Cmd-N fails to open a new window

[amayze]

In very specific circumstances and on only one of my machines Cmd-N does not open a new window.

Steps to reproduce:
- Launch NeoOffice, a new writer document opens
- Create a second Writer document with Cmd-N
- Minimise the new document using the yellow titlebar button
- Close the first window with Cmd-W
- Type Cmd-N
- Nothing happens
- Looking at the File::New menu shows no keyboard shortcut.

However the following steps work.

- Launch NeoOffice, a new writer document opens
- Close this document with Cmd-W
- Create a new spreadsheet using File::New::Spreadsheet
- Create a second spreadsheet document with Cmd-N
- Minimise the new document using the yellow titlebar button
- Close the first window with Cmd-W
- Type Cmd-N
- A new spreadsheet opens
- Looking at the File::New menu shows Cmd-N next to Spreadsheet

Things I have done to resolve/research the problem.

1. Created a new user

In a new user account NeoOffice behaves as expected with Cmd-N appearing next to Text Document in the File::New menu when the front most document is a writer document.

2. Deleted user preferences.

In my main account I have moved the NeoOffice-3.0 folder out of ~/Library/Preferences to the desktop while NeoOffice was not running. When next launching NeoOffice a new NeoOffice-3.0 folder is created. However the problem still persists.

3. Changed the setting of "Enable access for assistive devices"

This setting in Apple's System Preferences::Universal Access pane seems to have no effect on the problem.

4. Changed the system language.

As my old Preferences folder contains folder pertaining to en-US and en-GB I tried changing the system language to English from British English, trashing the preferences and re-launch NeoOffice, sadly to no avail.

What next?

Have I missed some other NeoOffice settings file?
My old settings folder contains files such as the one attached (from ~/Library/Preferences/NeoOffice-3.0/User/config/soffice.cfg/global/accelerator/en-GB, but no such files exist in the newly create NeoOffice-3.0 folder.

Are there any other sensible trouble shooting steps I can take?

Thanks.

Andy

[pluby]

I appreciate your list of all of the detailed troubleshooting steps that you did. That helps narrow down the possible causes significantly.

Since this problem only occurs for one user, but not a new user, on your machine and disabling Universal Access has no effect, can you tell us if there is a NeoOffice-2.2 folder in your ~/Library/Preferences folder? I ask this because when you deleted your NeoOffice-3.0 folder, any user preferences will be imported from your NeoOffice-2.2 folder if it exists.

If a NeoOffice-2.2 folder exists, can you quit NeoOffice, move both the NeoOffice-2.2 and NeoOffice-3.0 folders out of the ~/Library/Preferences folder, and relaunch NeoOffice?

Patrick

[amayze]

Yes there was a NeoOffice-2.2 folder there. I moved them both and re-started. The problem persists.

I attach (this time) one of the files I meant to attach before, it would appear to have come accross from NeoOffice 2.2, but is maybe a red herring as even without these files in the new preferences folder the problem remains.

My next thought is that it is a conflict with a login item. However when I deleted com.apple.loginitems.plist and ....plist.lockfile and log out and in again all the same login items launched. I'll try deleting them manually from the System Preferences app and try again.

Andy

[pluby]

[amayze]

That's got it!! Thanks!

- Deleted all the org.neooffice.* files in ~/Library/Preferences
- Moved out the NeoOffice-3.0 folder from the same places
- Started NeoOffice.
- Cmd-N now works in the situation described above and the shortcut appears next to Text Document in File::New when appropriate.

Then I:

- Quit NeoOffice
- Moved back the original NeoOffice-3.0 folder.
- Launched NeoOffice
- Cmd-N still works as expected.

A very odd problem. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction to fix it.

I've attached the two .plist files in case there is anything in them that is helpful to you, Patrick.

Thanks again.

Andy

[pluby]

[pluby]

FYI. I think that I have fixed the empty menubar bug when the iMediaBrowser window is open in the following test patch:

Intel:
http://sally.neooffice.org/test/NeoOffice-3.3_Beta_2-Patch-0-Test-12-Intel.dmg

Patrick

[amayze]

I've installed NeoOffice 3.3 Beta 2 Patch 0 Test 12.

I've worked out the problem I was having with Cmd-N.

At some point in the past I had set up Cmd-Opt-1 as a Shortcut for "Text Document" in NeoOffice using System Preferences:: Keyboard::Keyboard Shortcuts::Application Shortcuts. This allowed me to open a new document when only the NeoOffice menu was showing, but I'd pretty much forgotten about it.

In the course of troubling shooting I did check the above preference and there was no reference to NeoOffice in that window. I've upgraded the OS at least once if not twice or three times since I set that preference (ie from OS X 10.6 at least, but possibly 10.5 or 10.4), so maybe the OS has lost track of it.

It was only when I glanced through the org.neoffice.NeoOffice.plist file that I noticed this entry:

[pluby]

[sardisson]

[pluby]

[amayze]

It wasn't just me that had forgotten! It seems that part of The OS had too, but not all of it.

What added to the confusion is that as well as not allowing more than one shortcut for a menu item OS X only seems to display the shortcut next to the first match. So any shortcuts for creating new documents show up only under NeoOffice::New and not File::New.

You live and learn!

Andy

[sardisson]