I am facing frequent hanging issues with the latest update of Adobe InDesign software. Please fix this problem as soon as possible so that I can work smoothly.

As this is happening several times throughout the day and during operations such as placing images or Word files, some troubleshooting is needed to determine whether the cause is InDesign itself, the document, the linked files, or the storage location.

Start by resetting the InDesign preferences.

Reset preferences on Windows

1. Close InDesign.

2. Hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift.

3. While holding the keys, launch InDesign.

4. Confirm that you want to delete the preference files when prompted.

Reset preferences on macOS

1. Close InDesign.

2. Hold Control + Option + Command + Shift.

3. While holding the keys, launch InDesign.

4. Confirm that you want to delete the preference files when prompted.

Please note that this resets customised preferences and some application settings.

You can also manually clear the InDesign cache.

Windows

1. Close InDesign.

2. Open File Explorer.

3. Enter the following in the address bar:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Adobe\InDesign

4. Rename the folder for the affected InDesign version, for example by adding “Old” to the folder name.

5. Restart InDesign.

macOS

1. Close InDesign.

2. In Finder, select Go > Go to Folder.

3. Enter:

~/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign

4. Rename or move the folder for the affected InDesign version.

5. Restart InDesign.

Next, create a new blank document and test placing a simple JPG and a basic Word document stored locally on the computer. This will help determine whether the problem affects all files or only particular documents.

Please also confirm where the InDesign documents, images and Word files are stored:

• On the local computer

• On a network server

• In OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox or another synchronised folder

• On a remote location accessed through a VPN

Copy one affected InDesign document and all its linked files to a local folder, such as the Desktop, and test it there. Do not open the original file directly from an email attachment, browser download location, network server or synchronised cloud folder.

If the locally stored file works correctly, the issue may be related to network latency, cloud synch, VPN performance, permissions/security scanning.

Other useful tests include:

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > GPU Performance on Windows, or InDesign > Preferences > GPU Performance on macOS, and disable GPU Performance. Restart InDesign and test again.

2. Temporarily disconnect the VPN, where company policy allows, and test with local files.

3. Check whether antivirus, endpoint security, backup or synchronisation software is scanning the InDesign document, linked images, Word files or InDesign recovery folders.

4. Temporarily disable third-party InDesign plug-ins. You can also launch InDesign while holding Shift to prevent optional third-party plug-ins from loading, then test again.

5. Check the amount of free space on the system drive. InDesign requires available disk space for temporary files, recovery data and document operations.

6. Test whether the issue occurs with one particular Word file or image. Try placing a newly created Word document containing only a few lines of text and a standard local JPG.

7. Check the Links panel for missing, modified or inaccessible links.

8. Temporarily disable or remove recently installed fonts, particularly if the freezing occurs while opening documents or placing Word files.

9. Sign out of the Creative Cloud Desktop application, restart the computer and sign back in.

10. Check whether the same document behaves normally when opened from a different user account on the computer.

Please provide the following information:

• Exact InDesign version, for example 21.0.1

• Windows or macOS version

• Whether the documents and links are local, on a server or cloud-synchronised

• Whether a VPN is connected

• Antivirus or endpoint-security software in use

• Whether the problem affects all documents or only certain files

• Whether InDesign shows “Not Responding” temporarily or remains frozen indefinitely

• Whether any third-party plug-ins are installed

The Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool can be used only after the preference reset, cache reset, local-file test and plug-in/security checks have failed.

Before using it, uninstall InDesign through the Creative Cloud Desktop application and choose the option to remove preferences when offered. Restart the computer, reinstall InDesign and test again.

If the issue continues after a normal reinstall, the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool can then be considered. Make sure any custom scripts, workspaces, presets, plug-ins and preferences are backed up first, as the tool can remove application components and settings.

Please share more information so that it gives some hint to the Adobe team. Did you try trashing InDesign preferences? Does this happen when you are working with some file or all files? Does it happen when you do certain operation or there is no pattern to it?