Hi, AnneMarie - Yes, as you mentioned, I'm sure this is in InDesign, where I spend 90% of my design time every day. In response to this comment: "Yes, it would be possible. Unlike in the Properties panel, the FX option is always available in those other locations, even though you don't have an object selected. So choosing something there, even with nothing selected, could inadvertently set the defaults for that tool (the Frame tool, for example) if that's the active tool." Sorry, I misread and mis-answered that question from Barb about the Object/Control/Effects panels. I generally don't use those separate panels since it's more streamlined (and more foolproof) to use the dynamic Properties panel on the vertical dock for the exact reason that it feeds you what you need only when you need it and you don't have to have separate panels floating in your workspace. So to confirm, yes I only choose the effects from the Properties panel, when the object is already selected. I know how to turn off the effect after it's set itself as the new default, but that doesn't explain how to prevent it from happening in the first place (and as I mentioned, it's happening several times a week). So that still leaves the mystery of why it's happening at all. You mentioned that if it's happening in InDesign, as opposed to Illustrator, then something is glitchy. Is that the whole explanation? A glitch? Elena ... View more

Hi, Scott - Thanks for your reply. Your scenario sounds somewhat familiar....but why is the second object picking up all the attributes of the first object in the first place? Elena ... View more

Hi Barb - Yes, I use those panels, but again the FX option is only available if there's an object already selected, so would it even be possible to set an effect as a document default from there? And no, no custom shortcuts set for effects. What's the process for deleting the preferences/cache? Thanks, Elena ... View more

Also, I'd add to this that ever since the last major update I almost always apply object effects using the FX option (under Appearance) in the vertical dock, and that Appearance menu is only available if you have something selected. This just means it would be extra difficult for me to be applying object effects with nothing selected. Ideas? Elena ... View more

Hi, Barb - If those are the only two options, I'm going to need some help figuring out what I'm accidentally doing that's activating the effect at the document level. 1. The reason I'm convinced I'm not accidentally setting a document default with nothing selected is that that would require me to--without having anything selected--go into Object Effects, pick my effect, set all my settings, click OK and go back to my document and see that the original object I'd intended to add the effect to hadn't changed. Which would mean going back and making all those selections for a second time with the object selected. And this would have to happen several times a week. I feel like I would notice if that were happening. 2. I never use Object Styles...so, if I never open the panel, is there a keystroke or other selection that I might unknowingly be making that would set a style (or update the Basic style) without opening the panel? Elena ... View more

Yes ... View more

Okay, I'll give it a try and report back. Thank you so much! e ... View more

Hi, Srishti - Okay, I'll give this a try. So it sounds like in order to try out the root account, I have to stay logged in until I can confirm whether or not InDesign functions like it should in that account. Since it only seems to be crashing every couple of days now, does that mean I should stay logged in for a long period of time, like several days, to make sure I've given it enough time to test? Elena ... View more

Hi there, Laubender - No, that's not the problem either. Thanks for the suggestion though e ... View more

Hi there, Srishti - Unfortunately no, none of the solutions recommended above worked for me. I've also updated my OS since then, which doesn't seem to have made a difference either. The problems seems to be happening less frequently, but I can't tell if that's a coincidence or not. Do you have any other recommendations? Thanks, Elena ... View more

Okay, I'll do that. Thanks again for all of your help! ... View more

It's version 10.11.6 ... View more

Disk Utility didn't report anything. Does that mean I'm probably in the clear or should I buy Disk Warrior? ... View more

Running OS X. I'll run the First Aid utility first and see what that turns up. Thank you so much for your help. ... View more

Crap, that sounds serious. How would I check that? ... View more

Hi, Cari - Thanks for your help. I'm working on my laptop's hard drive. I haven't renamed any of the files while they were open in InDesign (this has happened with about 40 files at this point). And I'll run a system check to make sure the file permissions all allow editing, but given that it's so many files and there's no reason why I would have changed the permissions on any of them, I doubt that's the problem (also, would that cause InDesign to freeze and crash every time?). How would I go about running that system check? Thanks again, Elena ... View more

Ah ha! That worked. Thank you so very much! Wouldn't have occurred to me to use the Group Selection tool. ... View more