internal error on opening files

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Hi.

I've been typesetting a book in FrameMaker. I haven't worked on it for a couple of months, and have since upgraded to FM 2017 - although the same issue is a problem in FM11.

The book was saved to OneDrive, and I've been working in my local folder mapped to OneDrive throughout. Now, I can open the .book file - and FM warns me it was created in an older version of FM. I save it and all is fine BUT as soon as I try to open any of the chapters within the book, I get an internal error. I've tried opening them FROM the book and as separate files. I've tried opening them in FM 2017 and in FM11. In the former, it warns me they were created in an earlier version, but doesn't get as far as opening them (so it's obviously getting as far as finding the version details). In the latter, it crashes straight away.

I can open other documents in either version of FM with no problem - but it's EVERY file in this particular book, and the only thing they have in common is that they are synced to OneDrive (although I can't for the life of me see why that would be a problem).

Does anyone have any suggestions, as I really don't want to have to manually key all 15 chapters in again.

Thanks in advance,

Alison

[Barb Binder]

Hi Alison:

Have you tried:

1. Moving the project folder to a local drive?
2. Using heroic open? Esc o H
3. Opening the back-up files in the project folder?

~Barb

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Hi Barb, Thank you for responding on a Saturday!

I have tried (1). The folder on my system that syncs to the One Drive is on my C:\ drive, and it's that copy I was trying to open. I've also tried copying the files to a non-sync'd folder, just in case that's the issue. I have also (since my original post) tried to open a chapter in the previous book I typeset - which was fine when I used a chapter as a template for the latest, but that doesn't open now either. So, with a bit more to go on, I've added a few more things that they have in common: (a) Non-standard page sizes; (b) Different fonts to my normal work (both use the same fonts) - and I've checked and the fonts are still installed); (c) I can't swear to this one, but *probably* the Save to PDF was done with "Convert RGB to CMYK" selected as the files were off for professional printing (normally my stuff saves to RGB as it's online-based).

(2) I didn't know this existed. I tried it, but no joy.

(3) Yep - that doesn't work either - and I'm struggling to see how every single file in the 'book publishing' folders - but only those files - could have simultaneously corrupted.

I know there is an issue with "Save to PDF" since the latest Microsoft update for Windows 10, and I'm wondering if there is any connection... but because I can't even open the files, I can't check what the setting is.

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Oh, and OneDrive is a red-herring... the older book isn't, and never has been, backed up in that way.

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

I'm going to try installing FM 2017 on my Windows 7 laptop to see if that is of any use. (I'm nervous, though, because I've still got FM 9 on that machine for a client, and if I trash that, I have got HUGE problems as it's no longer supported... I'm desperately trying to move them on, and although this scenario will apply a bit more pressure, I can't afford to suddenly be unable to work for them.)

[Barb Binder]

Hi Alison:

I'm so sorry to hear this. If you would like to share one of the smaller files with me via dropbox, I'd be happy to see if can do anything with it, but it's not sounding promising. You can post a link here (public) or message me directly by hovering over my name above (private). I have 2015 and 2017 installed.

• Do you have the files backed up on an external drive? (Always important)
• Do you have recent PDFs? (You can extract the data from them if worse comes to worse and you have to recreate the files.)

~Barb

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Hi Barb,

"Do you have the files backed up on an external drive? (Always important)"

Yes, I am a belt-and-braces kinda gal, so I've got backups and synchronised copies all over the place (on the NAS here in my home office and also off-site ... on OneDrive!) but useless in this case - I can't open them after restoring either. It points to something with FM or Windows and affects only files with certain (unknown) criteria.

Yes, I have the PDFs, so that is an option.

If you can open it, I will risk putting FM2017 on the laptop... but I don't want to risk that if the files are corrupt for some reason.

Alison

[Barb Binder]

Hi Alison:

The good news is that your file opened up without any issues. The bad news is that I don't know why it is misbehaving on your system. (My specs: Win 10 Home, v1803 installed 5/18/18, build 17134.48. Fm 14.0.2.425.)

I would try this on a different computer. Installing Fm 2017 should not impact Fm 9, but stranger things have happened. As long as you still have your serial number, in a worse-case scenario you can re download it here: Download FrameMaker | 2015 release, 12, 11, 10, 9.

One more thought: I have zero experience with OneDrive but use Dropbox for all layout projects (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.). However, I learned the hard way not to use Dropbox with FrameMaker—I was getting corrupted files, so for FrameMaker projects I work locally with a back-up drive attached, set to frequent back-ups. I have no idea if this is related, but I want to put it out there.

~Barb

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Thank you, Barb. At least we're excluding some possibilities. 🙂

I had already tried reinstalling FM 2017 and Acrobat Professional 2017, but neither of those had any effect.

I'm also running Windows 10 v1803, but it's Windows 10 Pro. It was installed on 08 May 2018 (I won't use just numbers... wrong side of the pond!) FM is a bit ahead of you - I've got 14.0.4.511

I did wonder about One Drive... but the older book has NEVER been on OneDrive (only locally then burned to DVD as a permanent archive... and I can't even open the files from that).

Thank you for all your help.

[Barb Binder]

Hi Alison:

You reinstalled on the current computer?

And you are correct—I was behind on patches on that computer. I just updated and tried again, the file still opened. That's good news, so be sure to put away a clean copy of these files as you work to figure this out.

Knowing you have back-ups, another option is to restore your system to before the last Win 10 upgrade.

~Barb

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Yes, I reinstalled on the current computer. I'm going to have to install FM 2017 on the Windows 7 laptop, I think.

