# Messed up text in application

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [September 24, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320 "2020-09-24T18:08:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ejk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ejk/32/750_2.png) [@ejk](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ejk)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/1 "2020-09-24T18:08:49Z")

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![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/1X/0365759b735c79d85ec2071a2153a85f8519233a.png)

After installing the latest Windows application, the text in all menus appears scrambled.  
This issue is present in both the installer and portable versions.  
Has anyone else encountered this issue?

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/2 "2020-09-25T21:57:19Z")

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Could you please give some more details here?  
Which Windows version and JabRef are you using\>

Hm. Did you accidentally change the language ? You can try to reset the preferences.  
(Second menu from the right, first submenu entry opens the preferences dialog. In the bottom left click the little circle-arrow icon to reset your preferences)

Have you tried the latest development version?

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**Author:** ![ejk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ejk/32/750_2.png) [@ejk](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ejk)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2020, 11:04pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/3 "2020-09-25T23:04:59Z")

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This was a fresh installation of JabRef 5.1. I am a new user.  
Resetting the preferences also did not help, and the development version (5.2) fails to run on my computer. I haven’t changed the language either, as I have no way of navigating the menu.  
I’m not sure what could be causing this issue?

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/4 "2020-09-26T16:10:28Z")

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@ejk This is totally weird.  
Can you try to open JabRef using the bat file and report the output of the console window?  
The JabRef.bat is located in  
C:\Program Files\JabRef\runtime\bin

Do you see any errors?

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**Author:** ![ejk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ejk/32/750_2.png) [@ejk](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ejk)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/5 "2020-09-26T16:51:50Z")

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![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/1X/58bf07a490df64539b54613f32838508fa48ac4d.png)

Yes, there appears to be numerous conversion and formatting errors.

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/6 "2020-09-26T16:52:45Z")

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That’s a known proble but not relevant. Is the applicaiton still looking bad?

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**Author:** ![ejk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ejk/32/750_2.png) [@ejk](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ejk)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/7 "2020-09-26T20:23:38Z")

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Yes, unfortunately, the text is still unreadable.

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**Author:** ![calixtus](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/calixtus/32/579_2.png) [@calixtus](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/calixtus)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/8 "2020-09-26T22:40:58Z")

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Maybe related to this?

> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64059647/gibberish-text-in-javafx-label>

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**Author:** ![koppor](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/koppor/32/5_2.png) [@koppor](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/koppor)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 5:01am UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/9 "2020-09-28T05:01:11Z")

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> and the development version (5.2) fails to run on my computer.

We should first work on this. What error message do you get?

Which exact windows version do you have?

```terminal
$ ver

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.20150.1000]

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ejk](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/ejk/32/750_2.png) [@ejk](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/ejk)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/messed-up-text-in-application/2320/10 "2020-09-28T15:42:33Z")

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Running the executable JabRef.exe (v.5.2) does not result in any windows opening or the application launching. Running the batch file gives me the following image, and the application runs (with the same errors).

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/jabref/original/1X/5f48b76aa46f2ba8619a7245b344eabe3a29c9a0.png)

Windows version 10.0.183631082