Menu system doesn't work

[perrybrus]

When I click any menu item in the top, for instance File, Edit, Layout etc I get the drop down list BUT when I try to move down in the menu it skips to menu that is left of it! So never get to explore the menues with my mouse. Is this some new surprise from Adobe in last update too? 

[Derek Cross]

Which version of InDesign and OS?

Have you tried resetting your InDesign preferences?

[perrybrus]

There's nothing to resett cause the installation is brand new. I just started a new job so the CC installment is brand new. I'm on Windows 10, latest version. The software is acting like it's hijacked by some funny person pulling everything in the opposite direction. It's EVERYWHERE. Menues, zoom tool, hand tool, etc

[Derek Cross]

The latest version is 13.0.1 – is that what you have?

Try this:

Close InDesign. Then hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Windows) or Cmd + Ctrl + Opt + Shift (Mac), and relaunch InDesign. Respond in the affirmative to the dialog asking if you really want to replace the preferences.

Also try unticking GPU Performance.

[perrybrus]

I'm not able to do that and open IND at the same time. When I try to open InDesign and then click Ctr-Alt-Shift nothing happens. It just opens the program.

[Derek Cross]

Try this: Close InDesign, then relaunch and very quickly and straight away press the keys indicated, you should then see the the question.

Try it again if you don't do it quickly enough.

[perrybrus]

I'm not able to do that and open IND at the same time. When I try to open InDesign and then click Ctr-Alt-Shift a fraction of a second nothing happens. It just opens the program. I don't know what IND version I have cause as I said everything is destroyed, I'm not able to use the menu so I can't define the program version but it's just downloaded and there's no available updates. Its the latest update.

[BobLevine]

You can use the menu with the keyboard. This is one of the major benefits of Windows. Just hold the alt key down. You’ll the file menu highlight. Arrow keys to move left and right. You’ll notice that each command has a letter underlined. That key will bring up that menu command.

[Derek Cross]

Perhaps you should uninstall InDesign, if you can't reset your preferences  (using the drop-down in the Creative Cloud – see screen shot) then reinstall. If that doesn't work uninstall again and run Adobe Cleaner before reinstalling. And double check your OS version as Bob indicated.

[BobLevine]

What exact version and build of Windows 10 do you have? You should be at Build 1709 which is the Fall Creators Update. What are the display settings and what is the Scale and layout set to? With a 4K it should be 125-150%.

Then (and you may need keyboard to do this) what are your InDesign UI scaling preference set to?

[perrybrus]

To be short: NO scaling I set in Windows makes ALL Adobe apps look normal. In Bridge the text is super tiny and in PS the GUI is okay. All at 150% OS scaling. In Bridge I was forced to go to 200% in the prefs but still the text is very tiny. In PS scaling set to Auto gave best results, so nothing is working for ONE scaling in the OS.

As I wrote I don't have access to any IND menu so I can't see any properties and prefs there. I can't even open Illustrator by the way, its jerky and it just shows a black box with a weird frame around it. Are all these issues caused by my 4K display? I've never seen chaos on this lever before, it's just mad!!

[BobLevine]

I bought a 4K monitor about a month ago and sent it back because the color sucked, but everything else was fine.

Again…what version of Windows 10 are you using? And are you using a single monitor or dual monitors?

[BobLevine]

And please look at that scaling again. At least in the Fall Creators Update, which had some serious updates to handling HiDPI displays, the scaling sets to a (recommended) size and shows that in the screen.

Here's a screenshot of mine:

[perrybrus]

As mentioned the OS scaling is set to 150% and as mentioned earlier as well this doesn't work for all the Adobe apps but it generates different results for different programs.

But to be on topic. I'm not able to use InDesign and I'm not able to open Illustrator. I need to find the source of this problem before anything else. EVERY installment is brand new, that goes for Windows as well. I just had a chat with the IT dep. and they said it's the newest version of Windows 10. I'm sorry I'm too busy to be able to read all the different posts thats coming in. All I can say is that nothing works. It's havoc from A to Z. And this did not happen before with earlier installments. None of my colleagues has this issue either but they are on Mac OS. I'm just so beaten by this and IF this has to do with Windows + high resolution monitors I have no idea.

