Started yesterday, I could no longer resize or rotate an inserted shape or item. I tried uninstalling and re-installing. I even tried using SetupProd_OffScrub to uninstall Office365 to see if it could remove settings that were saved in the registry. I have the following specs on my laptop: Edition Windows 10 HomeVersion 21H1Installed on ‎12/‎20/‎2020OS build 19043.1348Experience Windows Feature Experience Pack 120.2212.3920.0 I use Word for work to create training modules. I need to get this fixed. I have tried to reach out to microsoft. I need help.

I encountered this issue. It still exists: occurs in the documents that are in the compatibility mode (i.e. the old *.doc files or *.docx files with this mode turned on).All the pictures in the replies in this thread were taken in the standard mode, where - fortunately - this bug did not occur. Steps to recreate this problem:1. Create a new document2. Save it as a *.doc file (i.e. in Word 2003 format)3. Insert a shape - for example a block arrow4. Try to rotate this shape with mouseThe result is as in the enclosed picture.This bug appeared after December update of Windows 10 (version 21H2), consisting:Service Stack 10.0.19041.1371;Security Update KB5008212; (According description of this update, Microsoft "fixed" something in the Office Graphics Objects, so now we have a problem). I contacted MS support, but their technician simply removed my Office 365 and told to re-install it, which did not help. (In case somebody from MS Support read this thread, I am providing the case number: 1032826504).

I have the same issue in Office 2016, and I use a trick as below:- Select a shape after turning on 'Select Objects' in Ribbon, then the shape can be resized/rotated.

nikosxatz:if this is applicable to your case, turn off the compatibility mode in your document:If this is a *.docx, you will find this switch in File: Info section.If this is a *.doc file, save it as a *.docx file. At the bottom of In the file save dialog box you will find an option named "Maintain compatibility with ...." - turn it off.(For my case this solution is not possible, because I am maintaining 1000+ pages textbook, full of images and graphic shapes. Its size is 370MB. It takes Word about 50 seconds to save its *.doc variant on my SSD disc. For the same document in the *.docx variant it takes 10 minutes, which makes any more serious editing impossible - too much time spend waiting for Word, to save the *.docx file).

Witold_Jaworski I have to maintain the compatibility mode as well. My file is a textbook of 600 pages. If I change to .docx the format of the text is changing! I need to keep it exactly as it was, so I have to keep editing in compatibility node. That persumably happened after a windows 10 update, but I dont find it in order to uninstall it.

nikosxatz In my case the size of the text remains the same in both modes. Thus I use following workaround:I am copying the portion of the document I want to edit (one or more paragraphs that contain the graphics objects) to an auxiliary *.docx file;I am applying all the changes to graphic shapes in this auxiliary file;Then I am pasting the modified fragment back to the main document;To maintain all the style settings between these two documents, I created this auxiliary *.docx by saving a copy of the main *.doc file into *.docx format (with the compatibility mode turned off), then removing all its contents.

Office 365 Word cannot resize or rotate inserted shapes or items

44 Replies

fareskalaboud
Copper Contributor
Jan 13, 2022
For those still facing an issue, if your file is in Compatibility Mode, go to File > Info and under Compatibility Mode click "Convert".
- Witold_Jaworski
  Brass Contributor
  Jan 15, 2022
  The issue disappeared (at least in my Windows 10 (21H2) after Windows automatically installed the January 2022 update, consisting:
  
  Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB5009543)
  Update for Microsoft Windows (KB5008876)
  Thanks to all who contributed to this fix!
  (and long live to *.doc format ;))
nikosxatz
Copper Contributor
Jan 07, 2022
The strange thing is that I have a laptop eith windows 7 and office 365 with no propblem. I can resize the shapes in the same .doc document. The problem seems to be a combination of office and operating system vertions.
Jongsoo_Yoon
Copper Contributor
Dec 31, 2021
I have the same issue in Office 2016, and I use a trick as below:
- Select a shape after turning on 'Select Objects' in Ribbon, then the shape can be resized/rotated.
- Ferreirah
  Copper Contributor
  Dec 31, 2021
  I confirm, our non-subscription versions of Office (2013, 2016 and 2019), as they are updated, will have the same bug.
  Your workaround works! Strangely, when selecting another shape, the placeholders do not change to the new selected shape, the previous shape still shows as selected or no shape shows a selected. Then, for example, if you delete by using backspace, word deletes the shape that is not shown as selected. This is getting silly, Office (365 or otherwise) is quite expensive for us. It's a basic feature - write some text, draw some rectangles.
  - Ferreirah
    Copper Contributor
    Dec 31, 2021
    Replying to my own post, an ex-colleague just told me he believes that .doc is no longer supported in Office so that we can expect reduced functionality (e.g. no resizing of shapes using the mouse, only using the ribbon) for the .doc format. I hope he's wrong...
Ferreirahl
Copper Contributor
Dec 29, 2021
Same issue here. This is seriously impacting our work.
Ferreirah
Copper Contributor
Dec 28, 2021
Oh what fun. Our company also has this issue. We maintain a lot of documents in compatibility mode because of plugins and workflow/content creation tools requiring this. At least now I know what to tell my users: MS loves you as user. Just not the way we normal people define it. Anyway, who needs to resize a shape in drawing? A real word user will always draw the shapes the perfect size the first time. /s
- Witold_Jaworski
  Brass Contributor
  Dec 28, 2021
  Ferreirah
  Most probably your company uses the Office 365 Business variant. According the documentation, you can make a regular support ticket for this case. This creates a chance that M$ will look at it (and - most probably - learn for the first time about this issue).
  Could you (or the IT staff of your company, who is the Administrator of your Office 365) go to https://support.microsoft.com/en-US/contactus and click "Open a service request in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center."? As the problem description you can copy/paste the bug description from the my first post in this thread (from December 20th)
  - Ferreirah
    Copper Contributor
    Dec 31, 2021
    I did open a service request. They've asked for a step recording (it's so simple to check, why is it needed?). I'm waiting on a response.
Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
MVP
Dec 11, 2021
mlovecrandall1225
What type of objects are you inserting into the document.

No problem here either rotating or re-sizing by hovering over any of the points shaded yellow until an opposed arrow appears and then left clicking and dragging
- Witold_Jaworski
  Brass Contributor
  Dec 29, 2021
  Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
  We verified, that the described problem occurs only in the compatibility mode.
  This effect is easily repeatable (see this post and later). Is there a chance for fixing this issue, or Microsoft is no longer supporting the compatibility mode in Word (see this post)?
- mlovecrandall1225
  Copper Contributor
  Dec 11, 2021
  I work with block arrows quite a bit. They suddenly stopped allowing me to change the size and rotate. When I open the document on My old Windows 7, it works but not on my Windows 10.
  - Doug_Robbins_Word_MVP
    MVP
    Dec 11, 2021
    mlovecrandall1225 No problem manipulating a Block Arrow in a 64-bit installation of Microsoft 365 Version 2111 (Build 14701.20226 Click-to-Run) Current Channel on Windows 10

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Office 365 Word cannot resize or rotate inserted shapes or items

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