Discussion:
Shift Key problem
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k***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-01 10:33:43 UTC
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InDesign 2.0
Win XP Pro SP2

None of the functions associated with using the Shift Key work.
Autoflow displays the correct icon but doesn't drop and flow the text.
Unable to select multiple items as in selecting all .idd's in a book to export.

I'd appreciate some advice.
Ken.
P***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-01 10:46:02 UTC
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Try replacing your preferences. Fast way which causes you to lose any customizations if it turns out not to be the problem is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift , and while holding the keys down launch InDesign from the start menu or by right-clicking a desktop shortcut and selecting open (it won't work if you you hold the keys down before double-clicking a shortcut, but you can press them IMMEDIATELY after launching InDesign) and saying yes to the dialog asking if you want to delete your preferences. If you don't see the dialog, you weren't fast enough with the keyboard or you didn't hold the keys down long enough.

My preferred method, which saves your old prefs in case you want them back, is to close ID, open Explorer and make sure you are set to show hidden and system files, then navigate to (for CS and CS2) C:\Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version [no.] and rename the two preference files: InDesign Defaults and InDesign SavedData. In CS3 the SavedData file has been moved to \Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version 5.0\Caches. The preferences will be replaced with a fresh set of factory defaults when you relaunch ID, but if that doesn't solve your problem you can always go back to explorer and throw out the new set and name the old ones back again, restoring any customizations. If new prefs solve your problem you should delete the renamed files.

It's a good idea to also export any custom document and printer presets from the appropriate Preset > Define dialog prior to doing a preference replacement. Then you can just go back to the dialog and select load and you won't have to recreate all those wonderful things you've made and saved, and that will be wiped out with the old prefs files.

Once you have a customized set of preferences which work, make a copy and store it somewhere on your system for easy retrieval and you can simply replace the two files with your good copies when things get funny.
k***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-01 11:04:14 UTC
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Many thanks Peter for the qucik response.

Ken.
P***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-01 20:34:19 UTC
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Did it work?
k***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-02 07:30:10 UTC
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It sure did thank you.
The problem arose a couple of months ago. I don't know what caused and I just carried on working around it although that was a pain in the proverbial!

Ken.
S***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-06 18:13:33 UTC
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WOW! Thank you for this timely thread... this also happened to me a short while ago and I fixed it SOMEHOW... but when it happened today... I COULD NOT figure it out... and am under tight deadlines... so thanks to GOOGLE... I found your thread... and it WORKED GREAT...

(btw... the way it happened to me is by accidentally holding the shift key (or was it the CTRL key?) down for more than 5 seconds or so... a dialog box pops up telling you doing that has just done something... but being in a rush I just closed it and then found ALL my normal shortcut keys now either didn't work or did something TOTALLY different... BUMMER...

So thanks for the QUICK FIX!

Shelby :-)
eternally grateful for forums and google!
k***@adobeforums.com
2007-09-06 18:44:44 UTC
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Shelby now that you mention I had that problem holding the Shift key down.
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