I’ve been using Final Draft for well over a year, and it’s worked fine on both Windows XP and Windows Vista (32 bit), despite its many annoying bugs.

Today, however, something…broke.

After writing a script in Final Draft, I usually click on File -> Save as PDF so that I can share it easily with others to get feedback (wherein I receive comments such as “not funny,” and “I don’t get it,” and “I only get that it’s not funny”).

When I tried saving my most recent script as a PDF today, the PDF file was created, but all the pages were blank. A five page Final Draft file produced a five page PDF with zero content – just straight up empty pages.

Avant-garde? Sure. Frustrating? Maybe.

When I tried searching for a solution to the problem on Final Draft’s website, the only potential solution I could find was to reinstall the PDF converter that comes with Final Draft, and the process involved changing file permissions to a few system files (not safe…at all). I did it anyway, but the problem persisted. So I did it again, restarted my computer beforehand and afterward, but still no dice.

After searching some more I found a support article that suggested that the problem might lie in the version of the Courier Final Draft font I was using, even though it’s the same version I had always been using without incident. I updated it, anyway, but there was still no improvement.

So then I thought that it might have to do with the fact that the program was running on Vista, but running Final Draft as an Administrator or in Windows XP SP2 Compatibility Mode or both changed nothing.

So then I got in touch with Final Draft’s tech support and they suggested uninstalling Final Draft and re-installing it.

Seriously? How is this a solution?

“Ma’am we goofed a bit during the birth of your baby, so we’re thinking it’s probably just easiest to give birth again.”

So hopefully someone will stumble upon this post and e-mail me a fix that worked for them.

Until then, if you’re waiting on a script from me, expect to receive it in a less friendly file format. Like plain text. Or binary.

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