Dimension Style Manager Windows Not Showing in AC 2009

This is something I'm not familiar with. A new user was given an old copy of AutoCAD 2009. He started using it and the IT guys tell me they didn't do anything other than install it. But when he clicks on the Format menu from the menu bar and selects Dimension Style, the Dimension Style Manager window does not appear. Instead he gets a small window with a few choices and you can roll your mouse over it. Sorry, I don't recall the choices but what we're really looking for is why doesn't the Dimension Style Manager window appear?

Sounds like nothing I've ever seen before... can you post a screenshot.

Is there an arrow to expand the dialog box?

Instead he gets a small window with a few choices and you can roll your mouse over it. Sorry, I don't recall the choices but what we're really looking for is why doesn't the Dimension Style Manager window appear?

Your first clue is in that small window. AutoCAD is trying to tell you something.

Did you suggest a REPAIR of the installation?

Thanks. I apologize for the ambiguity, but this gentleman works on a different LAN segment in a different location so I wasn't able to ascertain much. When he arrives this morning I'll get a screen shot. And ReMark, yes, a re-initialization was the first thing I suggested but the user and the guys in IT said NFW.

I find that response by IT to be baffling. A REPAIR of the install is nowhere near as disruptive as a total uninstall/reinstall. Of the three options Repair, Reinstall, Uninstall/Reinstall it is probably the easiest and quickest thing one can do. That's the reason I don't let IT have anything to do with AutoCAD on my system or the other three computers running AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD Electrical.

AC2009 was pretty buggy, have all of the updates and service packs been installed?

AC2009 was pretty buggy, have all of the updates and service packs been installed?

.

I find that response by IT to be baffling. A REPAIR of the install is nowhere near as disruptive as a total uninstall/reinstall. Of the three options Repair, Reinstall, Uninstall/Reinstall it is probably the easiest and quickest thing one can do. That's the reason I don't let IT have anything to do with AutoCAD on my system or the other three computers running AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT and AutoCAD Electrical.

I think we're talking about the same thing...in AutoCAD 2013 I think they started adding the option in the start menu to reset settings to default. This re-initializes everything and makes it appear as if a brand new user logged in and started AutoCAD. It's clean up things for me in the past. But here at this corp office, I don't get to set policy. I may be the person they all come to for help but I'm limited on what I can do when it comes to tweaking systems...and IT does have its reasons for this.

Yes, IT has their reasons. They don't want the likes of you running rogue through the office! Just kidding you Bill.

I do not think the Reset Settings option is the same as a Repair of the installation. Maybe I'm mistaken?

That's the thing about working as a developer...you get grouped in with IT like it or not. IT is super paranoid these days. And rightly so, their jobs depend on it. As a developer you have to get used to these kinds of things.

Finally got to get back to this one. The attached screen shot shows what happens when we use this guy's profile and try to view the Dimension Style Manager. When logged in as a different user, this does not happen. Instead I get the Dimension Style Manager dialog that I expect. Now, here's the trouble. This guy is in another location and he has customization out the wazoo so doing a re-initialization is going to make for some very unhappy people. True, we can back up his profile and then try it but I'm afraid if we put back what he's customized we will just recreate this same issue. I asked him about the customization and he's clueless. Has absolutely no idea of what's been added to this machine over it's life, etc...so we have to proceed slowly. That said, can anyone tell me what environment setting would do this in AC 2009 vanilla and most important, can I set it back to the other setting which will show the standard Dimension Style Manager window without undoing all his custom settings?

That is what you get when you use -DIMSTYLE (Hyphen in front) to suppress the Dialog box, so what ever command is being used to call up the Dimension Style Manager is using the one to suppress the dialog box.

Okay, that makes sense. This menu appears when I select Format>Dimension Style from the menu at the top of his screen. So that means someone, or this guy, either customized his menu or perhaps there is a global setting that turns off dialog boxes. They are so busy over there the IT guy and I only get a shot at this about once a week, and then for only about 10 minutes before we have to turn it back over to him. He is unaware of any customization that was done, (famous last words for a CAD manager) but obviously something has been done. And resetting everything to default will most likely write over years of customizing so we're going to create a new user and let him work it that way. If all goes well then we can start trying to resolve this issue. But there are too many customization over there for us to blindly reset everything to default.

Thanks.

AFAIK no global setting would cause that.

Okay, that makes sense. This menu appears when I select Format>Dimension Style from the menu at the top of his screen. So that means someone, or this guy, either customized his menu or perhaps there is a global setting that turns off dialog boxes. They are so busy over there the IT guy and I only get a shot at this about once a week, and then for only about 10 minutes before we have to turn it back over to him. He is unaware of any customization that was done, (famous last words for a CAD manager) but obviously something has been done. And resetting everything to default will most likely write over years of customizing so we're going to create a new user and let him work it that way. If all goes well then we can start trying to resolve this issue. But there are too many customization over there for us to blindly reset everything to default.

 

Thanks.

Yeah Bill, it sounds like the MACRO has been changed for the button.

When I use the FORMAT > DIMSTYLE approach, I get the dialog box.

Sounds like somebody (perhaps mistakenly) changed the default/desired (dialog display shown) definition of "_dimstyle" to "-dimstyle",

and that if you changed that back in the cui that you would be back on the tracks.