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Inspiring
April 17, 2023
Answered

Manually entering values in fields not recognized in Illustrator

  • April 17, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 5717 views

Hello there,

I've been having an issue with Adobe Illustrator where, shortly after starting the software, I'm unable to manually enter specific values in any of the fields used to adjust design elements, such as x-value, y-value, width, height, angle, and more. Although I'm typing in the correct value to replace the existing one, Illustrator doesn't seem to recognize the command, and the value remains the same as before. This occurs consistently across all fields.

The only way I can change the value is by using the dial or the up/down arrows next to the field, which is less efficient and less precise than simply typing in the desired value. This problem is particularly frustrating when I need to make precise adjustments to my design.

Oddly enough, when I quit the app and reopen it, the problem goes away temporarily, but it returns shortly after that. It seems like something may be causing the software to malfunction after it's been running for a certain amount of time.

I've tried entering the value multiple times, but the issue persists. I've also checked to make sure that there aren't any other settings or tools that could be interfering with the input of values, but everything appears to be normal. I'm not sure what's causing this issue, or how to fix it.

I'm running Illustrator 27.4 on MacOS Ventura.

 

Please help. Thanks.

 

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer PHLSKT

Hey there.

 

To all who replied to my original post and those who might encounter similar problems, I just wanted to give a quick update. My original problem disappeared after I reinstalled 27.4, and I have not had another incident of unresponsiveness when manually entering values in any field. I really appreciate all who responded to help. You guys are amazing.

 

Cheers

4 replies

PHLSKTAuthorCorrect answer
Inspiring
July 3, 2023

Hey there.

 

To all who replied to my original post and those who might encounter similar problems, I just wanted to give a quick update. My original problem disappeared after I reinstalled 27.4, and I have not had another incident of unresponsiveness when manually entering values in any field. I really appreciate all who responded to help. You guys are amazing.

 

Cheers

Participant
June 10, 2024

Hi, any updates in this subject? I have version 28.5 and it is still happening. I'm driving crazy. Thanks

Anshul_Saini
Community Manager
Community Manager
June 27, 2024

Hi @defaultrqms3ymfx19f,

 

I'm sorry to hear that you're still experiencing this issue with manually entering values in fields not being recognized in Illustrator. We are sorry for the delayed response. Let's try to get to the bottom of this.

 

Could you please share your system details, such as your operating system and any other relevant specifications? Additionally, have you tried resetting your preferences in Illustrator? This can often resolve unusual behavior.

 

It would also be helpful if you could test Illustrator in safe mode (win/ mac) to see if you can enter values correctly there. This can help determine if the issue is caused by a third-party conflict.

 

Looking forward to your response.

 

Best regards,

Anshul Saini

Anshul_Saini
Community Manager
Community Manager
April 22, 2023

Hello @PHLSKT,

 

I understand the issue you're facing with being unable to manually enter values in fields. It's great to see that you've already received some suggestions from Jacob to help troubleshoot the problem.

 

Since you're using Apple's Bluetooth Magic Keyboard, please remove/ forget the device and try connecting it again. Also, check if you're experiencing any similar issues in other applications or when using another keyboard. Also, ensure all the accessibility settings for the keyboard are disabled.

Below are the screenshot of my settings:



 

Additionally, you may want to try resetting Illustrator's preferences to see if that resolves the issue.


Keep in mind that resetting preferences will set Illustrator back to its default settings, so you may need to adjust any custom preferences you had set up previously.

 

If the issue persists even after trying these suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us again. We're here to help you resolve this issue.

 

Best,
Anshul Saini

PHLSKTAuthor
Inspiring
April 25, 2023

Thanks for the information and suggestions, @Anshul_Saini.

 

My keyboard setting is the same as yours, and Illustrator is the only app unresponsive to manual commands. Although I haven't reset the Illustrator preferences, the app has been functioning properly (knock on wood). I'll reach out again if the problem happens again.

 

P.S. I noticed that I'm running Illustrator 27.4.1, which is recently (auto) updated from 27.4. Perhaps, this version is more stable?

Met1
Legend
April 19, 2023

You're not hitting Num Lock (Number Lock) by accident are you? I do this a thousand times a day. Ok, not a thousand, but a lot. I've registry disabled Caps Lock, I'm sure there's a hack to disable Num Lock too...

PHLSKTAuthor
Inspiring
April 20, 2023

Hey there, Met1! Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't use a dedicated number pad, so Num Lock is not the issue in this case. Thanks anyway for trying to help me troubleshoot!

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 17, 2023

PHLSKT,

 

Quite likely far too far out, is it (also) happening if you have no other applications running, as in restarting the computer and then only starting AI, with smart (keyboard) features/enhancements disabled, if any?

PHLSKTAuthor
Inspiring
April 19, 2023

Hi Jacob,

 

I tried this thing where I restarted my computer and just used Illustrator for a bit before opening other apps. It was all smooth sailing in the morning, but then the problem popped up again when I had a bunch of stuff open in the afternoon. I'm wondering if it's got something to do with all the apps fighting over my computer's resources – I've got 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, just so you know.

 

And about those smart keyboard features you mentioned, I'm not really sure what you mean. I haven't messed with Illustrator's default settings (it's version 27.4), so I've just been using it as is. (Speaking of the keyboard, i am using Apple's bluetooth Magic Keyboard.)

 

Cheers!

Jacob Bugge
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 19, 2023

PHLSKT,

 

I doubt whether this issue can be caused by computer resources.

 

Some have experienced strange interferences between specific applications (Adobe and non Adobe), and some have found that small applications to customize keyboard use (which can be set to start up with the computer) can do strange things. All of this highly specific to individual combinations, and some have only shown up for certain kinds of computer setups.

 

Obviously, keyboard errors can cause keystroke failures, but those are more likely to hit every application. But there are also some strangenesses related to specific keyboards, such as the one you mention, as far as I remember.

 

And on top of all this, intermittent errors are notoriously difficult to catch and correct.

 

In any case, I would suggest your trying with another keyboard, the proof of the pudding being the eating.