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Author57
Author57
Participating Frequently
June 12, 2026
Question

Are there ways to avoid InDesign crashing such as cleaning the file up?

  • June 12, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 15 views

I am working on a 550 page book. I have added a Table of Contents and am currently adding extensive indexing. i hear that as I add more and more index entries that InDesign is more and more likely to start crashing. Are there ways to help avoid it crashing?

    2 replies

    Derek Cross
    Community Expert
    Derek CrossCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 12, 2026

    In addition to Manan’s excellent answer, I would add, ensure all images are Linked (not Embeded), ensure you have plenty of RAM and spare hard disk space. If you find you are still struggling, consider splitting the book into smaller sections and assemble them using InDesign’s Book feature.

    M
    Community Expert
    Manan JoshiCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 12, 2026

    Regularly do “Save As” the document and save to a new file. This generally removes any fluffs or corruptions added on the way. If you see the document acting strangely, exporting to IDML and saving back to INDD also helps. These are general steps which help in document corruption and its recovery

    -Manan
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