SHIFT & OPTION KEYS NOT WORKING

[e_bannister@adobeforums.com]

I have now reinstalled my sysem software, reinstalled CS, tried a different keyboard, fixed privileges with disk first aid, created a new user account with administrator priviledges, trouble shot fonts, threw away prefs, removed color profiles, ran Norton Disk Doctor.....and stil my 'option' and 'shift' keys randomly quit woking in Illustrator and Photoshop CS. I have looked through postings, and I see that I'm not the only one with this problem.

CAN ANYONE HELP ME?

[Michael_Gianino@adobeforums.com]

You don't say whether they work with other programs, or if it is just an Illustrator/Photoshop problem. Maybe you need a new keyboard.

[e_bannister@adobeforums.com]

I noted that the problem was occurring in Ilustrator and Photoshop (only) and that I had already tried other keyboards.

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

What is it you're trying to do with the shift and option keys, and what happens when you use them? I.e., are you finding they simply have no effect on your keyboard commands and shortcuts? Or do they not function when typing text? Both? Do they cause unexpected actions, or simply do nothing? When pressing the key, does the cursor change but nothing happens, or does the cursor not even indicate the key has been pressed?

[e_bannister@adobeforums.com]

The shift and option keys constrain movement angles, constrain scaling, and copy objects. They are "command" keys. They function in every other way. When the commands aren't working nothing happens. The cursor does not change. The keys work after restart, but arbitrarily stop.

[jonf@adobeforums.com]

After posting I saw the other active thread on the subject, and guess that describes your problem too. Keep an eye on that thread in case anyone comes up with a solution, since they might not post it twice. And if someone posts the solution here (good luck!) be kind and post a link to this thread in the other one.

I can't duplicate this problem so I have no good help to offer.

Just to help clarify, though ... when you say "They function in every other way" do you mean that the shift and option keys work properly when you use them for text in AI and PS? If you type a letter with the shift key held down you get a capital? With the option, do you get the correct alternate character? (å?ç etc.) I.e., does this only affect your key commands, or is the option and shift key universally disabled?

[e_bannister@adobeforums.com]

The keys do operate properly with text. Only their 'command' functions cease to work. Thank you for your time on this.

[Dee Holmes]

Monitor profiles can also be corrupt.

Are you creating a new user account everytime it gets corrupt?

[Kevin_Perera@adobeforums.com]

This used to happen to me all the time with Illy 10. Are you on a corporate network? We found that pressing cmd-K in the finder (the command for connecting to other servers) would make all those commands in illustrator inactive until restart. This hasn't happened to me at all since CS though.

[Larry_G._Schneider@adobeforums.com]

Yes, there is a problem with SMB networks which will cause the problems you are describing as well as with the Keychain app in MacOS. Try looking for some solutions from about six months ago.

Larry

[e_bannister@adobeforums.com]

I am on a coporate network, but have never used cmd-K. This never happened to me with 9 or 10. I'll try searching through old postings. Thanks.

[Mark_Douma@adobeforums.com]

Yeah, as Larry mentioned, this is a rather old Jaguar bug. I don't recall if it was ever fixed within Jaguar at all or not. I'd look to around a year or 9 months ago or so. If those posts are still around.

[David_McGaw@adobeforums.com]

I am having the same problem.

I am ALSO having this problem with Illustrator. (See the thread titled "Zoom in Zoom out Shortcut Keys".)

I had a brief moment of success after:
1. Downloading the 10.3.3 Combined Updater from Apple, and installing it.
2. Fixing permissions.
3. Deleting caches, forcing prebinding, running cron scripts, etc., with Cocktail.

Now, several days later (the next time I needed to use Illustrator/Photoshop), the shift & option shortcuts are no longer working again.

Other posters have suggested that connecting to servers with CMD-K triggers the problem; however, I don't use that feature (my servers connect automatically when the Finder starts up, accessing passwords through Keychain--though that's likely where the problem is happening).

Adobe has posted an answer here: <http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2ec96.htm>

[jimbofett]

I'm having the exact same problem in Illustrator CS5 (which I only installed three weeks ago). None of the modifier keys work when dragging an object to constrain it on the axis or constrain proportions or to enlarge from centerpoint.

Anyone find out a definitive fix for this issue?

[Unregistered]

For whatever reason, quitting Firefox fixes this problem for me.

[Unregistered]

Had the same problem after I recently installed Google Chrome. Immediately after quitting Chrome and reopening Illustrator, the problem was fixed. Having Outlook open while using Illustrator doesn't interfere with this function.

[Unregistered]

I was having the same issue with the shift and option keys in Illustrator CS5 and i read the solution of closing Firefox and thought it was silly, but it actually worked, i keep Firefox closed when working in Illustrator and haven't had the problem since.

[Unregistered]

For whatever reason, quitting Firefox fixes this problem for me.

Same thing over here. I can't duplicate by option + click & drag, or scale by holding down the shift key until I quit Firefox. I'm on a relatively new iMac, OSX, 10.6.5 using creative suite CS5. What a weird glitch.

[Unregistered]

I googled this problem looking for a solution and after reading through the threads I saw the quitting Firefox fixed the issue. Anyone know why Firefox causes this?

Thanks!!

[Unregistered]

For whatever reason, quitting Firefox fixes this problem for me.

Quitting Firefox worked for me too! Weird.