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January 14, 2026
Answered

InDesign files corrupted and unable to save after Windows 11 update KB5074109 (January 2026)

  • January 14, 2026
  • 89 replies
  • 47733 views

Hello, is anyone able to use InDesign now ? 

I am experiencing a severe issue with InDesign where files are reported as corrupted, and I am unable to save them under any circumstances.

  1. When opening an older file, InDesign initially reported that some image links were missing. I relinked and updated all the images.
  2. After updating the images,  the file suddenly started showing as corrupted. Attempts to repair the file failed, and I could not save the file.
  3. To troubleshoot, I tried creating a completely new document. Even in a brand new file, as soon as I add a colour block to the parent page, InDesign immediately reports that the file is corrupted and will not allow saving (while it's a brand new file ?!)
  4. I have tried multiple versions of InDesign, including 2025 and 2026/21.1, and also reinstalled the software and reset preferences, disabled GPU preferences, but the issue persists. 
  5. Every time I attempt to add a certain colour block, the file becomes unsavable. I tried to open all of my previous files with InDesign (which were all perfectly fine BEFORE), now they ALL suddenly show as "corrupted".

 

Has anyone encountered a similar problem? Is there a known workaround for this bug or a solution? Please help, I am a startup art business and all my proposals, business plans, and invitations to clients are all based on InDesign. Thank you.

 

<Title renamed by MOD>

Correct answer Abhishek Rao

Hi everyone,

 

Thank you again for your patience while the team investigated this issue. I wanted to share that the fix is now available in the general release version of InDesign 21.4.

This is the same issue that was being tracked in the following UserVoice report:
https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180/suggestions/50715731

If you were affected by the Times New Roman, Calibri, or related font recognition issues, please update InDesign to version 21.4 through the Creative Cloud Desktop app and test your affected documents again.

Once updated, please let us know your observations. If you still encounter the issue after updating to 21.4, feel free to share the details here, including your InDesign version, OS version, and any screenshots of the missing font behavior, and we'll be happy to investigate further.

 

Thanks again for all your patience, testing, and feedback throughout this process.

Abhishek

 

 

<Marking as correct for better visibility on the thread>

89 replies

Participant
January 20, 2026

I am having endless issue and am freaking out in a quite - panic as every file I open since InDesign updated is corrupting. I am having to recreate files from scratch at my own time deficit which is costing me dearly! I am furious and this kind of thing never happened in the 'old days'. I have been using Apple since LC2. Honestly the fee monthly is a double burner on this and I am not skilled enough to know how to fix it bar the fact that I have hundreds of files that are 'corrupting' when I try to reopen them! I have been with Adobe from the get go and this is off sides! Best they fix this very flippen quickly.  Reimbursment of monthly sub to start glabally will help too! With our AI smarts and advanced knowledge it seems we are going backwards. Future creep sunk many a ship! WHY Abobe?

Participating Frequently
January 20, 2026

Currently experiencing this now, started for me on 19th Janauary 2026. Experiencing the same issues, showing any new or pre existing files as corrupt when trying to save document. Won't allow me to save any documents. This needs to be fixed asap Adobe. All I'm getting is errors and not able to save docs.

Participant
January 20, 2026

Saw this in another forum and it seemed to have helped.

If you re-install Creative Cloud...Doing the same to In-Design seems to do nothing

January 20, 2026

This is starting to become a real pain. InDesign has become practically unusable.
Yes I know there's a slight workaround by saving/working off files on a local drive but when you work off multiple shared files per day that's not really ideal is it? 
Also, the other workaround of deleting the latest windows security update (KB5074109) is not possible, the IT department in work just will not allow it for obvious reasons.

This issue needs fixed ASAP.

January 20, 2026

It`s such a mess that Adobe had nothing to fix it. Deinstalling this update don't works.

 

Nix5tar404
Inspiring
January 23, 2026

This isnt the first time this has happened either.. I'm getting sick of this! Affinity is looking better every day..

Participant
January 20, 2026

Between this Error Code 2 and the disappearing text boxes... it's driving me crazy. Please find a fix ASAP.

 

January 20, 2026

My solution that is working.  I have moved my Indesign file to a new folder that is NOT in Dropbox. I have the images and other files that will be placed into the file, still in my Dropbox folder.   After I am finished with my file, I save a copy of the file in a Dropbox folder as a backup.  But only work on the file not in the Dropbox.  This works and I am back in business.

Participant
January 20, 2026

chaimm14507597's solution is the best temporary workaround we've found so far, would recommend to anyone still struggling.

Participating Frequently
January 20, 2026

Wow. This bug just cost me several hours of work tonight as I was scrambling to make a deadline. (I thought my NVME might be failing before I found this thread.) I appreciate that this issue was created by Microsoft, but please, Adobe, find a fix as quickly as possible.

Participant
January 20, 2026

Keen to know the progress on the fix from Adobe on this issue. I work with Onedrive and even though i keep a copy of all files on my local drive Indesign keeps crashing and I'm unable to progress any of my work. I'm also not authorised to roll back the latest Windows update for security reasons. This issue is having a significant impact on my work productivity, appreaciate a fix ASAP.

Regards

January 19, 2026

I installed an older version of Dropbox (specifically 232.4.5988) and everything started working perfectly again. After that, InDesign stopped crashing and the files were no longer getting corrupted.

January 19, 2026

The exact same is happening to me. I have made several new documents from scratch and soon enough those get the same corrupt message stopping me from saving or exporting. However, I noticed its not just certain images / links / colour blocks, as one file that its happening to is entirely just black and white text. 

 

I'm honestly so frustrated and stuck just restarting files over and over again so I can get a quick export for the time being. 

January 19, 2026

It's been borking on me the last few days, too. I uploaded the prerelease 21.2 as suggested in previous threads and jumped through all the other hoops. That didn't work. Then I moved everything I'm working on to a physical hard drive instead of saving to OneDrive. It's been working like a champ this morning. Might try that. 

January 19, 2026

Yes, I've been experiencing these problems -- have tried several "solutions" to no avail. Sometimes files save (or changes are saved) even though I'm told it couldn't be saved; but sometimes not too. Very frustrating.

leo.r
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 20, 2026
quote

Yes, I've been experiencing these problems -- have tried several "solutions" to no avail. Sometimes files save (or changes are saved) even though I'm told it couldn't be saved; but sometimes not too. Very frustrating.

By @12winters

 

Did you try to uninstall the Windows update mentioned here? Because this should solve the problem.