FH 10 won't launch new doent - Macromedia Freehand

[chadvirus]

Recently, I tried to copy and paste a small group of objects from an exisiting
doent to a new doent. However, before I could paste the objects into the
new doent, the application crashed.

Now I can't create any new blank doents (using file>new or command N). I've
tried numerous uninstalls/installs and trashing prefs, but to now avail. Any
thoughts? Without being able to create new doents, the program is pretty
much inoperable aside from opening and editing existing doents and upgrading
to MX isn't an option.

I'm running Freehand 10.0.1 on a Mac OS 10.3.4.

[Dritalei]

Hi ChadV,
I'm on XP platform and this may not be usable to you on a mac but....

Have you checked the directory where the default new doent (defaults.ft10
on pc, no file extention on mac) is located? This maybe damaged, renamed or non
excisting?
Path on a PC to default doc is
C:\Programfiles\Macromedia\FreeHand 10\English

You have deleted prefs, installed again..... mmh.... strange .....
Take a Copy of the Defaults doc from another computer and paste in the
\English directory and see if that works.

Allway keep a backup of your prefs file for later when things like this occur.

Good luck
Bjorn

[chadvirus]

thanks,
i did try replacing the default doents (English/Defaults Ltr and Defaults
A4), but that didn't seem to work either. i actually do have a backup copy,
which i'll try, however it almost seems like it is some problem with a script
(perhaps in the system) which won't allow me to create new files.

i'll see if the backup resolves anything, but i'm not holding my breath.

[Judy Arndt]

The crash may have damaged some of your Mac OS X permissions files. Using
Disk Utility, repair permissions. That might fix it.

Judy Arndt
--
FHMX 11.0.2 (Build 92)
Mac G4, OS 10.3.4

chadvirus wrote:

> i did try replacing the default doents (English/Defaults Ltr and Defaults
> A4), but that didn't seem to work either. i actually do have a backup copy,
> which i'll try, however it almost seems like it is some problem with a script
> (perhaps in the system) which won't allow me to create new files.

[chadvirus]

backup didn't help either. i've attached the crash log of what happened right before it stopped working, if that helps anyone. any assistance would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

[chadvirus]

Thanks Judy. Unfortunately no luck with repairing permissions. Still won't launch a new file. Any other suggestions?

[Judy Arndt]

Reinstalling doesn't always clear up problems. When I reinstall FHMX, none
of the files in the Settings folder are overwritten. Therefore, to get a
clean reinstall, you must first manually remove the settings files. Make
sure to back up any customized files (templates, symbols, hoses etc.) you
want to keep.

Here's the chain of command for launching a new doc. Check to see if
everything is working.

1. The location of the new doent template is set in Preferences. Make
sure you have prefs pointing to the right template, and make sure the
template can be found. Can you open it using the Open command? If not, the
template may have become corrupted.

2. If you're using keyboard shortcut Cmd-N, for New doent, then make sure
the shortcut is assigned to File > New.

3. Default New doc templates are in the Settings folder. If you have more
than one Settings folder FH might be looking in the wrong place for a
template. In FHMX, this is the path to Settings -- not sure what it is for
FH 10.
Users/(YourUsername)/Library/Application Support/ Macromedia/ FreeHand MX/
11/ English/ Settings

Hope something here helps.

Judy Arndt

chadvirus wrote:

> Thanks Judy. Unfortunately no luck with repairing permissions. Still won't
> launch a new file. Any other suggestions?

[Judy Arndt]

Here's your crash culprit!
---- from crash log -----
0xc0000000 - 0xc000efff com.unsanity.ape 1.4.1
/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationEnhancer.framework/Versions/A/ApplicationEnha
ncer
---------------

Do you have FontCard or another Unsanity utility installed? The crash was
caused by (no surprise here) ApplicationEnhancer. What a troublesome piece
of junk! It crashed my system too until I banished it -- utterly and
completely.

File attachments aren't posted to the newsgroup server, where I read this
forum, so I hadn't looked at your crash log before.

Judy Arndt

[chadvirus]

Reinstalling doesn't always clear up problems. When I reinstall FHMX, none
of the files in the Settings folder are overwritten. Therefore, to get a
clean reinstall, you must first manually remove the settings files. Make
sure to back up any customized files (templates, symbols, hoses etc.) you
want to keep.

Did that...also ran uninstall before install and it didn't work.


1. The location of the new doent template is set in Preferences. Make
sure you have prefs pointing to the right template, and make sure the
template can be found. Can you open it using the Open command? If not, the
template may have become corrupted.

It is correct, in fact, I'm using an alias of the template now to create new
doents.

2. If you're using keyboard shortcut Cmd-N, for New doent, then make sure
the shortcut is assigned to File > New.


Check. It doesn't open when using the menu either.

3. Default New doc templates are in the Settings folder. If you have more
than one Settings folder FH might be looking in the wrong place for a
template. In FHMX, this is the path to Settings -- not sure what it is for
FH 10.
Users/(YourUsername)/Library/Application Support/ Macromedia/ FreeHand MX/
11/ English/ Settings

The default new doc templates are in the English folder when installed:
Applications/ Macromedia/ FreeHand 10/ English/

I tried moving them to the settings folder, but that yielded nothing as well
:-(
This is quite aggravating...I'll just have to click on the Default template to
create new files from now on, I guess.

[Judy Arndt]

This problem crops up on the forum from time to time, so you're not alone. I
used Google Groups Advanced Search and came up with this post in this
thread:

[url]http://tinyurl.com/6rhq4[/url]

---------- quote -------
From: ballookey (webforumsusermacromedia.com)
Subject: Re: no new pages
Newsgroups: macromedia.freehand
Date: 2004-02-20 14:11:35 PST
A co-worker had the EXACT same problem and we tracked it down to him having
activated either a corrupt font in Suitcase, or too many fonts in Suitcase.

If you're running Suitcase in the background and you're having the new
doent problem, I recommend quitting Suitcase, then launching FreeHand and
trying New>Doent again. If it works, try narrowing down the troublesome
font in Suitcase.
--------------------


Judy Arndt


chadvirus wrote:

> I tried moving them to the settings folder, but that yielded nothing as well
> :-(
> This is quite aggravating...I'll just have to click on the Default template to
> create new files from now on, I guess.
>

[chadvirus]

Thanks again, Judy.
I'm not running Suitcase anymore but, come to think of it, I was having
problems with Font Reserve right after that happened (it wouldn't
launch)...That coupled with your detective work about FontCard causing the
crash probably means it was font related. I'll look into it.

[amorphic8]

I have never used my Freehand 10 for the same reason. My files could not have
'become corrupted' because it never worked in the first place.

I tried installing on three different OS X Panther machines and I have still
NEVER been able to make a new doent with Freehand 10.

I am not using any of the conflicting programs mentioned above ... just the
standard Mac Font Book, never used Application Enhancer.

I can open the Defaults Ltr doent in:
Applications/Macromedia Freehanad 10/English
directory. But I have tried setting the Preferences>New Doent template to
this location, and it still doesn't work when choosing File>New, using Cmd+N or
clicking the new doent icon in the toolbar. I have even tried copying the
Defaults Ltr and Defaults A4 doents to the Settings folder, but still no
good. Even after browsing to set the New Doent template to:
Applications/Macromedia FreeHand 10/English/Settings/Default Ltr

Again, I am working with Freehand 10 which came with the original Studio MX
(not 2004).

This is very frustrating and a bit disappointing to know that it is still
happening to users of the newest version of FreeHand.