objects will not snap to grid

[Mike Hudek]

Hello

I create many documents using the draw feature to insert lines, triangles
and more complicated diagrams.

My preferences are to display the grid and have gridlines set at a distance
of 0.2cm apart for both horizontal and vertical spacing.

I will continually use the 'Drawing Grid' diaglogue box (activate by
pressing Draw on the Drawing toolbar and selecting Grid...) to check and
uncheck the preferences "snap objects to grid" and "snap object to other
objects" as is convenient in my current project.

I have had the following problem occur with several different computer
(laptops/desktops) loaded with Word 2003. Everything has been fine until
suddenly, one day, I open up a new document, switch the grid on and check the
'snap objects to grid', but the lines and shapes I draw are not attached to
the grid. In fact, they are offset by a certain amount. If I select the
object and move it around using the arrow keys, it will jump in increments,
but the spacing is not the grid spacing either!

Even more peculiarly, if I re-open previous documents for which everything
was working correctly, everything continues to work correctly, so it can't be
a screen resolution issue. The drawing tools were working perfectly until
now!

I have tried repairing and completely reinstalling the Office software, but
the problem remains as described in the previous paragraphs.

I have also tried messing around with the Normal template, deleting it from
the drive and seeing if a new one is created that fixes the problem, but this
is to no avail.

I am eager for any solutions to this glitch that has come my way. As I have
said, this has occurred on several computers, including the one I use at my
work over the network - so I doubt it is a machine-configuration specific
problem.

Thanks for any help!

Kind regards,

Mike

 

[Mike Hudek]

Hello again.

I managed to get one of my computers to work by doing a 'System Restore'
back to yesterday, when the grid was working properly. It seems strange to
me that a full re-installation does not work, but a System Restore does.
However, because after a full reinstallation the users settings are usually
left intact, I figured that maybe it was a glitch in the Registry that might
be causing the issue.


I have managed to 'fix' the problem by going to the registry and deleting
the entire folder regarding Word settings
(HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Office/11.0/Word). When I re-start, the
registry is recreated back to 'factory settings' and I am able to get the
grid to work properly.

However, this is not entirely satisfactory, as all of my settings are lost,
and I need to go back and reset them again now!

Comments/better solutions are most welcome.

Thanks

Mike

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Mike,

It may not have been necessary to delete the entire Word key, only the
Data key below it (as explained in
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/DataKeySettings.htm).
However, that would have wiped out most of the same customizations, so
you wouldn't have saved much time if any.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
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[dlindsay59]

I have the same problem. I create timing diagrams and block diagrams using
this drawing program. Why should I as a user go mess with the registry(I
tried deleting the data key, and did not fix the problem). Seems like a bug
to me if I can not rely on the grid being the original. Why does this
happen. I personally do not feel like re-drawing all my pictures as I have
many and now they are impossible to edit. I believe Microsoft should present
a better solution to this issue.

I have found in the same day that I could draw a picture with the drawing
tool, turn the grid off then on, and the grid was not aligned as it was
previously to my drawing. I expect that it should stay consistent. Then
anything new I draw does not even snap to the grid. Acts like a random
function. Is this a bug?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The grid interval is not the only thing that can be changed; the grid origin
is also important, and this could change if you changed the margins of the
document.

 

[dlindsay59]

I looked at my origin and other parameters. they are set as I have always
set them. I am creating a diagram. I stopped part way through, looked at a
power point diagram, then switched back to my word diagram that I was editing
and the picture was not on the grid any more. In fact, it has changed size
as well. If I put one corner on the grid, the other three corners are not on
the grid (picture stretched slightly). My settings and margins were not
touched. There are no other controls to work with. I believe it is an issue.

I do like the word drawing editor better than Visio as others can edit
without an expensive program like Visio (does the same thing) and the power
point editor (works for the most part the same and is interchangeable) does
not show the fine grid as is in the word drawing editor. I believe I have
the same issue with the power point editor. I have little confidence in
these tools.