InDesign pannels disappeared

I'll add to this: Is the Properties panel part of your workspace? I have been unable to get it to work. I have done all the steps above (reinstalled ID, trashed cache, trashed preferences) and it still doesn't work. If I use my saved workspace that includes the Properties panel, I have to reset the workspace every time I open a doc in order to see any of my panels. My saved workspace that doesn't include the properties panel works fine.

If Derek's suggestion for resetting preferences doesn't work then you might want to they trashing your InDesign cache files. This can be helpful for interface issues.

To do so:

For Macintosh Users: The User Library folder in which InDesign’s cache files are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that InDesign is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N).With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the “Caches” folder. Within the Caches folder find and delete the entire folder “Adobe InDesign”. I find that deleting the InDesign cache folder completely leads to a lasting change. 

For Windows Users: On Windows 7 and above the caches files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\Version [#]\<Language>\Cache.

Hi Nathan:

Was your "usual one" a saved workspace with a custom name, or had you modified one of the pre-set workspaces, but not gotten around to naming it yet?

My suggestion is to take 10 minutes to re-design your workspace, then save it under a new name. If you end up improving the workspace down the road, go ahead and save it over top of the current one so that the named workspace is up to date. If you need more details, just ask us.

Finally, can you let us know if have auto-updates enabled in the CC Desktop app? I am wondering if your software auto-updated, which would reset the preset workspaces.

Three dots > Preferences > Creative Cloud > Apps:

~Barb

Press the tab key on your keyboard with the Selection tool (Black arrow) selected. Does that fix the problem?

Which version of InDesign and OS?

Have you tried changing or resetting your Workspace?

Have you tried pressing your Tab key?

If it's an application corruption trash your InDesign preferences: Close InDesign. Then hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Windows) or Cmd + Ctrl + Opt + Shift (Mac), and relaunch InDesign. Respond in the affirmative to the dialog asking if you really want to replace the preferences. (If you don't see the dialogue box, you'll need to try again.)