Today, I got hit by the 'missing shortcut' syndrome on my Windows install of InDesign CS4 - all menu items were totally void of any shortcut. Even cut, copy, paste had no more shortcut keys - Ctrl-X, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-V didn't do a thing.
I tried fixing it via the Edit - Keyboard Shortcuts... menu, but there I could not even see a set name, and there was nothing I could do.
Ok, tried resetting the preferences - no joy.
Ok, tried wiping the 'Version 6.0' folders from the hidden folders where preferences were stored - no joy.
I got out some diagnostic tools, and noticed InDesign was trying (and failing) to access a folder called
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS4\Presets\InDesign Shortcut Sets\en_US
I checked it out - I did not have a folder called en_US in
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS4\Presets\InDesign Shortcut Sets
but I did have a folder called en_GB
Hmmm....
I opened an Explorer window into the InDesign Shortcut Sets folder, and I made a copy of the folder en_GB and renamed it to en_US.
Relaunch InDesign and bingo - all is well!
Looks like InDesign is getting confused between British and US English - probably it got installed as British English, then decided it rather be US English. Why that'd be - no idea.
So, here's what you can try if your shortcut keys suddenly disappear on you:
1) Navigate to the Adobe InDesign CS4 folder
2) Go into the Presets folder
3) Go into the InDesign Shortcut Sets folder
4) If you see a folder called 'en_GB', but no folder called 'en_US', make a copy of the en_GB and rename the copy to en_US. Possibly the reverse could also happen - you see en_US, you might want to try and copy it to en_GB.
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Kris