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davidk48448725
davidk48448725
Participant
January 15, 2020
Question

InDesign crashes immediately when trying to open an important idml file

  • January 15, 2020
  • 8 replies
  • 2341 views

Using InDesign 2020, but a file that was created in InDesign 2019, the IDML file contains a lot of linked images, but the program crashes immediately when I try and open the idml file. Really hope someone can help as it is a very important file for us. 😞

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    8 replies

    L
    Community Expert
    LaubenderCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 20, 2021

    Hi Matteo,

    now that Dirk identified a possible cause for the crash, how did you resolve the issue?

     

    Regards,
    Uwe Laubender

    ( ACP )

      M
      Matteo5FA0
      Participating Frequently
      May 20, 2021

      I am waiting for confirmation from the translation office but it seems solved.

      L
      Community Expert
      LaubenderCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 19, 2021

      Dirk said: "… the composer is confused by the frame fitting options of an inlined text frame …"

       

      Hi Dirk,

      that reminds me of a bug where InDesign 2020 and 2021 is crashing when a text frame is anchored to text and the anchored frame has auto-height ( top position ) enabled and the text is forced to the baseline grid:

       

      Anchored textframe with auto-sizing/auto-adjusting "height" causes InDesign 2020 to freeze
      Matthias Fritsch, January 09, 2020

      https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/39398323-anchored-textframe-with-auto-sizing-auto-adjusting?tracking_code=85cb8072893e0c0078a76356398058f0

       

      Regards,
      Uwe Laubender

      ( ACP )

      D
      Dirk Becker
      Legend
      May 19, 2021

      Wow, you read and remember all those bug reports?

      Ah, I see that one has quite some trail. You can hear the rattling sound of the Bartwickelmaschine.

      From the code side I can also understand how noone yet has dared to solve it.

      D
      Dirk Becker
      Legend
      May 18, 2021

      A first deeper look: the composer is confused by the frame fitting options of an inlined text frame, likely one on a master spread. I've tried random shots at related properties in the IDML but had no luck, this would require more investigation. Since each test run costs serious CPU time / thumb twisting - mainly consumed by the set up and composition of those large tables before you even get to the trouble spot - I'll leave it here.

        M
        Matteo5FA0
        Participating Frequently
        May 19, 2021

        Thanks for your effort!!

        L
        Community Expert
        LaubenderCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        May 18, 2021

        Just tried to open your IDML file in InDesign 2021:

        Crash after the following message that fonts are missing; the list was not completed before the crash:

         

        Unzipping is possible without an error.

         

        Could be a bug.

        designmap.xml shows:

        product="16.1(20)"
DOMVersion="16.1"

        FWIW: The IDML file was not exported with InDesign 2019.

        "16.1(20)" is InDesign 2021.

         

        Perhaps it will help to open it in previous versions? But I doubt this will help.

        All tests done on Windows 10.

         

        Regards,
        Uwe Laubender

        ( ACP )

        M
        Matteo5FA0
        Participating Frequently
        May 18, 2021

        Exactly what happened to me.

         

        The file was exported by a CAT software by a translation of an IDML that I made with Indesign 2021. After translation this is the result.

          patriciah31384962
          patriciah31384962
          Participating Frequently
          September 19, 2023

          We found the same issue with an IDML file provided by our translation company (original file was created by us and did not cause any issues. What I did notice was that it InDsign crashed the moment the missing fonts were defined and just before it crashes I could see that the file contained Type 1 fonts which are no longer supported by Adobe (which is quite annoying when working with older files to be honest).
          Perhaps this could cause the crashes?

          Patricia Huisman

          L
          Community Expert
          LaubenderCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 18, 2021

          Speculation:

          Perhaps 1.103 Mb is too small to be a valid IDML file.

          Could be that it was not exported properly.

           

          What's your operating system?

           

          What you can try:

          IDML is a container file format. Basically something like a zip file containing files and folders.

          A strong indication that the file is damaged: Unzipping will throw an error message.

           

          How to unzip an IDML file:

          Make a duplicate of the IDML file, rename the suffix idml to zip and unzip the file.

           

          Hm…

          You could also put the IDML file on Dropbox or a similar service and post the download link so that we can look into the case.

           

          Thanks,
          Uwe Laubender

          ( ACP )

          M
          Matteo5FA0
          Participating Frequently
          May 18, 2021

          This is dropbox link:

          https://www.dropbox.com/s/qrbk05lu435qz2r/04_IBARI_00_IT-en_gb.idml?dl=0

           

          I have tried to unzip but I don't have found any mistake.

          Peter Spier
          Community Expert
          Peter SpierCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 18, 2021

          How large is the file?

          M
          Matteo5FA0
          Participating Frequently
          May 18, 2021

          1.103 Mb, too small to blame the size

          davidk48448725
          davidk48448725Author
          Participant
          January 29, 2020

          Is there anyone else who can possibly assist on this?

          M
          Matteo5FA0
          Participating Frequently
          May 18, 2021

          I have the same problem. Only on specific file.

          E
          Community Expert
          Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          May 18, 2021

          https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/troubleshoot-file-issues.html

           

          There's an email link at the bottom.

          BobLevine
          Community Expert
          BobLevineCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          January 15, 2020
          Why don't you open the INDD file?
            davidk48448725
            davidk48448725Author
            Participant
            January 16, 2020

            There isn't one 😞   I had been following an old mentor's advice that IDMLs were more universal / cross-version compatible. The project was only ever saved as an idml. Projects since have been saved as indd, but for this important project I only have the idml.

              BobLevine
              Community Expert
              BobLevineCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              January 16, 2020

              Try opening it in 2019.

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