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Indesign Server 2026 Premium (21.3.0.60) First instance runs successfully, 2nd instance stops immediately with: failed. date must not be null

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Indesign Server 2026 Premium (21.3.0.60)

First instance runs successfully, 2nd instance stops immediately with: failed. date must not be null

Created new installer package and reinstalled Indesing

Updated Visual C++ runtime

checked system for errors.

No effect, One one Indesign instance will run. all others stop immediately.

Abhishek RaoCorrect answer

Community Manager

Hi @haukemac,

Thanks for your patience while we checked this with the InDesign Server team.

Since the issue occurs specifically when InDesign Server is launched through your Java application running as a Windows Service, please open a support case through your Adobe Admin Console and include the details and logs shared here. The team will investigate this further with you through the support case.

Thanks,
Abhishek

H

haukemacAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hello @Abhishek Rao

the configuration is ok. It’s a licensing issue, Indesign stops when started with a different Windows user. Enabling the logging to the Windows Events shows that.

best regards

hauke

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B

Brave_athleted87f

Participant

This likely points to an instance-specific configuration issue. Since the first instance works, compare the second instance’s startup parameters, ports, permissions, and configuration files. Also check the InDesign Server logs immediately after the second instance fails. The “date must not be null” error should provide a clue there.🌃

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D

Dirk Becker

Legend

Is your Java process on that machine running with a different user, so that InDesign also picks up the different user?

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H

haukemacAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hi Dirk, yes, each services runs with a dedicated users. But this was no problem with all Indesign versions so far. Problems started with Indesign 2026, I assume the license check has been changed in this version

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H

haukemacAuthor

Participating Frequently

Just stared it with -LogToApplicationEventLog
Result: [server] Adobe InDesign Server is not properly licensed and will now quit. [6432] [16071]

Yet the question remains, if this is a bug. As the license is valid as far as I can tell

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Abhishek Rao

Community Manager

Hi @haukemac,

Thanks for reaching out, and I'm sorry you're running into this issue. I understand how frustrating it must be especially be.

Based on the licensing message you found in the Event Log, could you please try the following steps?

Ensure that your InDesign Server license is valid and properly activated. If needed, create a license-only package from the Adobe Admin Console and activate it using the Adobe Licensing Toolkit:
https://adobe.ly/4gZKpie
Try serializing the product again using both the online and offline activation methods to rule out any serialization issues.
If the issue persists, close InDesign Server and delete the following folders before re-serializing:

Windows:

C:\ProgramData\Adobe\SLStore

C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\SLCache

macOS:

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/SLStore

/Library/Application Support/Adobe/SLCache
If the issue still occurs, please check the logs for any additional errors beyond the licensing message and share them with us.
After completing the above steps, try launching multiple InDesign Server instances again and let us know if the second instance starts successfully.

You may also find this article helpful for troubleshooting InDesign Server licensing issues:
https://adobe.ly/4fxhZtl

Please let us know the results, and we'll be happy to continue investigating with you.

Abhishek

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H

haukemacAuthor

Participating Frequently

Hello Abhishek,

thank your your answer. I did all the steps above, registering was successful, yet the problem persists. There is no other error message except the ones I already mentioned.

But I have new insights, we start Indesign via our own JavaApplication which is registered as Windows Service (prunsrv.exe) But this works on many other installations, also with Indesign 2026 Server, without problems.

Our tool starts Indesign in the context of a dedicated user:
7.23-09:13:08.911 INFO : AutostartLayoutApp Adobe InDesign Server 2026[http://localhost:16071]: log: Executing "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign Server 2026\InDesignServer.exe -port 16071 -configuration test1202616071"
2026.07.23-09:13:13.520 INFO : AutostartLayoutApp Adobe InDesign Server 2026[http://localhost:16071]: log: Execution of "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign Server 2026\InDesignServer.exe -port 16071 -configuration test1202616071" failed. date must not be null

EventViewer:
[server] Adobe InDesign Server is not properly licensed and will now quit. [4232] [16071]

But when I start our tool manually, not as Windows service, then it works. As said, same application with Indesign 2026 on other machines do not have the problem when running as Windows service. So License lookup fails, when our java application is running as service and starts Indesign. Only one service runs successfully.

BTW, this folder does not exist: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\SLStore

best regards

hauke

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