MEP 2009 CUI problem - Menu fatal error: Element was not closed

[neil.wylde]

Installed MEP 2009 early last week.
Set it all up the way i wanted it and used it for several days that way.

This morning, when MEP loads i get almost a blank screen with no toolbars, no ribbon, nothing...

Hit F2 and see this from the startup:

Menu fatal error: Element was not closed.

Menu file: C:\Users\nwylde\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ACD-MEP
2009\enu\Support\MEP.cui


If i type CUI i get into the customize user interface but cannot load ANY cui file.

Any thoughts?

[RobertB]

That's the first time I've seen that error.

You can reset the MEP.cui file by right-clicking on the CUI in the tree and selecting Reset. This returns that selected CUI to its original OOTB file.

Of course, you lose any customizations you made to that file.

If the tree is not populated in the CUI editor, you can copy the .cui files from the hidden folder UserDataCache in the application's folder to your profile's Support folder.

[neil.wylde]

Well, trying to Reset the files didn't work. It wouldn't load ANY other cui file either.
I even tried copying from another machine.

Tried a "Repair Install" with no joy.

Ended up just reinstalling.... Which worked.

Still no idea what actually caused the error.

[Rockstar]

I have had the same issue twice since I have installed '09. First time I ended up re-installing the program. Second time I was able to copy the MEP cui file from another machine in our office and replace the old file. That worked but of course lost all my personalization.

Now I have a copy of the cui file located in my documents in case I have the issue again.

[bradg]

I had this happen to me yesterday, and was able to get my toolbars back by resetting my MEP.CUI file like RobertB suggested. However, the reset did not restore my Menu pulldowns (I'm still missing the standard ones like File, Edit, Format, etc..). Weird thing is, they still show up in the Customize UI window under Menus.

What's the best way to go about adding them back to my Menu bar?

Thanks,
Brad

[RobertB]

I had this happen to me yesterday, and was able to get my toolbars back by resetting my MEP.CUI file like RobertB suggested. However, the reset did not restore my Menu pulldowns (I'm still missing the standard ones like File, Edit, Format, etc..). Weird thing is, they still show up in the Customize UI window under Menus.

What's the best way to go about adding them back to my Menu bar?

That's easy. Open the CUI editor, select your current workspace, hit the modify button. In the left pane, select the menus you desire. In the workspace pane, organize them by drag-and-drop.

[bradg]

Thanks Robert.

They were already listed/selected for my workspace, but I still had to click modify, then Apply in order for them to show up. That also reset/repositioned all my toolbars... = [

In fact, even after re-adding and reorganizing my toolbars, everytime I customize the workspace through the CUI window, and click Apply, it repositions my toolbars and palettes. Any way to avoid this?

-Brad

[RobertB]

Once you have your toolbars where you want, use the Workspace toolbar to overwrite the active workspace. Then go back into the CUI editor and change the workspace's "Start On" property to "Do not change".

Yes, unhappily you need to do that 2nd step. When you use the Workspace toolbar to overwrite the active workspace that property is changed to the current layout, i.e. Model or Layout. Which usually is not the desired setting.

[dewilson]

The way i got my pulldowns all back without reinstalling was to go to the cd and find the MEP.cui file and replace it. Right now i back-up my "C:\Documents and Settings\%%user%%\Application Data\Autodesk\ACD-MEP 2009" folder each day. So when it buggs out i just restore that folders files. This works most of the time but on some occasions my toolbar placements and such will rest back to the OOTB. This has always restore all of my toolbars and pulldowns but it just sometimes loses my personal settings. But i have found that to restore my personal settings i can run a windows System restore to the previous day and get those back. But i have only done that once so it may not work every time either.

[RobertB]

The way i got my pulldowns all back without reinstalling was to go to the cd and find the MEP.cui file and replace it.

The CUI editor's Reset option does the same thing, but restores the OOTB file from a cached location on the hard drive.

This issue just drives home the point of keeping your own CUI items in a separate CUI file. I never add to the OOTB CUI file.