The North arrow and other graphic elements shift positions in the layout

Description

Cause

This is a known issue with ArcGIS 8.3 and earlier versions.

Solution or Workaround

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Open the Visual Basic Editor.
   
   
   In ArcMap, select Tools > Macros > Visual Basic Editor.
   
   
3. Expand Project.mxt in the Project Explorer window, and select ArcMap Objects > ThisDocument. Right-click and select View Code.
   
   

   Note:
   Code in the Project's ThisDocument code module only runs in the current map document. To store the code in all the map documents, open the Normal.mxt ThisDocument code module instead.

   
   
4. Paste the following code into the code module.
   

   Code:
   Option Explicit 
   Sub SaveElementGeometry() 
   ' set each element's customproperty to its current geometry 
   Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument 
   Set pMxDoc = ThisDocument 
   
   Dim pGC As IGraphicsContainer 
   Set pGC = pMxDoc.PageLayout 
   pGC.Reset 
   
   Dim pElement As IElement, pElementProps As IElementProperties 
   Set pElement = pGC.Next 
   Do While Not pElement Is Nothing 
   Set pElementProps = pElement 
   pElementProps.CustomProperty = pElement.Geometry 
   Set pElement = pGC.Next 
   Loop 
   End Sub 
   
   Sub RestoreElementGeometry() 
   ' sets each element's geometry to its customproperty 
   Dim pMxDoc As IMxDocument 
   Set pMxDoc = ThisDocument 
   
   Dim pGC As IGraphicsContainer 
   Set pGC = pMxDoc.PageLayout 
   pGC.Reset 
   
   Dim pElement As IElement, pElementProps As IElementProperties 
   Set pElement = pGC.Next 
   Do While Not pElement Is Nothing 
   Set pElementProps = pElement 
   If Not IsNull(pElementProps.CustomProperty) Then 
   pElement.Geometry = pElementProps.CustomProperty 
   End If 
   Set pElement = pGC.Next 
   Loop 
   Dim pAV As IActiveView 
   Set pAV = pMxDoc.PageLayout 
   pAV.Refresh 
   End Sub 

   
   
5. Close the Visual Basic Editor.
6. Run the code.
   
   
   A. Click Tools > Macros > Macros to display the Macros dialog box.
   B. Select a macro and click Run.