Some answers: The dreaded Internal Error error meets the dreaded Adobe support, sigh

[Emily Berk]

Hey, Diane:

Thanks for being in touch.  Please see my answers embedded below.

At 11:04 AM 1/11/2008, Diane Gaskill wrote:
>...
>
>Exactly how are you creating the PDF file?  Are you printing to PS and
>distilling, using Save As PDF, or what?

I started by printing to PS.  But after I'd gotten the Internal Error several times, I did try to Save As PDF.  Regardless of the technique, the result was consistently Internal Error.

>Exactly where in the process does FM crash?

It processes through some of the files, but only shows the page numbers, not the files it is processing.  And, it crashes pretty soon after it starts.

>Are you attempting to print the entire book or just one file?

The first time it happened, I was trying to PDF just one file.  I subsequently tried to PDF a different file.  Then, I tried to PDF the whole book.  Then I tried to PDF a different book, one that I knew had been created as a PDF successfully the last time I accessed it.  Then I tried to PDF a Word doc (from Word).  This last attempt to create a PDF was the only one that worked.

>What version of Acrobat do you have installed on your system?
7.0.7

>Did you install Acrobat after you installed FM (I hope)?
Yes, LONG ago.

>If you are printing from FM to PS and distilling, what printer driver are
>you using?
It says Adobe PDF in the Set Printer Name box.  Is that what you are asking?  If not, please tell me how to find the answer to this question.

>Does FM crash on only one book or on all FM files?  How about a brand new
>file from scratch?
I'll try this.

>I assume that at one point, the files were printing normally.
Yes, for at least 2 years now.

>Can you think of anything you did that changed the system configuration since that time?
Nothing changed in terms of system configuration that I know of.  It looks to me as if whenever FrameMaker loads, it looks at the Adobe site for updates, so it's possible that the system configuration did change, but not at my instigation.

>Installed or deleted another program, etc?
Nope.

>Without knowing any of this information, here are some possible solutions,
>from simple to complex.
>
>1. Reboot your system.  A full memory can cause all kinds of problems.
I tried this.  It made no difference.

>2. Wash the files through MIF (Save all of the files, including the book
>file, to MIF.  Delete the FM and book files.  Open the MIF files and save
>them to FM.)
Will try this.

>3. Try to PDF one file at a time.  The problem could be caused by one file
>in the book and not all of them.
I will try this.

>4. Create a brand new file in FM and enter some text manually. No graphics.
>Try to print it to PDF and see what happens.
I will try this.

>5. Reinstall FM, but do not install the distiller from the FM disk.
Dreading this, but I will try this.

>If none of this works, send me the offending files and I'll see if I can
>find the problem.
Not sure I can do that.  Tech doc on unreleased product; but I very much appreciate the offer!

>Hope this helps.
>
>Diane
>
>PS.  Hey, what's with this "old" stuff?  I have 7 grandkids and I am have a
>few years behind me, but I will never be "old."
This week in particular, I am feeling OLD.


Emily Berk
http://www.armadillosoft.com/blog