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Participant
November 20, 2025
Frage

Black “Save / Save As” Window After Updating to InDesign 26 - Cannot save files

  • November 20, 2025
  • 3 Antworten
  • 328 Ansichten

Hi everyone,
since updating to an InDesign 2026 version (currently 21.0.1), I can no longer save any files. Whenever I click “Save” or “Save As,” only a completely black window appears, and I’m unable to proceed.

 

To troubleshoot, I installed an older InDesign 2025 version (20.5) in parallel, and everything still works normally there.

 

I have already tried the following without success:

  • Uninstalling and reinstalling InDesign

  • Using the Creative Cloud Cleaner

  • Deleting the AppData folders

Unfortunately, the issue persists in version 2026.

 

Has anyone experienced this or found a solution?
Thanks in advance!

3 Antworten

Bill Silbert
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 6, 2026

If you used the option to import previous preferences and settings when updating then it would probably be a good idea to reset your InDesign preferences. Using old preferences after an update can often lead to unexpected and unusual operating difficulties.Resetting preferences returns the program to its defaults.

To reset preferences:

For Macintosh Users: The User Library folder in which InDesign’s preferences are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that InDesign is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N). With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the folder called “Adobe InDesign” and the file called “com.adobe.InDesign.plist” and delete both that folder and that file. When InDesign is next launched it will create new preference files and the program will be restored to its defaults.

For Windows Users: You can try the quick way of resetting on a PC which is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching InDesign and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset. There have been some recent reports that the window asking if you want to reset is not popping up but that the prefs are being reset anyway. If this works great but if it doesn’t you may have to manually delete them.

To do so:

On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<Language>. Make sure that InDesign is closed when you do this. When you relaunch the program it will create  new preference files and the program will be at its default settings.

The advantage of manually deleting preference files is that after you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, you can create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

Anna.ST
Participant
February 6, 2026

Hello,

I got the same issue and after installing the last version 21.2 it’s now fixed 🥳

Abhishek Rao
Community Manager
Community Manager
November 20, 2025

Hi @fierce_musician0602,

 

I appreciate you providing the information. To investigate this further, could you please verify the specific version of Windows OS you are using? Additionally, try renaming the CEP folder to CEP.old located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe and check if the Save dialog appears as expected afterward. If it remains unchanged, please rename the UXP folder to UXP.old from C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe and C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe.

If the problem persists, let me know if you are connected to a VPN or a company domain, and whether the issue occurs only in that environment. You might also consider changing the connection type once and report any changes.

 

I look forward to your response.

Abhishek

Participant
November 20, 2025

Hi @Abhishek Rao,

unfortunately the renaming of the mentioned folders didn't work. The affected notebook is part of a domain and the problem occurs in company network and via VPN. 

I am using Windows 11 25H2 but until yesterday the notebook was on 24H2 with the same problem.

 

Thank you and kind regards

Fox Hat Nomads
Participant
February 6, 2026

I’m following up on an email I sent about a week ago regarding ongoing InDesign crashes.

I’m having difficulty accessing the existing support threads you referenced previously. When I click any of the links in your emails, I’m redirected to a generic home page rather than the relevant discussion, which makes it impossible to review or continue the troubleshooting steps.

Unfortunately, the core issue remains unresolved. InDesign is still crashing while editing text, even when using the latest pre-release versions. At this point the problem has caused me to miss a publishing deadline, which is extremely frustrating and has had a real impact on my work.

I need this issue properly addressed as a matter of urgency. Could you please:

Provide direct, working links to the relevant support threads, or

Escalate this case so we can move toward a definitive fix rather than further testing cycles



Thank you for your attention — I look forward to your response.

Kind regards,

Peter