Expert: Paul Jordan - 12/16/2008

Question
QUESTION: We're using AutoCAD MEP 09 here in the office.  I've seen the questions regarding "paper space" turning white, but can't find anything on model space turning white.  When one of the guys here goes to copy text in model space, it turns the entire drawing to white.  He closes it and when he opens it back up, it's fine.  Any ideas?

Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Samantha,

Let me throw a few questions out to figure out what's going on here.  Is the guy that's having the problem using something completely different than everyone else (i.e. Vista 64 bit, windows XP SP1)?  Does this happen on anyone elses computer?  Can you take his drawing and open it on your computer and make the same thing happen?

If we can narrow it down to one machine, that would tell us something is definitely different about his setup.  If we can make it happen on all the machines (whether they're the same config or different) then we can look for answers in the software side of things.

You might, in the mean time, take a look over at discussion.autodesk.com under the 2009 MEP section for further answers.  Another place would be on the AUGI forums.

Try to narrow it down first and make sure it's not just a setting on his machine.

Keep me posted, always good to know more about bugs.

Paul

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: He is running a 64 bit machine, which is the same as everyone else's, he seems to be the only one having the issue though.  I've looked on CAD Digest, Cadalyst, CAD Corner, AUGI, and Disscusion groups from Autodesk.  Only one person on the Autodesk Disscusion groups has had the same problem but here was no answer.

Thanks,
Sam

Answer
OK Samantha,

As an application engineer, I always hate to recommend this because it always seems like the easy way out but, sometimes it's easier to do a clean re-install than to try to chase a bug.  You've got other machines using the same software with the exact same setup.  It's either a bug on the disk you used (unless you used a network install which would kill that idea) or a bug on the computer, being hardware or something the user has switched (could be something as simple as a different kind of mouse).  

I'd recommend doing the best uninstall you can think of, rebooting after you do it, maybe run a registry cleaner on the computer, virus check the heck out of it.  Basically, see if you can take it back to a shiney new computer... THEN do a new install.  

If you take this to your local reseller and talk to their tech support folks, they're going to tell you to do the same thing.  Then, if it doesn't work out, they'll have to escalate it up the chain to the Autodesk folks and a lot of head scratching will go on while they tell you to reinstall, clean the machine, and paint the walls of your office a nice shade of blue.  Chances are, if you haven't found it in all the places you've looked (good job on that BTW), they're not going to have any super secret answers either.  

If you haven't been able to replicate the error on your own machine or any of the other machines in the office, the finger gets pointed at his machine or something to do with the disk you used to install the software.  Even if you used a network install, it could have burped and hiccuped, causing something to go awry.

Sorry I couldn't be of any more help.

Paul