InDesign 21.3 - I randomly continue to get the blue spinning wheel, then InDesign semi-freezes.

Forum|Forum|22 days ago
May 8, 2026
5 replies
136 views

I am using InDesign 21.3, working on a simple 2 page file, I go to place a logo and the blue thinking wheel pops up and doesn’t go away. I can click and move things around but none of it is being “saved”. I close the file and click to close the program and it just sits there still open. I then have to force quit the program. When I relaunch the file opens with the software and everything I did while the wheel was spinning was not saved.

It’s done this several times since the update and there is no pattern to why. I’m finding it randomly acting up. It’s really frustrating, especially when I’m not working on anything complicated.

Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience and for sharing all the detailed observations and troubleshooting steps. I’ve now logged this as a bug with the product team, and the issue is currently being investigated. I’ll continue to keep this thread posted as soon as I receive further updates from the team.

In the meantime, the current workaround is the one already mentioned earlier in the thread: please try disabling the Generative AI options in InDesign Preferences via the Edit menu and then test the workflow again to see if that helps prevent the freeze while placing or updating files.

Please let me know if disabling those options improves the behavior on your system, as that information will also help with the investigation.

Thanks again for your support and patience while we work through this.

Abhishek

Abhishek Rao

Correct answer

Community Manager

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your patience and for sharing all the detailed observations and troubleshooting steps. I’ve now logged this as a bug with the product team, and the issue is currently being investigated. I’ll continue to keep this thread posted as soon as I receive further updates from the team.

In the meantime, the current workaround is the one already mentioned earlier in the thread: please try disabling the Generative AI options in InDesign Preferences via the Edit menu and then test the workflow again to see if that helps prevent the freeze while placing or updating files.

Please let me know if disabling those options improves the behavior on your system, as that information will also help with the investigation.

Thanks again for your support and patience while we work through this.

Abhishek

Mike Witherell

Community Expert

Are you seeing the Background Tasks spinning?

I wonder if this still works in this aging helpx:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/pdf-export-background-task-hangs.html

Mike Witherell

leo.r

Community Expert

A possible solution for this particular issue (which is mentioned in the threads posted by @Abhishek Rao) is to disable the new Generative AI options in Preferences.

Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @dmc-sbccd,

Thanks for reaching out, and I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing this issue.

Could you please share the details requested by the expert, including your complete system specifications along with the exact OS version and build number?

Also, please go through the threads below and let us know if your issue matches the behavior discussed there:

https://community.adobe.com/questions-671/indesign-freezes-when-placing-updating-placed-files-help-1557069?postid=1557069#post1557069

https://community.adobe.com/questions-671/indesign-21-3-freezes-with-endless-loading-cursor-when-placing-images-on-windows-11-1560065?postid=1560065#post1560065

https://community.adobe.com/questions-671/indesign-semi-freezes-with-background-task-spinning-when-placing-or-replacing-images-1559909?postid=1559909#post1559909

If the issue matches, please share the requested details in this thread as well so we can continue checking this with the product team:

https://community.adobe.com/questions-671/indesign-21-3-freezes-with-endless-loading-cursor-when-placing-images-on-windows-11-1560065?postid=7553142#post7553142

Please let us know your observations after reviewing the threads.

Abhishek