Hi,

I am using Windows XP and Illustrator CS2.

I just recently installed Illy on my new laptop, but I have a problem with changing type character (fonts).

I can add text to my document. It will appear in some default font (Myriad?) but the dropdown that normally would tell me what font the text is in shows blank.

If I click the drop button on the dropdown (the little down arrow button on the right side of the dropdown) NOTHING happens. (Well besides selecting the text in the dropdown.)

If I type into the dropdown I get font names match-completing what I am typing but if I have text selected as I do this the text remains in the font it started in.

If I open the Type>Character window then the Character (Font) dropdown there acts exactly the same as the other one.

I can not change the font of text.

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Illy with no luck.

What can I do? Please help!

Glen,

This seems to be a preference file gone awry. Probably the fastest way to deal with it is to Move the folder <http://www.bugge.com/Family-and-friends/Illy/illy.html>

Jacob, I appreciate your willingness to help, but I tried moving (or deleting) the folder (which for me was at C:\Documents and Settings\ghbarratt\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CS2 Settings\)... I then start Illy and I have the same problem.

Here are a couple of other things I have tried which did not work:

I went to my fonts folder in windows and deleted many fonts (thinking that it might be a corrupted font). I was left with only a few very basic fonts that come with Windows.

I removed ALL Adobe applications/software (even including the flash plugin) and then went into my registry and deleted any values that referenced anything Adobe. I reset the computer and then reinstalled Illustrator.

.... I have had no luck and I am now at the point where I am going to reformat my hard drive and install Illy on a fresh installation of XP.

If that doesn't work then I will know that it is my installation/CD that is bad (but there never seems to be any indication of this when installing from it). I have been installing from a copy of the original so hopefully the original is still in good condition, if the copy proves to be bad.

Glen,

There may one or a few things more to try before the final recall.

It may be worth trying to search and destroy all files with the name AdobeFnt*.lst.

I hope someone else has a suggestion or two.

Someone else?

It seems that you arethe only one with any ideas. This is a very strange problem I am having ... I scoured the internet for some mention of the same problem with no luck. It is probably a problem that very few people have ever seen. I am lucky that I was able to get any suggestions (so thanks).

I have already reformatted my hard drive. I keep things on my computer in a fashion that makes reformatting my system (and program files) partition as easy as possible. It only took a few hours to get everything up again ... I used the same installation files as last time and guess what. I STILL GET THE PROBLEM. ... Okay so now I know to never use those installation files / CD.

I am going to try installing using the original CD(s). Wish me luck.

Well the original CDs worked!

.... and I did not have to reformat my hard drive. I do not know why I did not try that before reformatting, but oh well I am just relieved that it is working finally. I am trashing my corrupt copy and making fresh copies of the originals.