Start Tab will not come on

[JamesCorley]

Last Thursday, I tried to open a file from a client (dwg, but it gave me the "this ain't autocad warning" - and it passed out security scan by eSet with no reported issues) - and the drawing crashed while trying to open it. I tried several more times unsuccessfully.

An odd artifact of this was that my startup routine has gone wacky. I have to go thru and reset my profile thru options, turn off the ribbon manually, turn off and on the menu bar and manually dock the command line or it goes offscreen after a few commands. I also cannot get the drawing tabs to reappear. Here are the texts of what I'm doing and what C3D tells me:

I have tried cycling startmode off and on:

Command: STARTMODE
Enter new value for STARTMODE <1>: 0
Command:
STARTMODE
Enter new value for STARTMODE <0>: 1
Unable to display Start tab. The Start tab will be restored after the application is restarted.

I've this these ways, too: 
Command: GOTOSTART
Start tab is currently turned off.
*Not applicable*

(cntl+home)

Command: _gotostart
Start tab is currently turned off.
*Not applicable*

Thanks in Advance....

[user181]

Have you tried changing the STARTUP variable?  There are 4 different options. After changing the value you will need to restart the program. 

[JamesCorley]

Startup is still set at 2. This should mean I get my start tab (only available before I open a drawing) and no ribbon (I still get the ribbon)

[Chuck_L_AKS]

Try setting STARTUP to 3.

STARTUP (System Variable)
Controls what is displayed when the application is started, or when a new drawing is opened.

Type: Integer
Saved in: Registry
Initial value: 3
Controls whether the Create New Drawing dialog box is displayed when a new drawing is started with NEW or QNEW. Also controls whether the Startup dialog box or Start tab is displayed when the application is started.

If the FILEDIA system variable is set to 0, file dialog boxes are not displayed.

Value     Description

0 = Starts a drawing without defined settings.

1 = Displays the Startup or the Create New Drawing dialog box.
2 = The Start tab is displayed. If available in the application, a custom dialog box is displayed.

3 = The Start tab is displayed and the ribbon is pre-loaded when you open or create a new drawing.

[JamesCorley]

I just tried your sequence, Chuck. No change. I still get the start tab when I open Civil3D, and it goes away when I open a drawing. To work in 2 drawings I have to have Civil3D opened twice.

I'm starting to think a complete reinstall might be the only thing that might fix this. ARRRGH!

[Chuck_L_AKS]

You can add these settings to your acaddoc.lsp once you get this resolved. This can be loaded each time a drawing is opened.
Also, you might try STARTMODE = 1

[user181]

Make sure the variable SDI is set to 0

[JamesCorley]

SDI was at 0. cycled it to 1 and back to 0. no change 

Command:
STARTMODE

Enter new value for STARTMODE <0>: 1
Unable to display Start tab. The Start tab will be restored after the application is restarted.
Command: sdi

Enter new value for SDI <0>: 1

**** System Variable Changed ****
2 of the monitored system variables have changed from the preferred value. Use SYSVARMONITOR command to view changes.

Command:
SDI

Enter new value for SDI <1>: 0
Unable to display Start tab. The Start tab will be restored after the application is restarted.
**** System Variable Changed ****
1 of the monitored system variables has changed from the preferred value. Use SYSVARMONITOR command to view changes.

Command: STARTMODE

Enter new value for STARTMODE <1>: 0

Command:
STARTMODE

Enter new value for STARTMODE <0>: 1
Unable to display Start tab. The Start tab will be restored after the application is restarted.

[JamesCorley]

BTW the "The Start tab will be restored after the application is restarted." isn't working after I just restarted.

[cwr-pae]

Does your system run as you expect with other files - is this problem only with the one file?

Have you tried opening a blank drawing and inserting the other drawing as a block? Idf that worls save the drawing and then try exploding the block.

Or try xrefing into blank drawing.

[JamesCorley]

Status update: I finished my work and started to reinstall my old download of C3D 2023 and it said I had to uninstall the old version first. I abandoned that install as I had to go back into the program to do something for the field crews ... AND MY START & DRAWING TABS are there.

Is this the solution ? I don't know, but discovering that 'REPAIR' is no longer an option is just about the stupidest thing Autodesk has done, IMO.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.