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Dropbox users w/ 'Broken Links' error message in InDesign since upgrading from Big Sur to Monterey

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
June 7, 2022
6 replies
5261 views

What are InDesign creatives that use dropbox doing about this?

We are downgrading our staff from Monterey to Big Sur to keep them happy and productive.

Dropbox Support do not seem to understand that the Monterey implementation of online only/local file syncing no longer functions the way it used to under Big Sur. They tell me that 'cloud only' (zero file size) linked files in InDesign on macOS Monterey need to first be locally synced to prevent this workflow error message pop-up - but this didn't used to be the case under macOS Big Sur.

I provided DB Support with a screen recording illustrating the problem (see link) showing that this was not required under macOS Big Sur. Other forum posts say that MS OneDrive on macOS Monterey is not generating this linked file error message.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Laubender

@markh83032812 said:

"…I have Adobe support and engineers on the phone to me saying, yes, it is Adobe InDesign that needs fixing."

Hi Mark,

thanks for that. In this case I would suggest, that you are writing a bug report at InDesign UserVoice:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs

When done, please come back and post the link to that report, so that everyone who is affected and reads into this discussion here can vote for a fix.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

L

Laubender

Correct answer

Community Expert

@markh83032812 said:

"…I have Adobe support and engineers on the phone to me saying, yes, it is Adobe InDesign that needs fixing."

Hi Mark,

thanks for that. In this case I would suggest, that you are writing a bug report at InDesign UserVoice:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs

When done, please come back and post the link to that report, so that everyone who is affected and reads into this discussion here can vote for a fix.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

M

markh35947808

Participant

Hi Uwe

This 'bug' is already being investigated by the Adobe Eningeering Team to fix it. Rahul(Adobe) called this morning to do another screen recording of InDesign/Dropbox/Monterey and to gather error codes from Terminal. Adobe Case ADB-25403876-Y7T5. Rahul advised that the bug was already reported for V17.0, and marked by eningeers as resolved for V17.2, but he can see there is still a problem with V17.3 (current version). He downgraded my ID App to V17.2 but "Import Failed" is still ocurring rather than actioning "locally sync and update link" as was the workflow in InDesign/Dropbox/Big Sur.

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markh83032812Author

Participating Frequently

Update from Adobe...

Your Adobe Case ADB-25403876-Y7T5

Dear Adobe Licences,

We hope that you are doing well.

In regards to your open case, we would like to connect once again and test the previous build to find out if the issue started from the newer version or if its something that is specific to the OS permission changes on updated. We request you to provide us a best time to contact you back so we can connect and take the investigation further.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

>>>but this didn't used to be the case under macOS Big Sur.

Can you show this or provide a link? I do not believe InDesign ever worked with cloud-based links except with the Creative Cloud.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

M

markh83032812Author

Participating Frequently

Sorry it's a really slow video to watch (recorded on an 2015 12" MacBook that was still running Big Sur. So just to be clear, the video shows that under Big Sur, zero-file size cloud only linked files do automatically get converted to downloaded 'locally synced green' as soon as you right click on any of the yellow artery's and choose 'update link for all'. Now, if you were to open the same file shown in my video n Monterey, the process does not work. you only get a 'broken links' message. And the only solution in Monterey is to get out of InDesign, and mess around in Finder manually locally syncing all the linked files, which for a big business like ours, means navigating to a bunch of different locations. I have come to the conclusion that Adobe engineers are just being pr**ks to anyone using Dropbox and have broken their competitors integration, and that this problem doesn't occur for Adobe Cloud customers. Microsoft documents cloud based linked files get automatically locally synced when needed, so it's not a Dropbox issue, it's an Adobe software glitch, possibly intentional to bug Dropbox customers to move to Adobe Cloud. So our current solution is to map out all the file paths and adentify the last common enclosing folder, and right click and locally sync that folder. Problem is, with staff on 512GB laptops, and jumping around on many client projects simultaneously, we will now have laptops filling up with a lot of locally synced files that do not need to be locally synced. Well done Adobe for letting this sh**y situation fester for almost 12 months now. Presume the situation will NOT improve with macOS Ventura. 🙄

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markh83032812Author

Participating Frequently

L

Laubender

Community Expert

@markh83032812 said:

"Dropbox Support do not seem to understand that the Monterey implementation of online only/local file syncing no longer functions the way it used to under Big Sur."

Hi Mark,

looked into your video where you show a machine with MacOS Big Sur and InDesign 2022.

And with a problem accessing linked files in an InDesign document that are stored on a Dropbox volume.

So do you already have the problem with Dropbox on MacOS Big Sur?

Or am I missing something? I'm confused, thought the issue was with InDesign on MacOS Monterey…

"They tell me that 'cloud only' (zero file size) linked files in InDesign on macOS Monterey need to first be locally synced to prevent this workflow error message pop-up - but this didn't used to be the case under macOS Big Sur."

I have no idea if this is a new behavior of Dropbox on MacOS.

If so, I fear you have to adapt to it. Or stay on Big Sur if that's possible at all.

Just to give you an example:

I'm on Windows 10 and I have Dropbox Smart Sync turned off altogether. I never see a cloud symbol on one of my files on Dropbox. Never worked differently. And I have no issues with packaged InDesign documents on all of my Dropbox folders that I share with my clients or students.

So why can't you turn off the feature Smart Sync for Dropbox?

Too much data to synchronize?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

M

markh83032812Author

Participating Frequently

InDesign/Dropbox/Big Sur = all working fine.

InDesign/Dropbox/Monterey = broken workflow, have to downgrade back to BigSur.

I thought DropBox engineers needed a kick, but since M365/Dropbox/Monterey is still ok, I'm now leaning toward Adobe engineers needing a kick.

And why did anyone think 'Willy' has the 'correct answer'?! There is no solution at present to this problem until Adobe and Dropbox work together to restore broken workflow!

L

Laubender

Community Expert

"InDesign/Dropbox/Big Sur = all working fine."

Hm. Your video shows, that it does not. That's why I am confused.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

BobLevine

Community Expert

I don't understand what you're saying. Do they or do they not have smart sync turned off in Dropbox prefs? If they don't, they should definitely do that. It causes all kinds of problems.

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

Turned off is ignored as it is now. Only, when all folders are selected to save forced offline it might work.

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markh83032812Author

Participating Frequently

I don't even know what you are saying. In any case, please don't bother commenting on my post if you don't understand the problem. The way ID works at the moment is broken and Adobe need to fix it. I can't fix it, and neither can you Willi

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

Since I know of that problem, I go to the folder, I need and click with right mouse click and select Make files offline available.

I have turned off DropBox synchronisation. But this has only little effect.

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Laubender

Community Expert

Hi Mark,

cannot see a link in your post.

"Dropbox Support do not seem to understand that the Monterey implementation of online only/local file syncing no longer functions the way it used to under Big Sur."

Hm. Hope, that others with MacOS chime in here.

I cannot comment on this because I am on Windows and have no issues with Dropbox when its SmartSync feature is turned off.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

M

markh83032812Author

Participating Frequently

Here is the link:

www.dropbox.com/s/5lmtck47lk1cowt/Dropbox%20Big%20Sur%20InDesign.mov?dl=0

Your Adobe Case ADB-25403876-Y7T5

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