Flash lets you control whether buttons are enabled while you author. When a button is enabled, it responds to the mouse events that you've specified as if the movie were playing. When a button is disabled, clicking the button selects it. You can still select enabled buttons, however. In general, work with buttons disabled. Enable buttons to quickly test their behavior.
To enable and disable buttons:
Choose Control > Enable Buttons. A check mark appears next to the command to indicate buttons are enabled. Choose it again to disable buttons.
To select an enabled button:
Draw a selection rectangle around the button. Use the arrow keys to move the button. Choose Modify > Instance to open the Instance Properties dialog box and edit the button.
To test a button:
Choose Control > Enable Buttons and play the movie.
Movie clips in buttons are not visible in the Flash authoring environment. See Previewing and testing movies.