OFF97: Problems Moving Controls Between Programs

• Microsoft Office 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Access 97
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

If you drag, copy and paste, or cut and paste a control from a document in one of the programs listed at the beginning of this article to a document in another of the Office 97 programs (for example, from Microsoft Excel 97 to Microsoft Word 97), the following problems may occur:

• The control does not work when you click it. Instead, it is selected, and handles appear at its corners and edges.
• When you right-click the control, some menu items do not appear on the shortcut menu, and other menu items that should not be present appear.

CAUSE

These problems occur because the programs listed at the beginning of this article handle clipboard data differently when a control is dragged, copied and pasted, or cut and pasted from one program to another. In particular, you may notice that the dragged or pasted control acts like a drawing object or an AutoShape instead of a control.

RESOLUTION

Microsoft PowerPoint 97

You can drag, copy and paste, or cut and paste a control from a different program into a presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint 97 without any problems. The control continues to work correctly, and all of the correct menu items appear on the shortcut menu for the control.

Microsoft Access 97

You can drag, copy and paste, or cut and paste a control from a different program into a form in Microsoft Access 97 without any problems. The control continues to work correctly, and all of the correct menu items appear on the shortcut menu for the control.

Microsoft Word 97

If you drag, copy and paste, or cut and paste a control from a different program into a document in Microsoft Word 97, the following problems may occur:

• If you right-click the control, the Properties and View Code menu items do not appear on the shortcut menu. Instead, the Show Picture Toolbar and Set AutoShape Defaults menu items appear.
• If you click the control, the control does not work. Instead, it is selected.

1. In the original program, copy the control.

2. Switch to Microsoft Word 97.

3. On the Edit menu, click Paste Special.

4. In the Paste Special dialog box, click the first item in the As list box.

   Usually, the last word of the first item is "Control."

5. Click OK.

Microsoft Excel 97

If you drag, copy and paste, or cut and paste a control from a different program into a worksheet in Microsoft Excel 97, the following problems may occur:

• If you right-click the control, the Properties and View Code menu items do not appear on the shortcut menu. Instead, the Show Picture Toolbar and Set AutoShape Defaults menu items appear.
• If you click the control, the control does not work. Instead, it is selected.