[Derek Cross]

"I'm sorry I'm too busy to be able to read all the different posts thats coming in."

Well, you won't get the matter sorted otherwise – Bob Levine is an expert in this matter and could have probably sorted your issue.

Update: I see you're now posting the same question on the Photoshop forum.

[Test Screen Name]

Not sure why you'd bother to post if you can't be bothered to read the replies which busy people took the time to post. But what do I know.

[Derek Cross]

I assume your reply was aimed at the OP rather than me (I was merely quoting what he'd said).

Curiously, the OP has just posted the identical problem in the Photoshop forum.

[perrybrus]

I'm thankful but I need to focus on one track and not all. So if this is a 4K issue I need to read the resolution responses and see if that helps. Since I'm not able to open the Adobe apps and give response to questions about versions etc all I can say is that theres no new updates for any of the Adobe applications. OS version is "latest".

My boss is on my ass so I need to hurry. All I can think is that the 4K display creates havoc. I have scaled in every possible way from the OS and tried the different scaling options in the  Adobe apps. Nothing works the same and the difference are individual cross apps. None is workable. Its just not good for work as the type and UI elements are all over the place in lack of a better word.

But as I wrote, I don't know if THIS is the main cause of me having all of these issues with IND and Illustrator, as mentioned I can't even open Illustrator and IND doesn't work at all almost. I am however able to open Photoshop so I guess I should consider myself lucky.

[BobLevine]

Check for updated video drivers. Swap the monitor.

Standard troubleshooting stuff.

[perrybrus]

BobLevine. Yes. I've already told my IT admin. I need another monitor. I think going back to native 2560x1440 is the best bet here as that's what I had in years prior to this "smart" 4K purchase. Btw, when switching to 2560x1440 on the 4K monitor everything goes blurry.

However, if 4K is the reason for all the IND and Illu errors I'm not sure.

[BobLevine]

I have two Dell 2560x1440 U2715H monitors. Fabulous. Great color and everything’s nice and sharp.

[perrybrus]

I've always been an Eizo ColorEdge person myself. 

This whole Adobe crash on 4K Windows worries me. I'm totally shocked. On Mac the rescaling works just fine, just had a look at colleagues setup.

[BobLevine]

I only sent the 4K monitor back because the color sucked. Everything scaled perfectly according to the choices I had set up. I suspect a bad video driver in your case.

[perrybrus]

The IT manager responsible for hardware and computer setups here says it's quite strange cause it's a very compatible GeForce 1050 on last generation processor. Other than that it's on 32GB RAM and the disks are all SSD's. Not that the latter has any effect on this particular problem but still, it's a pretty decent setup and I'm asured all the latest drivers are installed. The computer is brand new and so is the installation of all the software I'm using. There are no updates available for the Adobe apps either. So everything should work - however I'm finding alot of articles now that supports that Windows and Adobe with 4K is trouble, seems like they haven't been able to sort this out like Mac have done with Adobe. Along the years it's also bee issues between Nvidia and Adobe where both are blaming each other for GPU issues etc. Especially in Illustrator.

In terms of the terrible InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop issues I find it hard to believe that it is a bad driver causing that. Really? The menus in InDesign is totally useless, the menus in Photoshop can be opened but the sub levels opens in the opposite direction of the arrows, meaning left when they should open right. In Bridge the type is super tiny, so tiny you can't even see it no matter what scaling I have for the OS and inside Bridge. It's just totally off. Dreamweaver works the opposite way, there the menus are oversized and the UI palettes okay. It goes on and on. It's affecting all the Adobe apps AND it is also affecting older Windows software where everything now is blurry and very disturbed. The text, the UI - everything.

If I address this a driver problem I think the IT manager will give me the evil eye. Especially because he's rigging these machines on a daily basis and says he's never had a problem like this anytime before.

Here's an eight section article about the topic from 2014. I'm just just giving you the very last conclusive section here. Seems like this problem still apply today. https://us.hardware.info/reviews/5178/8/hidpi-test-high-resolution-windows-a-complete-nightmare-conc...

[BobLevine]

I didn’t say it was a bad driver, but if you want to eliminate it out of hand without any troubleshooting, well, that’s on you.