FrameMaker PDF errors - solution found

[James Gifford]

In the Adobe user forums there has been an ongoing investigation of
Frame's tendency to create flawed PDFs, with sections of text missing.
This is an ongoing problem that affects quite a few users and has proven
resistant to Adobe and user fixes.

The root cause has been nailed down, and I invite all serious users to
read the whole thread on the Adobe forums.

In short, though:

The immediate cause is a bloated FNTCACHE.DAT file that chokes
FrameMaker's ability to do accurate Postscript output. If this file is
much over 1 MB in size, problems will occur. Deleting this file and
rebooting twice will permit a single session of FrameMaker to create
working PDFs when problems have been encountered.

The usual root cause of an oversized FNTCACHE.DAT file are CJK fonts -
Asian font sets - that are each 10-20 times the size of most Western font
files. Deleting all CJK fonts from a system, then deleting the
FNTCACHE.DAT file and rebooting, seems to be a permanent cure for the
problem.

If you need CJK fonts, you'll have to use the first workaround or wait
for an Adobe fix (good luck!) Since for most of us, the CJK fonts are an
unwanted and unneeded element, deleting them is the best option.

[Peter Boulding]

Post by James Gifford
If this file is
much over 1 MB in size, problems will occur. Deleting this file and
rebooting twice will permit a single session of FrameMaker to create
working PDFs when problems have been encountered.

[Greetings, Mr G. Long time no Cecil.]

Reboot *twice*? What does a second reboot do that a first reboot doesn't?

[James Gifford]

Post by Peter Boulding
[Greetings, Mr G. Long time no Cecil.]

[Long time no time to Cecil. *Sigh*.]

Post by Peter Boulding
Reboot *twice*? What does a second reboot do that a first reboot doesn't?

The primary researcher who puzzled out all the details explains it as
having something to do with the way Windows rebuilds the FNTCACHE.DAT
file. A single reboot won't necessarily complete the process.

All in all, a PITA and a flaw that simply should not exist in an Adobe
product - it's an Adobe tool using Adobe fonts and Adobe Postscript to
create an Adobe portable format, and it consistently and annoyingly
breaks at the FM->PS level. This is something that should never have been
seen in any release version, and certainly should not have persisted for
years without a fix, as it has.

(I fought with three simple documents that HAD to go out as PDF for two
days before I got them to output.)

Now that the apparent focus of the flaw has been determined, getting
Adobe to recognize and fix it is the next step.

[Bill Tuthill]

Post by Peter Boulding
Reboot *twice*? What does a second reboot do that a first reboot doesn't?

This is very common with Windoze.

The first reboot clears out some software cruft, and the second reboot
rewrites the registry (or whatever needs doing) after the cruft is clear.