Bulk dowgrade FM files to previous version (Structured FM 2022 v17.0.2)

[QuintinSeegers]

I have constant battle with FrameMaker crashing with Internal Error 17024. The files can be opened one day, worked on and saved without any issues. The next day, opening the same file results in the Internal Error. I have uninstalled/reinstalled FM2022 numerous times for it only to work for a few days before the error starts again. And it's all files, not just specific ones. I have noticed that the error only occurs when I'm using Structured FrameMaker. If I switch to 'normal' FrameMaker and open the same files, no error occurs (other than the warning about opening a structured file in unstructured mode.)  Opening backup files (.backup.mf) or backup copies of the files makes no difference. I've also moved all the FM files (including images) to a local external HDD to elimiate network environment issues. I'm at a point where I'm pulling my hair out in frustration.

Because I can't open a single file in FM2022, is there a way to bulk-convert all files back to FM2020? Note I can't open a single file in FM2022, so the option to open them in FM2022 and Save As FM2020 or MIF isn't possible, so need an alternative, external, way to do this. 

Any suggestions?

[Bob_Niland]

Did it ever work with FM2022? (i.e., is this a new problem)

Did you ever get to try saving the strucs.fm as strucs.mif and see what happens on re-open as MIF?

Is the plan to revert to using FM2020?
If so, have you a naive machine on which the '22 files could be MIF'd using a trial version of '22?

I suspect the real solution is to fix the bug (something in the EDD?)
I'm not aware of any tool (other than FM itself) to convert .fm22 to .fm20 (which doesn't mean there isn't one).

[QuintinSeegers]

Did it ever work with FM2022? (i.e., is this a new problem)

By @Bob_Niland

That's part of the mystery. It would sometimes work for hours/days/weeks/months on end, then suddenly "internal error" irrespective of the file I try to open.

Did you ever get to try saving the strucs.fm as strucs.mif and see what happens on re-open as MIF?

Is the plan to revert to using FM2020?
If so, have you a naive machine on which the '22 files could be MIF'd using a trial version of '22?

I suspect the real solution is to fix the bug (something in the EDD?)
I'm not aware of any tool (other than FM itself) to convert .fm22 to .fm20 (which doesn't mean there isn't one).

By @Bob_Niland

The problem is I can't open the files to save them as MIF in Structured FrameMaker. I can open the files in standard  (unstructured) FrameMaker without any issues, but then I loose all the structure. I can open the EDD (thank goodness that still opens) and validate it - no errors come up so I assume there isn't a structure problem with the EDD.

I do have another PC with FM2022 installed, but that gives the same error when I try to open the documents.

What is most confusing and frustrating, is that I worked with a particular set of document all of last week without any issues. When I tried opening one of them this morning, the error started and now happens with every document I open. It's like FM itself gets corrupted and dies. (Would have been helpful if the error message was actually meaningful and actually explained what the issue is.)

[QuintinSeegers]

The error now also occurs when I add a file to a Book - not even opening a file.

[FrameMaker-dk]

Have you tried doing a global search for *.tmp and deleting everything that can be deleted? Also deleting all recover.fm files ? And all *.lck files?

FrameMaker does have issues handling memory effectively and it has been my experience that regularly deleting all *.temp files is a good thing. You wont be able to delete ALL *.tmp file but delete what you CAN delete.

[QuintinSeegers]

@FrameMaker-dk I have, and still no joy. 

[FrameMaker-dk]

You may be looking for ConvertDocs from Frameexpert;

https://frameexpert.com/store/index.html

It can batchconvert your documets:

Worth every penny, as are all the scripts from Frameexpert!

It IS an odd problem you are facing though! It - may... also be font related. I am, kinda, guessing here, but old fonts from the days of ps fonts and ttf may also be an issue.

[frameexpert]

One important thing to be aware of with ConvertDocs: You can only "push" files down to an older version if you run it from a higher version. For example, you would have to run ConvertDocs with FrameMaker 2022 to convert to an earlier version. You can't "pull" 2022 files down by running ConvertDocs with an earlier version of FrameMaker.

[QuintinSeegers]

Is the plan to revert to using FM2020?

By @Bob_Niland

I'd prefer to go back to FM2019 as we never had any of these issues with FM2019.

[QuintinSeegers]

Not sure if it's relevant, but I managed to open a document and save ias MIF 7. When I open the file in FM2019, I get these errors in the Console:

MIF: "E:\Data\Training Collateral on Local\Source Material\Courses\MYOB Exo Business\Business Tools\Variables(Structured).mif" (5845): Invalid opcode: TblHFill.
--- Skipping these characters:15 > ---------- Done skipping.MIF: "E:\Data\Training Collateral on Local\Source Material\Courses\MYOB Exo Business\Business Tools\Variables(Structured).mif" (5846): Invalid opcode: TblHTint.

Could they be the cause of the issue? If so, how do I track them in the document and fix them?

[QuintinSeegers]

Nevermind. Figured out it has to do with the changes to the Table Designer in FM2022.

[Bob_Niland]

When you save as MIF7, you don't just lose FM8-'22 document features (e.g. conditional expression); any user-entered Unicode probably gets completely trashed.

FM likely knows how to roll back its internal Unicode to FM hex code of yore, but not yore stuff, so to speak.

[QuintinSeegers]

Would I be better of saving FM2022 as FM2020, then open in FM2020 and save as FM2019? Or is it much of a muchness?

[frameexpert]

I would save as MIF and then open the MIF in 2019. There is no sense in going one step at a time.

[Russ Ward]

Hi Quintin, I'm a little late to the party because I was on vacation, but in addition to all the suggestions here, I would also craft some strongly-worded correspondance for Adobe. In my opinion, this is a ridiculous problem and they should help you for free. If not, I would tell everyone I knew about my experience. It should not be possible to make a file with some program that the same program can not open up later.

[QuintinSeegers]

@Russ Ward I couldn't agree more. I have already emailed fmerror@adobe.com with the details of the error. I've also logged a bug report. Both with screenshots of the errors and copies of one of the problem files. I managed to open a backup copy (though it was a couple of weeks old) and (down) saved the file back to FM2019. So far, no error, which makes me believe the issue is with Structured FM2022. That and the fact that the errors don't occur when opening the file in standard (unstructured) FM2022.

[Winfried Reng]

Hi Quintin,

Just two things:

Did you test to do a MIF wash of your files? Did this help anything?

And: Could it also be that the cause is your structured environment? Do you have colleagues with the same issue? (It could be that you described this already.) Are really all of your files affected? Also title, back, table of contents?

Best regards, Winfried

[QuintinSeegers]

Hi Winfried,

I can't do a MIF wash because I can't open the files in FrameMaker to save them as MIF.

Any suggestions on what the issue with my structured environment could be? Why the files would work one day (or for hours/days/weeks/months on end without issue), then not the next time the files are opened?

I've tried opening the files my home PC - different Windows 10 configuration and environment - and experience the same issues. I won't go so far as to say all my files. So far I've run into this with about 60% of them. At this point I'm to scared to open files in fear that FM will break those files too.

[Winfried Reng]

It's definitely not a general issue that FrameMaker cannot open structured files. Therefore it would be good to find anything special in your files.

In the first post of this thread you said that you could work on files for weeks and then FrameMaker starts to crash. This does not stop?

[QuintinSeegers]

It stops in the sense that I go back to a backup of the file (not the FM backup, but a manual backup), redo all the lost work, and continue working on the file until FM decides to crash again and the whole cycle starts again.