Alison

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Hi Alison,

It sounds to me like the files themselves are the issue.

Have you tried using File > Import > File to import your docs into a new blank document (or even better, a blank version of your template file)?

I've had success in importing files this way when the file itself has become unopenable.

-Matt

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

@Matt: I doubted it, as Barb could open the file without problem, but I gave it a go anyway. The same 'Internal error' message.

I have sent a copy of the error to support, but I'm aware they don't provide individual solutions. I may try 'chat' tomorrow when the US is awake (so it won't be till afternoon here).

As Barb says, worst case scenario is extract information from the PDF - but I'll have to reindex. 😞

I will post what happens on the laptop, but as it's not after 6pm on  a Sunday, I'm going to switch off for a bit.

Thanks for your help, guys.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Ah, I wasn't clear that Barb was able to open them on her system.

If the files will open on her or another system, your fallback can be to open the files on the independent system and save as MIF.

You might contract with Barb (or me, for that matter) to do this, or if there are enough docs, contract with someone like Rick Quatro to script the process itself.

-Matt

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Another update... I feel like Alice ('Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice)...

I installed a trial on another Windows 10 PC as there was insufficient space on my laptop, with my fingers tightly crossed as I use this machine with FM 9 for a client.

To my huge surprise, I could:

1) Open all the files in the two problem books.

2) Save them with no problem, even to OneDrive.

3) NOT open them on the problem machine, even after the resave process!

So, differences... only two possibly pertinent ones spring to mind:

1) Operating system: bad machine, Windows 10 64-bit; good machine, Windows 10 32-bit (both with latest Windows updates, but they are different updates). However, all OTHER FM files open fine (I worked on a journal over the weekend that went to press yesterday). The only other issue on the BAD machine is that I can't save to PDF with RGB... which points to something distiller/Acrobat related. Apparently this is a known issue since the Windows update, with the advice being "save to CMYK instead". 🙂

2) Not only did I install FM 2017, I did NOT install Acrobat 2017. The machine that is working still has Acrobat Professional 9.

So, as I now have a 27-day trial to finish this book (I'm doing the work for free for my professional body, the ISTC, so I can't afford a second licence for it), I'm going to try something I haven't had to do with Adobe products for years. I'm going to uninstall FrameMaker 2017 and Acrobat 2017, then reinstall them in that order. (I bought and installed Acrobat first... I remember a long time ago having to get the FrameMaker bits all working before updating Acrobat... I thought this was no longer an issue, but just in case...)

It's really frustrating, though - this machine (the one that doesn't work) is much more powerful and has more RAM... everything is much slower on the other one.

Wish me luck... uninstalling now. 🙂

Alison

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Hi Alison, I'm glad to hear you're able to edit again!

There is no need to purchase a second license...you can delicense your bothersome Fm instance and then use that number to work on the other machine as needed.

Not ideal, but only a minute or two to swap as needed until you resolve the config issue on your main machine.

FYI, if you're going to press, you should always use the CMYK option for your PDF.

-Matt

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Hi there,

Yes, I do use the CMYK for press (or try to - I have had problems getting that to work but RGB has done instead) but this particular journal is saved twice - once for press (with bleeds, etc) and one as an online PDF (with RGB selected - usually, but not on this occasion).

Reinstalling made not a jot of difference. As this particular project finishes this autumn, I'll have to keep swapping the licence back and forth as you suggest. It's really weird, though, as it ONLY affects files from these two books (which share the same templates, fonts and so on) - everything else works fine on either machine, apart from the save-to-RGB, which is a very minor thing. And everyone but me can open these files too, so it's not corruption in the files themselves.

Thanks for the help and support.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

A point of clarification:

Have you tried saving to MIF on the "slow" machine, and then opening the MIF on the "fast" machine?

If that doesn't work, I'm quite puzzled, and I think we should get the Fm engineers to take a look at it.

-Matt

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Hi Matt,

Just tried it. Exactly the same internal error. It really has me stumped. It's definitely the combination of these files/templates and this machine. All other files seem to work fine. I've been opening stuff created in FM 9 and FM 11, as well as creating new document - all with no problems. But these...!

I did send the error report to fmerror, and someone contacted and asked for a sample file, but I think he thought that because he could open it, all was well. 😞

Alison

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Can you use File > Import > File to bring the troublesome files into a new doc on the preferred machine?

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

Nope. Tried it the other day and just repeated with both a .fm and the .mif in case that made a difference. Internal error again.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

Wow...

Any chance IT can re-image your machine?

[Alison - Clearly Stated]

As I am "IT" (there's only me) and I don't know how long ago the problem started, just when I noticed it (I hadn't worked on these book files since early February till the other day), I don't know how far back to go.

I have been looking at the "start afresh with Windows" option, but want to investigate a little as this machine started its life with Windows 7 and got a "free" upgrade.

Anything like this, part of the problem is time - while I'm messing around and fixing, I'm not earning (I'm freelance) and I'm not meeting client deadlines. 😞

I have a work-around... swap licences about. I may try reinstalling Windows from scratch when I have a quiet spell workwise, but it's not an option right now.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Try creating a new Windows profile on the problem machine & see if the files open using it - less drastic than messing about with reinstalling Windows.

[Alison - Clearly Stated · Accepted solution]

Just to update - I tried all of the above, then finally gave up. I installed a new SSD in my machine, as my hard disk was filling up anyway, and then installed a brand new Windows. It's solved that particular problem. 🙂

It was definitely a Windows issue, and I think possibly to do with font enumeration (as I started to get "missing font" errors with other docs when I knew there weren't any).

Thanks to everyone for their help.