Inspiring

Question

Cannot open indd. "Cannot add data to "~name.indd". The file is damaged (Error Code )

Forum|Forum|10 months ago
June 11, 2025
3 replies
685 views

Experts, I need some quick help. I'm working on a project (due in a couple days, of course). The .indd is saved in a cloud folder. I've been adding and editing it from two different computers (both Mac OS Sequoia 15.5). Everything was fine, until it wasn't. The entire message, on both computers is: "Cannot add data to "file name.indd". The file, "file name.indd" is damaged (Error code: 6).

I've tried downloading my file an opening it from my desktop. Same result. I also tried changing the Preferences > File Handling > Document Recovery Data Folder. Didn't work.

What's going on? What can be done?

Thank you!

BobLevine

Community Expert

Cloud folder? Which service?

Dropbox and OneDrive both keep versions and you can restore an earlier one on demand. I don't know what features others have but I suspect something similar or there's no real point to them.

R

rsbisaAuthor

Inspiring

Apple iCloud drive. I will inquire with Apple. Thank you.

R

rsbisaAuthor

Inspiring

No luck. Version control is only available to the Apple work products. And Timemachine doesn't help, as the file is not in a local network folder.

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

When you say "File Name.indd", was that the actual name of the file? Did your file have any special characters in the filename?

Mike Witherell

R

rsbisaAuthor

Inspiring

That's a generic name. The real name has my customer name included. No special characters and nothing remarkable.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @rsbisa,

Thanks for sharing the details so far! Could you please confirm the exact version of InDesign you’re using on both Macs? Also, do you happen to remember which version of InDesign the original file was created in?

If possible, we'd also appreciate it if you could share the problematic INDD file with us so we can test it on our end. If it contains confidential content, feel free to send it privately via DM here on the community.

In the meantime, it might also be helpful to review this similar discussion where users encountered the same error:
Error Code 6 – InDesign CC

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

R

rsbisaAuthor

Inspiring

Thank you. I've sent the file to Adobe.

As you may have expected, there's a bit more to this self-inflicted story. I had been editing this file from three different computers (2 desktops and 1 laptop). All running iD 20.3.1. Adobe would have me deactivate one of the computers to work on another, but that's never been an issue. Where I caused the problem: After I posted this post last night, I went to my upstairs desktop to find I had not fully exited the file(!) as I had intended and thought I had. So there was this same file open for the some 10 hours I was simultaneosly opening and editing on the other computers. When I tried to work with the file, I received a message I had to select the version I wished to open. The newest file was still corrupted, but I was able to open the original file that had sat idle on that machine. So, I'm only semi-devistated. Nonetheless, I'd be better off recovering my original work.

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