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Inspiring
June 19, 2010
Question

background task stuck - LOCKED

  • June 19, 2010
  • 7 replies
  • 82031 views

I'm making a .pdf from aCS5 InDesign file, but it never finishes. When I try to close the document, I get a message that says "InDesign cannot close the document because it is in use by one or more background tasks. This message will close automatically when all the required tasks have been completed. You can click cancel to return to InDesign. You can open the Background Tasks Panel to cancel the tasks manually."

The message never closes and I'm not able to cancel the background task. Is there a fix for this? Or can I turn off the .pdf running in the background? I didn't see it in preferences.

Thank you!

7 replies

Participating Frequently
June 3, 2018

for win 10. while it is open, "save as" your indesign document under a different name, for exp: change a letter or add a letter at the end.

Now in the win search menu lower left of screen, type "task manager." you will find in design name and icon among other apps. select in design and click "end task" lower right.

Open the "saved as" file you created. check that everything is good and the links are all there.

close it

delete the older file with the bug from your folder

you should be ok.

Participant
June 17, 2011

Adobe peeps... Wake the eff up! it is hard enough to make a living with cranky clients and taxation out the wazoo without the software company producing effed up software too!

STOP adding useless bells 'n' whistles to every gawdamn piece of software and just FIX the freakiin mistakes in the previous version fer kristsake!


Nobody wants or needs some of these tricky gadgets in InDesign CS5: "Background tasks"?  now IDCS5 won't even distill a decent pdf because it hangs as a "background task"? WTF!!! FIX that sheet NOW and get rid of some of the useless (and I mean USELESS) garbage tricks.   sheesh! What a CROCK!

Stick to BASICS until you get those to work. 100% of the time.

Seriously... You think you're cool... guess what... you ain't even close!!!

Larry G. Schneider
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 17, 2011

And we're not Adobe. Just other users trying to help one another.

Participant
June 17, 2011

sorry... bet Adobe reads it though... right? ....right?

sad here were once a wonderful software company...

Participant
May 24, 2011

I found that if I double click on a prepared file and let it open CS5 for me I run into that problem too. After you Force Quit, try mounting the application before opening the file. It usually works for me that way. Go figure.

John Hawkinson
Inspiring
May 25, 2011

Please see Matthew Laun of Adobe's post on how to disable background exports.

BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 25, 2011

And this: http://indesignsecrets.com/a-new-workaround-for-that-pesky-background-export-issue.php

Bob

Adobe Employee
October 18, 2010

This should be addressed in the CS5 7.0.3 update available via Help > Updates or from our updates page:

http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

Matthew

Known Participant
December 20, 2010

I am running 7.0.3 and this just happened to me too. I force-quit InDesign, restarted, and it worked fine.  Just FYI.

Inspiring
December 20, 2010

Thanks, vivredesign. That's how I've always resolved the problem. It was happening alot when I first posted this, which was really annoying. I don't have the problem when using files I've created. There's some kind of glitch when it happens. Either with a font or a piece of art.

Participating Frequently
July 29, 2010

I have been having this problem, too. I have had to force quit and re-launch. It usually works after that.

Inspiring
July 30, 2010

That works, Bob, but what a pain.

BobLevine
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 30, 2010

Not denying that...it's a workaround that shouldn't be needed, but this is real tough one. Fortunately Adobe has finally reproduced it so let's hope they fix it...SOON!

Bob

Adobe Employee
July 28, 2010

Anyone who is having a PDF export hang from InDesign CS5 should test the same document with the same PDF export settings using the script posted in this InDesignSecrets.com posting:

http://indesignsecrets.com/forum/general-indesign-topics/pdf-export-problems-with-cs5#2709/indesignsecrets.com/forum/general-indesign-topics/pdf-export-pr oblems-with-cs5#2709

If that works, then you are definitely running into the issue we are aware of regarding the PDF background export (aka multi-threading). Follow this forum thread for updates on that issue:

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/648567?start=50&tstart=0

Sincerely,

Matthew

Inspiring
July 30, 2010

thanks, Matthew! It works!

Peter Spier
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 20, 2010

There are at least two earlier threads about this. There are some things that help some people some of the time, but no known "fix" yet.

Inspiring
June 20, 2010

Thanks, Peter. I saw those threads after posting this and the workarounds aren't working for me. I'm having to go back to previous versions for what I'm working on now.

Peter Spier
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 20, 2010

Please file an official bug report here: Adobe - Feature Request/Bug Report Form

I think this is a very serious issue, and we're seeing enough reports for me to think that there really is a bug.