PowerPoint assumes I am retarded.

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Guest

I make a text box, type stuff in, and all is good. But then the text box decides that the text is too big or something, and changes the size of my text
If I resize a window so I can read the text in it, and then open another (they always open too small), the first window resizes it's self to match the newly opened one
Or I am making a diagram, and I need to make 5 black horizontal lines of differing angles. I have to click the line tool & set colour for each one. I want to use the line tool, really I do - why won't it stay selected
I shan't even start with the severely unhelpful paperclip that appears every few minutes to point out that it knows what I'm doing, and would like to help.
Maybe I don't know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm missing something dreadfully obvious, a special "make this program easy and intuitive" button. Or maybe PowerPoint is correct, and I am retarded
If anyone could possibly help, I could stop tearing my hair out.
 
Jimmie-pop
I make a text box, type stuff in, and all is good. But then the text box
Click to expand...
decides that the text is too big or something, and changes the size of my
text.

To turn off this 'feature!'
Tools menu > autocorrect > autoformat as you type > untick the 3 boxes
"autofit this that and the other"
If I resize a window so I can read the text in it, and then open another
Click to expand...
(they always open too small), the first window resizes it's self to match
the newly opened one.

I'm not sure what you mean on this one. But for each presentation select
View>Zoom>Fit (if you save each presentation powerpoint remembers you want
each one to "fit"

Then do a Window > Arrange All
Or I am making a diagram, and I need to make 5 black horizontal lines of
Click to expand...
differing angles. I have to click the line tool & set colour for each one. I
want to use the line tool, really I do - why won't it stay selected?

Can't help you on this one. I've never noticed that it does not stay
selected.
I normally customize a toolbar and add the "freeform" button. I use this for
both Lines and Polygons. Just one click to get it started. Then 'yes'
another click to draw another line.

Then I use the "pickup" style and "apply object style" tools (again...make
your own toolbar) to make all the lines look the same. Or select all the
lines...holding down the shift key to select more than one object...then set
the line width color etc
I shan't even start with the severely unhelpful paperclip that appears
Click to expand...
every few minutes to point out that it knows what I'm doing, and would like
to help.
No Comment! (well nothing clean!)

Post back if you need more guidance.

Cheers
TAJ Simmons
microsoft powerpoint mvp

awesome - powerpoint backgrounds,
free powerpoint templates, tutorials, hints and tips etc
http://www.powerpointbackgrounds.com


jimmie_pop said:
I make a text box, type stuff in, and all is good. But then the text box
Click to expand...
decides that the text is too big or something, and changes the size of my
text.
If I resize a window so I can read the text in it, and then open another
Click to expand...
(they always open too small), the first window resizes it's self to match
the newly opened one.
Or I am making a diagram, and I need to make 5 black horizontal lines of
Click to expand...
differing angles. I have to click the line tool & set colour for each one. I
want to use the line tool, really I do - why won't it stay selected?
I shan't even start with the severely unhelpful paperclip that appears
Click to expand...
every few minutes to point out that it knows what I'm doing, and would like
to help.
Maybe I don't know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm missing something dreadfully
Click to expand...
obvious, a special "make this program easy and intuitive" button. Or maybe
PowerPoint is correct, and I am retarded.
 
Or I am making a diagram, and I need to make 5 black horizontal lines of
differing angles. I have to click the line tool & set colour for each one. I
want to use the line tool, really I do - why won't it stay selected?

Can't help you on this one. I've never noticed that it does not stay
selected.
Click to expand...

If you double-click on the line button (or many of the others on the Drawing
toolbar), you can draw lines until you click on the button again to turn it
off.

Bob
 
Or I am making a diagram, and I need to make 5 black horizontal lines of
differing angles. I have to click the line tool & set colour for each one. I
want to use the line tool, really I do - why won't it stay selected?

For any of the drawing tools, doubleclick them then start using them.
They stay active until you choose another tool, click the tool button again
or press ESC.
I shan't even start with the severely unhelpful paperclip that appears
Click to expand...
every few minutes to point out that it knows what I'm doing, and would like
to help.

Let's not start on it together. It's not good for your blood pressure and
it's bad for my dyspepsia. You can turn him off, though. Click his options
button and remove the check next to Use The Office Assistant on the Options
tab. Depending on the version of PPT you have, this may cause other bits of
help to stop working. It's the price we pay ...
 
Thanks SOOO much for that help....half help, half reassurance that I'm not crazy. After discussing it with a few other folks, I get the impression that PP is not nessesarily the most intuitive program, per se. VERY Microsoft indeed. Thanks.
 
Thanks SOOO much for that help....half help, half reassurance that I'm not
crazy. After discussing it with a few other folks, I get the impression that
PP is not nessesarily the most intuitive program, per se. VERY Microsoft
indeed. Thanks.

It's pretty intuitive to me, but then I've been using it since v3. ;-)
 
It is a typically Microsoft program. It can do a lot of
good stuff but it does so little of it in a logical and
intuitive way. There are so many menus buried deep within
menus that you can only access by right clicking and
standing on one foot.
I know a lot of power users of PPT, and every single one
of them say it is seriously flawed.
 
Well here's the thing ... bashing it for coming from Microsoft isn't going
change anything.

Read any of the posts from John Langhans here and visit the link he
suggests - make your specific suggestions, gripes, wishes etc. known and
they stand a chance of getting acted on.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not an apologist for MS or PPT. I can find plenty
to carp about. And do. Frequently. Here AND, when it really bugs me, on
the suggestion site.

This is a good place to ask how to get around what's frustrating you,
though.
For example, it sounds like you're getting bit by that silly default setting
for "Hide all the good stuff from me=ON"
Choose Tools, Customize, click the Options tab.
REMOVE the check next to "Menus show recently used commands first"
Click Close.

MUCH better, isn't it?

While you're at it, have a read of this:

Do this before using PowerPoint seriously
http://www.rdpslides.com/pptfaq/FAQ00034.htm

--
Posted to news://msnews.microsoft.com
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PowerPoint FAQ - www.pptfaq.com
PPTools - www.pptools.com
===============================
 
[CRITICAL UPDATE - Anyone using Office 2003 should install the critical
update as soon as possible. From PowerPoint, choose "Help -> Check for
Updates".]

Hello Wayne,

It sounds like you have several recommendations for how PowerPoint might be
improved in the future.

If you (or anyone else reading this message) feel what your recommendations
for improvement in PowerPoint to be considered for some future version,
don't forget to send your feedback (in YOUR OWN WORDS, please) to Microsoft
at:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp

As with all product suggestions, it's important that you not just state
your wish but also WHY it is important to you that your product suggestion
be implemented by Microsoft. Microsoft receives thousands of product
suggestions every day and we read each one but, in any given product
development cycle, there are only sufficient resources to address the ones
that are most important to our customers so take the extra time to state
your case as clearly and completely as possible.

IMPORTANT: Each submission should be a single suggestion (not a list of
suggestions)


John Langhans
Microsoft Corporation
Supportability Program Manager
Microsoft Office PowerPoint for Windows
Microsoft Office Picture Manager for Windows

For FAQ's, highlights and top issues, visit the Microsoft PowerPoint
support center at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=ppt
Search the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbhowto

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Use of any included script samples are subject to the terms specified at
http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm
 
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