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Answered

InDesign 2023 makes a read only file

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
October 27, 2022
66 replies
74375 views

I have just updated to the 2023 InDesign, and now suddently my documents are read-only and I cannot save the file, but have to make a save as version and give the document a new name everytime I have to save my work.

Do you know why this is happening? And how to avoid this?

Performance

Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Hi everyone,

Thank you for continuing to share your feedback and experiences regarding the read-only file issue. I wanted to provide an update that a bug has already been logged with the product team, and they are currently looking for additional diagnostic information to help identify the root cause.

If you're able to reproduce the issue and have access to an InDesign Prerelease build, the team would greatly appreciate logs from an affected system. To enable logging, please create an empty file named ENABLE_DOCUMENT_OPEN_LOGGING inside the following location:

/Applications/Adobe InDesign 2026 (Prerelease)/Resources/Cookies/

If the Cookies folder does not exist, please create it first and then create the empty file inside it.

On macOS, you can create the file from Terminal using:

touch ENABLE_DOCUMENT_OPEN_LOGGING

Once logging has been enabled, please reproduce the workflow that causes the document to open as read-only.

After reproducing the issue, please collect and share the contents of the following folder:

macOS:
~/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign (Prerelease)

Windows:
C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign (Prerelease)

These logs will help the engineering team better understand what is happening during document opening and permission handling.

If you're able to provide the logs, please let me know and I'll help coordinate getting them to the team for analysis. Your assistance would be extremely valuable in helping us move this investigation forward.

Thank you again for your patience and continued cooperation.

Abhishek

Show previous replies

davidt12412601

Inspiring

Here's a small suggestion to help deal with this ongoing problem. We recently just added an 'AFTER_OPEN' eventlistener that just throws an alert when a document is opened read only. It's only purpose is to make sure the user is aware immediately, before starting to work on the document. Often, just closing and reopening is enough to get the document open without the read only status. It's a silly workaround, but it may help a little.

P

porkozone

Participating Frequently

I'm curious how you detected it as read only? I tried to do something similar using InDesign's applescript library, and could not "see" it as read only. What is in your eventlistener that detects this?

davidt12412601

Inspiring

@porkozone Here's what I'm using. Bear in mind that I know almost nothing about event listeners, but this is working for me.

//@targetengine CheckReadOnlyOpenEvent

(function(){
if ( !app.eventListeners.itemByName( 'readOnlyCheckOnOpen' ).isValid ) {
    var a = app.addEventListener( 'afterOpen', readOnlyCheckOnOpen );
    a.name = 'readOnlyCheckOnOpen';
    
    function readOnlyCheckOnOpen( myEvent ){
        
        if( myEvent.target instanceof Document ){
            if( myEvent.target.readOnly ) {
                alert( "Document opened READ ONLY!\nIf this isn't intended, try \nclosing and opening the file again." );
            }
        }
    }
} else {
    alert( 'EventListener is already installed.' );
}

})();

A

adrih24445711

Participating Frequently

@ adobe
as long as this issue isn't solved, the share for review functionality in indesign is useless. fix it asap. it is destructive to workflow and collaboration

karend23069192

Inspiring

I have the same problem with InDesign files opening as Read Only files. None of the "tips" resolve the issue. It's very disruptive to my workflow and frustrating. Not sure why Adobe isn't putting more effort into resolving the issue as it's clearly a widespread problem for many users. I remember when Quark, who once was the industry standard, didn't put the effort into their software that customers expected and eventually something else came along (InDesign) and everyone jumped shipped. Waiting for either Adobe to fix the problem or something better to come along...whichever one comes first.

pifath67

Participating Frequently

I am absolutely with you...
It's the same in our company.
I wrote a personal message about this a week ago to an Adobe employee - who has posted a meaningless message here every few months. Unfortunately, no response to date.
I guess that says it all...
Sad, sad.

K

Kevin at Hearts

Participant

I seem to be able to bypass the "Read Only" by opening the file through the Windows Explorer (PC). If I open the file in InDesign, I get the "Read Only" message. All the other "fixes" have not helped. I'm currently on v19.1

J

jonnymonty

Participating Frequently

WHEN WILL THIS BE FIXED???? This is not a small bug it is a fundamental issue for 1000's of users worldwide. Adobe??????????????

J

jeffl77404959

Participant

This problem has not been fixed or addressed in any way. I'm making mistakes making edits against deadlines in the wrong file because I have to keep saving versions. Adobe is costing me money at this point. Thanks for nothing.

N

Nikola33562194qn9u

Participant

I have the same problem in my environment. I have Synology NAS as a small server and 3 computers that are connected. On two it appears non stop read only file.
I have tried all possible options that exist. And everyone has rights to everything. A passerby can wink and smile now but it still doesn't work.
This is very unserious that things like this are not announced or published so that people know they have a problem and not spend my time like this and hire people to solve this and the problem is in the program.
Really rude.

And when do you think this will be resolved??? I pay for a package to use it and now I can only watch......

S

sbiscardi

Participating Frequently

After a year of this, I was really hoping it was fixed. I see that it is not just me. It doesn't happen to my co workers at all, so I am really frustrated. It has caused so many errors and so many duplicate files. Such chaos. Really expected more from Adobe. ugh, so frustrating. Infuriating that Adobe no longr repsonds.

S

Stephen283171470wfc

Participating Frequently

This is a constant problem since version 18 and has never been properly fixed by Adobe. I'm pretty sure it's caused by a timing issue in SMB packets but it should be Adobe's problem to fix this not mine.

pifath67

Participating Frequently

We have just updated to InDesign 19.1.
Surprise, surprise: absolutely NOTHING has changed with regard to the problem of write-protected files and the problem with overwriting in PDF export.
I think I'm giving up hope.
The only thing we can probably expect from Adobe is that the subscription will get more and more expensive and the software will get worse and worse...

J

Jim27186468bpg8

Participating Frequently

pifath67 man I feel your pain. you have been a loud voice here and I for one appreciate it. nothings seems to be happening. The Adobe reps don't even comment anymore. not even comments with false hope! just silence. Isn't this an actual Adobe forum? Not sure. One thing I am sure of is, Read Only files seem to be here to stay. What a complete pain after almost 20 years of using InDesign and me singing it's praises all those years.... I feel like I have been punched in the gut. This is really sad.

[Abuse removed by moderator]

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