Ok.  When I renamed the default preferences by going to User>AppData>Local>Adobe>InDeisgn>Version 7.0>en_US/Cache>InDesign SavedData

and

User>AppData>Roaming>InDesign?Version 7.0>InDesign Defaults

Even after opening the application after this was done, I am unable to use the 'T' Type Tool.  I can use the cursor to select type in the document, but I cannot use any of the tools in the Control window above the work space.  Nor can i use any of the tools that come when I use the 'Type' drop down boxes from the space above the Control window.

All the other tools in the Tools window located along the left side of the screen do function.

I have InDesign installed as part of Adobe's CS5 Standard suite.  The other applications function fine.

I tried un-installing it and I got a message that it couldn't completely uninstall.  I got a messag that I could see a detailed message 'below' as to why not, but I didn't see any message 'below'.  So, I went and un-installed InDesign CS4, reinstalled InDesign CS5, took care of the preferences again, and guess what?  Same problem.  I'm really at wits end.  Do I need to delete all Adobe programs, and reinstall them?  This will take a lot of time.

I don't know how to do either of these two items?

I was thinking you were referring to inside InDesign, not part of the OS.  I tried new user and I also tried to re-boot in safe mode (F8 on startup).  I cannot get it to boot in safe mode, even though I use F8 key right away, before anything else happens.

I was getting kind of tired trying all these 'fixes', so I went back, uninstalled all my previous Adobe programs, including CS5, CS4, CS2 and whaetever else I had.  Then I instaled CS5 all over again.  I got a message that some of the files for CS5 did not install correctly, Adobe Error Code 6, so I went and looked at the text file created during the install process.  Here is the summary of that file:

- 0 fatal error(s), 11 error(s), 10 warning(s)
WARNING: OS requirements not met for {667C8B6C-3EAF-4646-A8EC-D85CCC4D3D84}
WARNING: OS requirements not met for {694213D7-1E0E-4C8F-B822-E2E3680C0FCE}
WARNING: OS requirements not met for {7DFEBBA4-81E1-425B-BBAA-06E9E5BBD97E}
WARNING: Display requirements not met for {9B97EC91-B3FD-4BFF-88FC-5345A26AC2E7}
WARNING: OS requirements not met for {9B97EC91-B3FD-4BFF-88FC-5345A26AC2E7}
WARNING: Display requirements not met for {AE29D445-8164-4CD1-8824-FCE85C0BB179}
WARNING: OS requirements not met for {AE29D445-8164-4CD1-8824-FCE85C0BB179}
WARNING: Display requirements not met for {F9766AC1-1461-1033-B862-DF8FE1C033BE}
WARNING: OS requirements not met for {F9766AC1-1461-1033-B862-DF8FE1C033BE}
WARNING: 1 ARKServiceControl::StartService: Service not started/stopped SwitchBoard. Current State: 0 Exit Code: 0 Service Specific Exit Code: 0
ERROR: 47 Failed to add Font 'C:\Windows\Fonts\AdobeSongStd-Light.otf'. Error: 2
ERROR: 47 Command ARKFontCommand failed.
ERROR: 47 Failed to remove Font 'C:\Windows\Fonts\AdobeSongStd-Light.otf'. Error: 2
ERROR: 47 Error rolling back command ARKFontCommand
ERROR: 48 Failed to add Font 'C:\Windows\Fonts\AdobeSongStd-Light.otf'. Error: 2
ERROR: 48 Command ARKFontCommand failed.
ERROR: 48 Failed to remove Font 'C:\Windows\Fonts\AdobeSongStd-Light.otf'. Error: 2
ERROR: 48 Error rolling back command ARKFontCommand
ERROR: The following payload errors were found during install:
ERROR:  - Required Common Fonts Installation x64: Install failed
ERROR:  - Required Common Fonts Installation: Install failed

Search the same string above to find when the error occured.

Does this help?

Yes.

My monitor was in a higher resolution so i changed it to the recommended setting (1280x800).

I had run the clean utility before I deleted all the Adobe CS2, CS4 and CS5 and other Adobe programs.

Very time consuming, and I followed all your steps.  No luck.  Still cannot use type & related tool bars.

Hold on, pardner!  I just remembered that I hadn't tried your method to start in safe mode, by continuing to depress the F8 key instead of just holding it down.  I started in safe mode and started InDesign.  It works fine that way.  Now, how do I determine the culprit?

After several hours, I finally found the culprit!  I tried first by turning off all the startup items in the system configuration (msconfig).  None of these were causing the problem.  Then I tired the items under the 'Services' tab of the system configuration window.  Wouldn't you know, as I went through the alphabet, trying them 5-8 items at a time, it wasn't until I got to the 'T's that I found what was causing the problem.  It's the 'Themes', a Microsoft item, that caused the problem.  Other than the the 'blue' background in the taskbar at the bottom of my screen, what other items does this control?  Is there any harm in leaving this off, or are there any other known problems or potential 'fixes' for the Themes services?  For now, I can leave this off until I either learn of a solution, or find that this may cause other problems I haven't yet found.

Can you think of any downside consequences of not having 'Themes' on?  I notice it has affected the appearance of my Quicken program somewhat (type).  I'll see if Microsoft has any forums devoted to this issue, also.

Other than my problem with InDesign, what downside do you see?