InDesign CS4: Missing Toolbars/Menus

[FetchingLauren]

InDesign CS4: Missing Toolbars/Menus on MacBook Pro

The program has been working fine for more than year, but all of a sudden the menus and toolbars have disappeared and I can't find a way to turn them back on. The program is USELESS without them since you can't do anything.

Everything is  turned on (visible) under Edit > Menus... but when you're working in the actual program, NOTHING!

When opening .indd files in InDesign I get a missing plug-ins error (LILO.APLN) and then this warning appears: The following hyphenation services are not installed on this system - Proximity (English: USA). Uh, watchu talkin' bout InDesign?

    1    I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the software
    2    I've tried reseting my preferences (http://forums.adobe.com/message/2339388)
    4    I've tried installing the latest update (6.0.6)
    5    Keyboard shortcuts do not work to restore the menus
    6    I changed the screen resolution to see if the toolbars were hiding of screen...

          and guess what? They weren't!

I don't believe it is a problem with the permissions since there is only one user account on this computer and it is an administrator account. No changes have been made to the user profiles since the machine was first set up!

This sounded EXACTLY like the problem I am having (http://indesignsecrets.com/rebuilding-indesign-preferences.php), but the solution (download the 6.0.4 patch) is not going to fix things for me ~ if 6.0.6 didn't clear it up, 6.0.4 sure as hell ain't gonna do it

Oh, and I'm a total novice when it come to troubleshooting (I don't have a f*cking clue what I'm doing and have only gotten this far thanks to my limited ability to Google -- hooray for opposable thumbs!... also, I tried calling Adobe tech support and I couldn't understand a single word of what that guy was saying... the only thing that came out clear was "you're gonna have to pay for help or seek it out in the forums").

So if you've got any advise that might help solve my InDesign issues, please explain it as you would to a child... seriously

THANKS!

Lauren

[dave_c_courtemanche]

Just to eliminate up the totally obvious, have you tried hitting the TAB key? This hides/unhides tools and menus.

[FetchingLauren]

*sigh*... good tip, but unfortunately, yes, I have tried hitting the tab key (gently pressing it at first and then attacking it with all the urgency of a 13-year old boy playing a co-op campaign in Halo: Reach)... alas, to no avail. None of the shortcuts are working *pouty face*

[ginaf27520678]

Tab Key worked for me!  thanks!!!

[Peter Spier]

This thread http://forums.adobe.com/message/2764723#2764723 is about the same problem on window, but I believe it identified a permissions issue which may have an analog on Mac. If not, download the CS5 cleanup tool (Resolve installation problems with CS5 Cleaner Tool) and remove all traces of the old installation before trying again.

[FetchingLauren]

I read through the thread you suggested, but since I'm not computer-savvy enough to match up the Windows based advise with my MAC, I  went straight for the cleaner tool option. I wiped CS4 from my computer, and with hope in my heart I reinstalled the entire suite. As the progress bar neared completion, rainbows exploded across the sky, children laughed and angels got their wings... but as soon as I opened InDesign the whole world went to sh*t again. The toolbars are still MIA. This is CRAZY... they were there last week. No major changes have ocurred that would suddenely make the program stop working... save for the fact that someone has obviously placed a gypsy curse on me. WTF!

[Peter Spier]

I suspect the clean tool probably doesn't remove your prefs or custom workspaces, or the "current" workspace XML files in your user library.

Start by trashing the prefs: Replace Your Preferences

Then go into your library and find the Workspaces folder, Delete anything that has the word current in it.

Restart ID...

[Jeffrey_Smith]

I don't believe it is a problem with the permissions since there is only one user account on this computer and it is an administrator account. No changes have been made to the user profiles since the machine was first set up!

Have you tried repairing permissions? Another thing to try is creating a new user, login, and see if there is any change.

[dave_c_courtemanche]

Is this happening in the other Creative Suite apps? In ID, have you tried switching around Workspaces? (Window/Workspace)

[alexander1985 · Accepted solution]

I had the same problem. I tried everything. Then I noticed a drop down menu on the very top right corner next to the search box. Mine was on 'Essential' I changed it to 'Interactive for PDF' and my menus came back! I toggled back to 'Essential' and the menu stayed. Don't know why, but it was a success for me. Good luck!

[Steve Werner]

alexander1985 

Thanks for reminding us that restoring our workspace or changing to another one is a good way get our menus back.