Since I wrote here the last time, I've noticed that the touchpad is in fact a PS/2 device, som that's why my PS/2 connected trackball behaves the same way as the touchpad. I have also noticed that using the same function in Photoshop is even more disturbing, since Alt+Space doesn't work as a substitute as it does in InDesign (in Photoshop you get a Zoom function then). We opened a support case with HP, since there was guarantee left on one of our laptops with this problem. They did not know what to do with it, suggested a number of things to test, but couldn't deal with it and thus closed the case. As I see it, the right thing for HP to do would have been to contact Synaptics or possibly Microsoft to get the drivers right, since these are the drivers that HP deliver, the ones that are installed with the HP computers (from installation presets and updates). ... View more

BobLevine  skrev Not seeing any issues with the type tool. Try switching between any tools using a keyboard shortcut while moving the mousepointer. I would be surprised it the mouse pointer doesn't get stuck for half a second, just as it does on my two laptops, since you have the other problem (with space bar panning). I'd like to know the cause of the problem with "spacebar grab and pan". I guess I'll have to open a support case with Adobe, and/or give up my beloved trackball and buy another USB mouse (and never use the touchpad when working with InDesign). ... View more

Great that you could confirm this, Bob! Did you get the "locking" effect as well? Pressing the letter T to change from selection tool to Text tool, while moving the mouse pointer using the touchpad... (or switching between tools using the keyboard shortcuts) does the mouse pointer stop then, for half a second? And does it freeze when pressing space, while moving it using the touchpad? I found your answer now, after installing InDesign on another HP ZBook G2, to make sure that the first one didn't have a hardware error of some kind. On this other laptop I got a lot of errors from InDesign after installing CC2019 and starting it for the first time (dll:s missing GENERIC PAGE ITEM.RPLN, VCRUNTIME140.dll, MSVCP140.dll). Installing CC2017 also. This version started but crashed when I try to create a new document. I selected to "repair" the C++ redistributable packages on the computer since the errors seemed to be related to the missing dll:s of CC2019, according to other users with the same problem. It seems CC2019 doesn't contain all redistributable packages that it needs? Anyway.. it was not until installing InDesign CS6 (the version downloaded from the CC panel), that the other newer versions could be started without errors and I could create a new document in them without Indesign crashing. Conclusion: The error with the SPACE-HAND-tool exists in CS6 too, on this other zbook G2 computer. (And in the newer versions as well.) I've run Indesign CS6 and CC2017 on an older HP laptop, until a few days ago, and never seen this problem. I used the same PS/2 trackball then, and I believe I would have seen if the problem was on its touchpad too. I'm surprised that this error has not been detected before, since these HP laptop laptops that we use (with the problem) are fairly common for professional users. Not that PS/2 connected peripherals are common (they certainlay are not!), but a lot of people use the touchpad when they are not at their normal office working place. I use space bar to temporaily turn any tool into the hand, to drag... all the time. So this is vital functionality for me. What can be done about it? I still can't pinpoint the cause. ... View more

Now I went to the support.hp.com site for drivers (there are often newer drivers than in the HP assistant that actually analyzes your computer . very strange...!) and installed the latest Synaptics mouse driver (ver. 19.0.19.68 Rev.A file name: sp91562.exe). But no change regarding the hand that is not grabbing problem in InDesign. I normally use a MarbleFX trackball (instead of a mouse) attached to the PS/2 port on the back of my HP docking station. But now I attached a USB mouse instead, and what do you know... the SPACE panning works when using USB mouse! And the delay (or locking of the mouse pointer for half a second) when switching tools is also gone, while using the USB mouse. Using the touchpad, grabbing and panning still does not work. So this error is somehow related to the touchpad or its drivers. Holding down Space bar, and the USB mouse button, I'm allowed to pan the document with the built-in pointing stick (the small "joystick" located between the G, H, and B keys on some laptops). But the pointer doesn't move when I hold down the USB mouse button and try to pan using the touchpad. Holding down the left mouse button of the touch pad doesn't make the hand "grab" (which is perhaps the heart of this matter). I have noticed no problems in any other software than Adobe's. Since I got this error even when the Synaptics drivers were uninstalled, I guess the problem is caused either by HP hardware or drivers, Windows drivers or Adobe software. ... View more

