How to avoid modal dialogs from blocking script execution

[_Terry_Vogelaar_]

I tried to import text files with tagged text using a script. But if the tagged text refers to a typeface I don't have installed, it stops, producing the error: "Cannot handle the request because a modal dialog or alert is active." But I don't care if fonts are missing at this point.

Is there a way to avoid this?

[Peter Kahrel]

Add this line to your script:

app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel =
UserInteractionLevels.neverInteract;

It suppresses all dialogs. Be sure to add this line at the end of your script:

app.scriptPreferences.userInteractionLevel =
UserInteractionLevels.interactWithAll;

Or even better, use it in the catch phrase of a try-catch construction.

Peter

[JimV74]

I had a script running fine called from a Windows service using doScript.  All of a sudden it stopped working throwing the error "Cannot handle the request because a modal dialog or alert is active".  I tried setting the userInteractionLevel as described here in the script with the same result.  I tried setting the userInteractionLevel on the com object in my c# code with the same result.  I even tried making a test script that just creates a new document.  I ran it in the UI with no problem, but got the same result when trying to run it from the service.  I even uninstalled and reinstalled CS5.  I don't see an option in the CS5 com object to show the window when running a script.  I'm out of ideas and very stuck.  Can anyone help?

[nycynik]

I know you said you already tried it, but I would try running the script with indesign open so you can see what the problem is.  Dialogs can still apear, even after you say 0 interaction, it happenes.  Maybe your script creates a file dialog or something?

[JimV74]

Did that. No luck.  I tried a test script whose entire code is below.  It runs fine in the UI, but produces the same error when executed from COM.

var doc = app.documents.add( true, app.documentPresets.itemByName( "[Default]" ) );

I even did a bare metal reinstall of CS5.

The same script & C# invocation of it works fine on a server I'm using for testing.

Is there a way to call doScript from COM and have it show the window?  I believe there used to be in CS3.

[JimV74]

In case anyone else experiences this, I hope to save you the week of pain it caused me.  It turns out the dialog was about recovering a document.  The only was I could get past it was a trick our IT guy figured out.  He showed me how to run Windows as the System user.  Once I did that, I was able to run InDesign as the System user and manually dismiss the dialog.

Here's how to do it in XP: http://alieneyes.wordpress.com/2006/10/23/how-to-gain-access-to-system-account-the-most-powerful-acc...

Here's what our IT guy figured out for Vista/Win7:

1. Download and install PSTools from Microsoft: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896649.aspx

2. Launch cmd.exe as administrator

3. Run psexec -i -s c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe

4. Kill explorer.exe

5. In new command window type explorer.exe

Happy trails

[annap90227144]

Does not work in AE CC2017 - nothing like that exists there!

[stuntboots]

For anyone who comes across this looking for how to suppress errors in Photoshop CC, I found this worked:

app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.NO;

// Your code

app.displayDialogs = DialogModes.ERROR;