The sledgehammer approach worked! I now have access to Syntax again.
Original Message:
Sent: Tue August 27, 2024 02:07 PM
From: David Dwyer
Subject: Syntax files will not open
Hi @Lani Van Dusen,
So you have confirmed that your Syntax Editor Window is currently associated with a monitor that is not currently connected to your computer. So now the problem becomes "How do I get all of my windows back on the main window again?"
First thing to try:
Plug your laptop/desktop back into the environment where you had a number of external monitors attached prior to seeing this behavior (as @Manfred Maier has suggested.). If that works, you should be able to find the desired window and bring it to the foreground on your current monitor (as @Jon Peck has suggested.)
The next thing to try (Sledge Hammer approach):
The locations of the various windows are stored in the Windows Registry as user preferences. If you don't care about the preferences, you can simply delete the SPSS Statistics registry keys (Assuming you have access to the regedit.exe command and are allowed to use it on this computer).
Destroy all of the user preferences and return to the defaults on next launch by deleting
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\com\ibm\/S/P/S/S\/Statistics\one
Reset the location of the Syntax Editor window by deleting
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\com\ibm\/S/P/S/S\/Statistics\one\ui\doc_types\syntax\syntax_editor_locationx
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\com\ibm\/S/P/S/S\/Statistics\one\ui\doc_types\syntax\syntax_editor_locationy
I've added an Enhancement Request via the IBM Ideas Portal - see https://ideas.ibm.com/ideas/STATS-I-187
I hope this helps!
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David Dwyer
SPSS Technical Support
IBM Software
Original Message:
Sent: Tue August 27, 2024 12:20 PM
From: Lani Van Dusen
Subject: Syntax files will not open
Hi Jon,
I tried your suggestion. I was able to see the syntax file in the windows - which it already said was active on one of my desktop monitors, but I tried moving it to another just to see if that would work. However, it still doesn't let me open or access the syntax file and actually looks like a blank file in the window (rather than having lines of code). When I try to create a new Syntax file, it doesn't show up anywhere.
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Lani Van Dusen
Original Message:
Sent: Mon August 26, 2024 11:28 PM
From: Jon Peck
Subject: Syntax files will not open
This does sound to me like an off-screen window. Have you tried the Windows view that shows all windows? If you cycle through all the windows until the phantom seems to get focus, you can move it on screen. In Win 11, you shift-right-click to show a menu with Move. The gesture is different in Win 10.
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Original Message:
Sent: 8/26/2024 7:09:00 PM
From: Lani Van Dusen
Subject: RE: Syntax files will not open
Hi David,
I'm having the same problem as all those addressed above, except my SPSS has not magically fixed itself. I'm on version 29.0.2 and I can see the Syntax files in the task bar but have no access to them. When I run new programming and try to paste to syntax, it goes nowhere that I can see. I tried all the fixes above, and nothing works. I do use multiple monitors, but the Syntax files do not appear on any of them. I suspect that somewhere there may be a "phantom monitor" to which the SPSS program is sending the syntax files, but I don't know how you would discover if this is true.
I'm very frustrated as today I had to manually enter all the transformations and computations by hand for a dataset that I needed results for - a task that took over an hour, which would have taken less than a minute if I could have just run syntax. Given that this appears to be an ongoing problem, is IBM going to provide a patch to help?
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Lani Van Dusen
Original Message:
Sent: Wed July 24, 2024 09:46 AM
From: David Dwyer
Subject: Syntax files will not open
Hi @M Z,
I just noticed. You said you are on Statistics 29.0. When you go to "Help -> About..." what is the exact version and build shown? The first release (29.0.0.0) definitely had problems with missing buttons and other issues in the user interface, that we fixed by interim fixes and later fixpacks. Please make sure you are are using the most recent release of IBM SPSS Statistics (release 29.0.2.0, build 20) - See https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/downloading-ibm-spss-statistics-29020
You wrote:
"SPSS indicates the syntax editor window is open, but it's just a blank window that won't actually fill the page."
Could you give more information on this?
- Do you actually have a fully opened Syntax Editor?
- Or, do you see the Syntax Editor available off of the "Window" menu in the Data Editor, but when you click it you see nothing or you see a minimized or otherwise shrunken window? With this one I'm wondering if you regularly switch between multiple monitors and you've recently removed one. Try the "Windows -> Reset Dialog Sizes and Positions" menu.
- Are you able to type within that open window, or "Paste" commands from one of the procedure dialogs?
- Maybe a screenshot of what you're seeing?
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David Dwyer
SPSS Technical Support
IBM Software
Original Message:
Sent: Tue July 23, 2024 07:14 PM
From: M Z
Subject: Syntax files will not open
I am having the same exact issue with my version 29.0. I am in classic mode. I do not have another instance of SPSS statistics running. I rebooted, uninstalled, and re-installed my version of SPSS.
Did anyone find a reliable fix for this issue? How long did it last for others. I'm on day 5 of no syntax editor working. SPSS indicates the syntax editor window is open, but it's just a blank window that won't actually fill the page.
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M Z
Original Message:
Sent: Mon October 30, 2023 05:02 PM
From: David Dwyer
Subject: Syntax files will not open
Hi @Rebecca P
This is the 3rd time I've seen a user report this behavior, yet I am confounded at how they are getting themselves and their instance of SPSs Statistics into this state.
Things to check:
- Make sure you are in "Classic" mode and not in "Workbook" mode. This mode is selectable in the lower right corner of the Data Editor in the status bar.
- Make sure that you do not have an orphaned instance of Statistics running. Reboot your PC and then launch Statistics. Is the behavior gone?
- Delete the user environment for Statistics under %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\IBM\SPSS Statistics. Launch Statistics once more. Is the behavior gone?
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David Dwyer
SPSS Technical Support
IBM Software
Original Message:
Sent: Sat October 28, 2023 06:44 PM
From: Rebecca P
Subject: Syntax files will not open
Hi -
Out of nowhere, I am having issues with syntax today. I have been using v29 on a PC since August without incident, but all of a sudden, syntax windows are not opening. If I try to open an existing syntax file, try to create a new syntax file, or paste a command, a syntax file will appear in my task bar, but the screen doesn't seem to exist anywhere. I've included a screenshot below--when I try to click on the syntax file, nothing happens.
Any idea what might be happening? Thanks for the input.
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RP
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