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isabelled44703090
Participant
June 30, 2025
Answered

Indesign 2025 20.4.1 crashes much too ofter for no particular reason

  • June 30, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 1115 views

This latest update 20.4.1 keeps crashing for no particular reason.

Building a 100 page magazine and have been doing so using InDesign for over 10 years.

Notice that "file may be damaged" always shows as a warning when re-opening the file.

It's scary to work in such environment and paying good money for this tool.

 

Every update adds stuff bloating the app with features I will most likely never use. Could you develop a version without all the AI and additional stuffs for people who just would want a working app? Since these frequent updates, crashes have been constant. Maybe you should survey the community and ask what they want in their app, what's important. Have tools that are pretty but don't do the job is frustrating. Sorry for the rant, but my job is on the line.

 

Ideas?

 

FYI computer has more than enough ressources, drivers are up to date, running windows 11 pro

 

 

 

 

 

Correct answer Eugene Tyson

If a document is not behaving well then try 

File>Export 
Choose IDML

Open the IDML in InDesign
Save the file as a new InDesign file with a new name
See if the issue persists.

 

------------

If it's still not working then try create a new document with same page size and margins etc.

 

With new doc open and the old one - in the old one go to the pages panel and move the pages and choose the new file. 

 

Moving the pages to a new file could erradicate issues. 

 

----

In terms of the file you're working on I would suggest exporting to IDML regularly and also using File>Save As and choose a new file name from time to time. 

 

Using the same file over and over again (maybe you don't, I'm just surmising), can cause excess code to build up in the file. 

 

-----------

From my experience, the new features don't bloat the software, they don't impact the files, the size, the speed the software operates at. 

I can use the the new features or not use them - they are having a 0 impact on performance whether I use them or not. 

 

---

That said new feautres can sometimes seem like cause and effect, or maybe effect and cause in this case. 

 

Sometimes they can affect the document in an unexpected way, I get that. 

 

When you move your files to a new version - well I do this anyway - I always use the previous version of the software to export to IDML - then open that IDML in the new version of InDesign. 

 

And the moving pages to a new document I very rarely have to do.

 

It would be good to note what operation you're performing when it crashes, it might help narrow it down. 

 

Is it during export, making a text change, moving a frame/graphic, anchoring an object, or something else?

2 replies

E
Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 1, 2025

If a document is not behaving well then try 

File>Export 
Choose IDML

Open the IDML in InDesign
Save the file as a new InDesign file with a new name
See if the issue persists.

 

------------

If it's still not working then try create a new document with same page size and margins etc.

 

With new doc open and the old one - in the old one go to the pages panel and move the pages and choose the new file. 

 

Moving the pages to a new file could erradicate issues. 

 

----

In terms of the file you're working on I would suggest exporting to IDML regularly and also using File>Save As and choose a new file name from time to time. 

 

Using the same file over and over again (maybe you don't, I'm just surmising), can cause excess code to build up in the file. 

 

-----------

From my experience, the new features don't bloat the software, they don't impact the files, the size, the speed the software operates at. 

I can use the the new features or not use them - they are having a 0 impact on performance whether I use them or not. 

 

---

That said new feautres can sometimes seem like cause and effect, or maybe effect and cause in this case. 

 

Sometimes they can affect the document in an unexpected way, I get that. 

 

When you move your files to a new version - well I do this anyway - I always use the previous version of the software to export to IDML - then open that IDML in the new version of InDesign. 

 

And the moving pages to a new document I very rarely have to do.

 

It would be good to note what operation you're performing when it crashes, it might help narrow it down. 

 

Is it during export, making a text change, moving a frame/graphic, anchoring an object, or something else?

A
anastasios_7319
Participant
October 2, 2025

Exporting as an IDML might help, but how can one open the InDesign file in the first place, in order to export it as an IDML? That's what is causing the crash.... am I missing something?

In my case I have an old InDesign file that I have backed up in the cloud, and now need to access it again.

Many thanks in advance for any helpful tips!

 

Joel Cherney
Community Expert
Joel CherneyCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 2, 2025

Exporting as an IDML might help, but how can one open the InDesign file in the first place, in order to export it as an IDML? That's what is causing the crash.... 

 

You could try Kasyan's Blind-open-and-IDML-export script, assuming you have the INDD. 

 

I can't quite tell from your post if you have it or not:

 

In my case I have an old InDesign file that I have backed up in the cloud, and now need to access it again.

 

Not sure what "backed up in the cloud" means in your case - I know that there was an InDesign Cloud file format in the beta, but you can't be talking about that, can you? If you have a file stored remotely and it crashes InDesign when you try to open it, the first step would be to just copy it to your local drive and then try to open it. 

Anubhav M
Community Manager
Anubhav MCommunity Manager
Community Manager
June 30, 2025

Hello @isabelled44703090,

I understand how frustrating it can be to experience frequent crashes with InDesign. Could you please try the troubleshooting steps outlined in this help article (https://adobe.ly/3TO16jB) and checking if they help?

Additionally, please submit the crash report using your Adobe email address and sharing the report ID here, so we can track it more efficiently. You can find the steps here: (https://adobe.ly/3TQ9O0Q).

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Anubhav

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