# can't select text box in MS Word



## bob leonard (May 9, 2005)

running MS Word 2000
I have used the drawing/order command to send a text box behind the text in a table. According to Help, I should be able to toggle back to this text box using tab or shift+tab, but neither of these selects the box (they just toggle forward or back through the table cells in order, passing over the text box. No joy with Ctrl+tab or Alt+tab either.

Does anyone know the solution to this one?


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## ReeKorl (Mar 25, 2005)

Hi Bob and welcome to TSF!

I think the text box has a later tabstop order than the table in this instance, so when you tab through the table, get to the end and keep hitting tab - this should (eventually) get to the text box.

Let us know if this works or failing that, post back and we'll see if we can resolve it.


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## bob leonard (May 9, 2005)

Thanks for the prompt reply!

Unfortunately on reaching the last cell in the table the next press of the tab key adds a further row to the table, when the tab reaches the end of this new line it adds another, and so on...

(Using shift+tab to work up the table has a different result ~ on reaching the last [top left] cell, subsequent pressing of the tab key has no effect.


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## ReeKorl (Mar 25, 2005)

How are you trying to use this text box? Do you need to actually use it where it is, or are you just trying to select it so you can move/edit/delete it? 

If it's the latter, you should be able to resize the table so the columns are much thinner than normal and the text box is poking out, after which it should be fully selectable.

If it's the former, I'm not sure what can be done about this - it's possible Microsoft never thought about doing this and it's just not possible.


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## bob leonard (May 9, 2005)

Thanks again Rekorl
Yes I did just want to edit & move the text box (am using this method to place faint 'watermark' style comments in large text behind the foreground text ~ "ongoing", "complete", etc. in individual table cells.

As a workaround squeezing the columns together to reveal the text box *does* work, but Word is not at all happy & I have yet to manage completing my editing before W crashes with the 'please inform microsoft' dialogue.

I was hoping there was a 'proper' way of accessing the box, but it seems you may be right about it not being catered for. Ho hum.

Thanks again for your time.


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## Domer_und (Apr 11, 2005)

Objects in Word are layered. If you have a text box behind a table then youhave to move the table out of the way inorder to select the text box. So yes, there really isn't any other way to select your text box other than moving the table first....that I am aware of anyway.

Domer


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