Instead I reverted to an older nvidia driver, but no change. I think I may have gotten that one immediately from nvidia's home page, and not from the list over drivers for my computer on support.HP.com. I started up Sysinternals Process Monitor, but don't know what filter I should apply or what I should look for among the thousands of entries I get while letting it run a few seconds. ... View more

According to the HP Support Assistant I've got the latest graphics drivers. Windows reports the same. After uninstalling the pad drivers, and pulling out the mouse, I'm running with the most rudementary mouse drivers possible for the moment. I installed the previous version of InDesign (2017, which works on my old computer), and also Photoshop. They both act the same way as InDesign 2019 on my new computer. Space key doesn't pan the document on its own. Also, there is a slight delay after changing tools. About 1 second or perhaps jusst 0,5 s before I can actually use a new tool that I select using shortcut keys for quick access to them. I don't recognize that behaviour either. ... View more

I've got a local account on the computer, that was created when Windows was installed, and then never used, so I logged into that now and tried, but it was the same. Another note: Selecting the hand from the tools bar (shortcut H) I get a functioning hand (pan tool). But just tapping the space bar it's as if there is a "lock" for one second... the hand can not move the document. The same is true while holding down the space bar and trying to use the (already active) hand tool - the document doesn't move, until releasing space bar and click-dragging anew with the mouse button. ... View more

Now I uninstalled the Synaptics Pointing Device altogether, so "gestures"  and double finger scroll no longer works anywhere in Windows. But no difference as to the temporary-hand-using-space-key problem in InDesign... ... View more

It's a new windows installation. As I wrote in my original question I've restarted (many times), trashed the preferences and open InDesign first of all (No browsers open). Real restart (not just fast shut down/start that perhaps may leave garbage from previous session). Also the only web browser plugin I've installed is uBlock Origin, and disabling that makes no difference. I also doubt web extensions are allowed to interfere with the environment outside the browser in Windows, I've not heard of such a browser extension, after ActiveX (COM) was "banned". In startup I've disabled 4 of the 9 programs, leaving a couple of sound drivers, some default camera rotation utility, and Adobe GC Invoker. As I wrote, I've already been looking for other software or drivers that may interfere but no success yet. Perhaps one of the two graphic cards has some strange setting hidden somewhere, or the synaptics pad / pointing device may be involved... but changing settings and disabling devices has resulted in nothing yet. (Actually the pointer does turn into a hand when I press Space, but it doesn't pan the document, when I press the left mouse button move the hand.) ... View more

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Andreas%20Jansson wrote * Trashing the preferences doesn't help. ... View more

Hi Uwe, I believe you are the only one here (yet) who actually read my question in full. So thank you for trying to find a solution, that I had not written that I already tried : ) But I'm sorry to say, I'm zoomed in. And holding down the "Alt" key along with space does pan the document, it gives the same effect as only space ought to do (unless the document is undocked as a window of its own, then I also get a menu folding out from pressing Alt). I've been using InDesign for about 18 years. This fault is new to me. My colleague does not have this problem, on a very similar setup. ... View more

Well, after the splash screen, Photoshop stays in the background for me, so obviously there must be something different between our setups. I've got Win7 32 bit. Windows Performance Options are set to "Adjust for best performance". Photoshop is version 19.0.1.29687 (according to the details of the file properties). When does Photoshop steal focus for you now? Is it when it's done (that's when it's just flashing in the taskbar for me). ... View more

Well, that is not what I would call recurringly taking focus. One time is not "recurring".  And for me it's not even doing that, unless you count the splash screen, which is a very common thing for programs to have. Then, when all is loaded, Photoshop just flashes in the taskbar, without taking focus. ... View more

This has been corrected in the last version of Photoshop. You probably need to update (there is an official reply above). ... View more

