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KCKTara
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I can't change my font from the character menu, how do I fix this?

Aug 1, 2012 8:10 AM

Tags: #illustrator #problem #font #character #type #cs2 #disappear #aiprefs

Basically, the only way I can change my font is through the Type>Font menu up top (and by right clicking), but the list in the character palette and the control bar are empty. I can type in the name of the font I want and it will complete it, but even then it doesn't change anything. It is really inefficient for me to have to scroll through all the fonts every time, especially when I have no idea what font I want (or if the one I want is at the bottom of the list).

 

It started doing this just out of the blue a few months ago, before then it was working fine, no idea what set it off. I can't print from Illustrator either, maybe it's part of the same problem (that started earlier).

 

My version is CS2. Windows XP. I don't think that my boss is going to upgrade either in the near future. It's a small company, we don't have IT help.

 

I've done some searching and have already tried:

-uninstalling the old Illustrator 9 that was on here

-deleting the aiprefs file

-deleting the entire folder it was in

-deleting all of the Adobefnt*.lst files I could find

-restarting Illustrator, the computer several times

 

I haven't tried reinstalling Illustrator yet. Don't know where the CD is, so it's a last resort.

1416 Views   7 Replies   Latest reply: riyaskh, Dec 9, 2012 12:13 AM
 
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  • Jacob Bugge
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    1. Jacob Bugge,
    Aug 1, 2012 8:57 AM   in reply to KCKTara
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    Tara,

     

    I presume you deleted the AIPrefs file and the folder with Illy closed.

     

    In some strange cases, it is necessary to Move the folder rather than delete it.

     

    There may be an issue with Font cahces, and certain usual suspects among other applications have a bad reputation of disturbing and confusing Illy.

     

    You can see a list of them, and some other possible troublemaking things, in Other options.

     
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  • KCKTara
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    2. KCKTara,
    Aug 1, 2012 10:06 AM   in reply to Jacob Bugge
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    Oh dear. It looks like I have made things much, much worse.

     

    (I did indeed do my deleting with Illustrator closed, and tried moving before deleting)

     

    I opened it up again and did some work. I tried saving my file (in .ai format, variety of shapes, layers, fonts), when it told me that an unknown error occured, then another message that said something like "Can't finish previewing, not enough memory ID=-108", and then it crashed. Turns out that now it doesn't like fonts at all and it isn't too keen on shapes either.

     

    Found the CD. Uninstalled CS2, told it to delete my preferences file but keep the computer activated. Killed Adobe reader while I was at it (haven't reinstalled yet). Looked through my program files for any traces it left behind but didn't see anything (under Program Files>Adobe, and Documents and Settings>Application Data>Adobe). Restarted the computer and reinstalled Illustrator (well, I tried repairing first but that didn't do anything). And nothing has changed. Still can't access the fonts, and now I have errors opening/saving files too. There was another, new error, something something 6654 I believe.

     

    I'm baffled.

     
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  • Jacob Bugge
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    3. Jacob Bugge,
    Aug 1, 2012 12:04 PM   in reply to KCKTara
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    Tara,

     

    Do you have the option of restoring your PC to a state before things went wrong?

     

    Unfortunately, the Cleaner Tool, which makes sure you get rid of everything after uninstalling, was only introduced in CS3.

     

    If you get the ID = -108 error again, the solution to that particular nastiness is as follows:

     

    1) Open the C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe folder and look for a folder called TypeSupport;

    2) Create a namesake folder on your Desktop;

    3) Move all the contents to the namesake folder.

     
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  • Jesseham
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    4. Jesseham,
    Aug 1, 2012 1:55 PM   in reply to Jacob Bugge
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    Did you delete your font caches?  I don't know what error -108 is, but the rest of the issue sounds like either corrupt font caches or a corrupt font.

     
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  • KCKTara
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    5. KCKTara,
    Aug 2, 2012 9:14 AM   in reply to Jacob Bugge
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    I found a folder called TypeSpt, I'm assuming that was it. It contained two empty folders (Kinsoku and Mojikumi) and AdobeFnt.db. Moving the contents didn't have any effect. My font caches were already deleted.

     
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  • Jacob Bugge
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    6. Jacob Bugge,
    Aug 2, 2012 2:58 PM   in reply to KCKTara
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    Tara,

     

    TypeSpt was the one; its name has changed with versions. I looked it up in my archive of old threads because -108 haunted the forums for quite a while, and I found an old post where it seemed to have been the other spelling for CS2.

     

    Still pondering.

     
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  • riyaskh
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    7. riyaskh,
    Dec 9, 2012 12:13 AM   in reply to Jacob Bugge
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    I just install Adobe InDesign CS2 and i get back my Illustrator font list back, Really i dnt know how but it wroks

     
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