Menu Malfunction - Unable to access Preferences

#1

For some reason my Sketchup (2020 Pro) has stopped functioning properly. I get an error message upon startup stating “**One or more preferred File Location Paths are invalid. Please correct this by going to SketchUp’s Preferences > Files and specify a valid path for any item shown in red.”

However, when I select Preferences the top menu goes grey, but nothing else happens. No matter what I do or click on, I only get the default error sound. The only thing I can do is press escape to get out of the command. I does the same when I try to make an object into a component. Without components, the program is basically useless to me. I have checked behind all windows in case the dialog box was hiding behind something, but that was not the case.

I uninstalled SketchUp, restarted my computer and reinstalled Sketchup. I have uninstalled all of my extensions, uninstalled restarted, reinstalled…the list goes on.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated…

#2

Activate preferences then
alt space together followed by m then any arrow and move the mouse until the window comes into view.
When you have it reset the workspace also.

#3

You may have just saved my computer (and my fist). Thank you so much for your quick response. That worked perfectly.

I am most grateful.

#4

You’re welcome, it’s a frustrating one until you know how to fix it.

#5

Indeed. I am very curious as to how you figured it out…But once again, many thanks!

#6

Just like you I learnt it from someone else.

1 Like
#7

… “standing upon the shoulders of giants.”

1 Like
#8

From the Excellent Sage Page

First, you want to give the browser focus, so you should select that browser from the Window menu, even if it already has a plus next to it (if it does, click it twice so it ends up with a plus and is the last thing selected. It should then have focus, even though you can’t see it.

Then, you want to open its system menu using the keystroke Alt-Spacebar, then put it in Move mode by hitting M. At that point you should be able to scoot it around with the arrow keys. What you can do is to hit any arrow key once and then move your mouse back and forth, up and down, without pressing any mouse buttons. If all goes well, you should see the missing browser moving around with the mouse. Once the thing is back on-screen, click the left mouse button or hit Enter, and you should have it back.

Then proceed to the next missing window, and so on.

[ Gully Foyle ]