Using the TSA suggested by mikig2 I get the following message: Error - the timestamp returned from the chosen TSA could not be verified, so the ZXP created is likely to be rejected by other tools. Please recreate your ZXP with a different trusted TSA. But using the the following URL, that I found on a page where mikig's URL was also mentioned, I got the message "signed successfully", and the extension worked on my client's computer: http://sha1timestamp.ws.symantec.com/sha1/timestamp SHA-1 and SHA-256 seems to be the difference, and for me the SHA-256 link did not work. ... View more

Nevertheless they ought to know how to perform tests on computers equipped with their own minimum requirements. I've got an older computer, but with SSD, and I tend to start Photoshop CS5 more often than CC, since CC is so much slower to start, than CS5 (and also this case with the refocusing Adobe "nag screen"). My best guess is that the Adobe developers look more at program structure and modularity, than usability and speed.  Please make the program code run faster, not slower! ... View more

It's not what you expect from a professional piece of software. ... View more

Are you making progress with this annoying issue? Have you been able to repeat the problem, or do you need more information? ... View more

Hi, Here my settings: I believe those are the defaults. I changed them all (switched to "Scaling percentage" and unchecked all of the transform options), but there was no difference when repeating the stroke width test as described above. Robs script however resets the stroke gradient, so that it looks the same as when I select another swatch and back to the gradient. Shouldn't InDesign do that "reset" when you change stroke width..? Best regards, Andreas ... View more

>How is your definition of the preferences with scaling? >And what options are checked with your Transformation panel for strokes? I'm not sure what panels these are, that you are asking for. You will have to guide me (screen shots or where I should look for them). I did no other changes than the steps I described above. Stroke width was what made this appear... ... View more

I just expected circles and lines from the swatch. My concern was that the applied look in the document was changing (or rather reset) when I just opened the properties of the swatch and unchecked / checked the preview checkbox. The same thing happens when applying another swatch (stroke or fill) and then returning to the previous one. I think it all boils down to properties being reset. Stroke width (changed after applying the swatch for the first time) was causing this mystery for me. ... View more

Great answer! Good to know that this was not a trivial thing. Starting from scratch when experimenting with new looks was a good idea. I just discovered what I probably did change to my circles after applying the swatch to them: the stroke width. I could repeat the behaviour from scratch now: I applied the gradient swatch to a circle with a thin stroke (e.g. 1 mm) I changed the stroke width to 10 mm Entering the properties of the swatch and unchecking/checking the preview, I see the effect that I've been asking about. So the stroke width is somehow also affecting the appearance of the gradient. Perhaps it's affecting one of the three properties that you wrote about Uwe, otherwise its another parameter to take into account, adding to the complexity. Anyway it's nice to know what it that was causing this effect, and also to learn more about the gradient swatches, which I've never used before. Uwe: your edited answer made much more sense to me, since that was what I thought I saw happening. ... View more

Well, the effect that I'm asking about seems to be the same in the downloaded "fill" example. The "origin" of the lines or circles changes when I select an object and enter the properties of the applied gradient swatch (and just turn on preview). On the external sample I just noticed that the changes made to the fills must be that they have manually set origins and "lengths" (I don't know the correct terms) for the gradients. Using the gradient tool I can restore the looks of the original fill that was obviously reset when I reapplied the swatch (or just watched the looks of it being reapplied using the preview option). I never used the gradient tool on my own circles though, so there it must be some other change that I've made that has affected the origin or range of the gradient stroke. ... View more

How can I see what has been altered, or if there is a change at all? On style there are "+" characters that indicate overridden attributes. Can I detect a similar thing on my circles? You can observe the same thing as my example in this sample: Tips & Techniques: Create stripes in InDesign (download the sample file from the link in the text). Just open the file, select the right rectancle, and you will see that the swatch "Stripes radial" will get selected in the Swatches palette. Right click it and select "Swatch options". (Uncheck and) check the "Preview" box, and the circles will change in the rectangle. I appreciate your answers, both Rob and Willi, but there must be something I don't understand. ... View more

Checking the "Simulate Overprint" made it come out right! Could you explain why the right and left sides of the circles were cut when using a gradient swatch (built from swatches of Process type, CMYK mode)? ... View more