toolbars not offering dropdown menus

[designmade]

Working on Adobe Illustrator CC 18 (20.0.1) on a mac running OS 10.11.6. A number of my toolbars are not providing dropdown menus. More specifically, I cannot click on the arrow next to the type size to see a drop down of menu options. Noticed the same for Transparency tool; the drop down does not work so I cannot change the transparency effect. Has anyone experienced this issue and found a fix? Thanks.

[Srishti Bali · Accepted solution]

Hi designmade,

As per your query, drop-down menus of few panels are not working. In that case please try resetting preferences for Illustrator.

How to set preferences in Illustrator

Regards,

Srishti

[designmade]

Hi, Thank you for your response, but I hope you do realize that this is the Adobe suggestion for every bug that we encounter and it does not work. At this point, the first thing we do is reset the preferences. Still have problems. By the time we finally resolve the problems, if we do, then you upgrade the software and new problems arise. This problem has been replaced by host of new problems in the latets release. Thank you, but not really. 

[Elpeeda]

Are there any other suggestions for this issue? I m encountering the same problem in Illustrator on Windows. Drop down menus won't work for any panels. I did reset preferences and nothing changed.

[default9pn64fme22pn]

I have the same issue since the update... Did you manage to solve it?

[abiwilliams]

Can I jump on this too - same issue. 

[Tayyab S]

hey Dear
you nedd to right click on any tool bar till more than 3 to 4 seconds then
dropmenus will be opened.

[abiwilliams]

Thank you @Tayyab S - feel a little stupid now but I am sure pre-update that you just hovered over!!!! 

[adobeme1]

This is absolutely horrible and unacceptable. I basically cannot do anything in Illustrator: choose transparencies, fonts, toolbars, set format settings, dpi's, and a lot more. Stupid.

[defaultmi1zhc221xrm]

I also have the same problem, when I click on the drop down menus, it doesn´t show me any off the options, and i just downloaded it and started working on it today, so i have never messed with the preferences

[charlieb43947757]

Yep - Same issue.

My mac is up to date, my Ai is up to date.
The very top bar "File, Edit, Object, Type..." etc are not responding.
I can click them, nothing happens, I click again and get a flash of the menu.
This is rendering my Adobe Illustrator as completely USELESS without my knowledge of hot-keys.
What can I do?!?!?!

[Monika Gause]

Yep - Same issue.

My mac is up to date, my Ai is up to date.
The very top bar "File, Edit, Object, Type..." etc are not responding.
I can click them, nothing happens, I click again and get a flash of the menu.
This is rendering my Adobe Illustrator as completely USELESS without my knowledge of hot-keys.
What can I do?!?!?!

By @charlieb43947757

Current version?

Which system?

Are you using more than one monitor?

Did you already reset the preferences?

[charlieb43947757]

Hi Monika,

I am on the latest version of Adobe Illustrator from Creative Cloud.
My mac is the most upto date it can be.

I am only using one monitor,
And I cannot get to the Preferences section of the menus, as my menus will not drop down.

I shall continue to restart Ai and hope for the best.

[Monika Gause]

But your Mac is not running a beta system, no?

To reset the preferences, you do not need to open the dialog box.

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/setting-preferences.html

[charlieb43947757]

My mac isnt running a Beta system as far as I am aware. 

I will try the Option+Cmd+Shift shortcut to reset preferences now!

[charlieb43947757]

No idea how to use this shortcut "as you start illustrator" 

Rebooted a few times, still to no avail. I guess I will have to await an update or something! 
I cant use any of the drop down menus to disable any of my plugins etc either

[Monika Gause]

Please contact Customer Care: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

They can login to your system to check this out.