion -- unfortunately that menu item is greyed out In the mean time, I started a whole new doc and copied and pasted all the parts I had done in the earlier one until I got back to where I was -- still can't fix the original...

Thanks very much for responding though!!

Steve

[dannygrimes]

Another thing that can easily happen is you create a blank text box on top of your currently existing box. In this case you keep clicking on the blank box, you see the box highlight EXACTLY over the current one but you cannot seem to click on or select text.  Delete this extra box and the problem is solved.

[T_Hunter]

THANK YOU !!!

[yellow1]

I'm having the same issue, so I'm following.  Sorry I can't give you an answer.