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pixelwrangler7343536
Inspiring
July 21, 2025
Answered

InDesign won't allow font changes! - ver 20.4.1 x64:

  • July 21, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 382 views

Recently updated to this version. If I highlight any text and go to the font dropdown palette, when I hit the slider to move down the font list, the palette closes and I can't select another font. If I don't select any text I can choose any font I want - but then I have to retype in order to use my new font. Not a prefs issue - I checked. Ugh - I have a long document ot edit and if I have to go through this for every font change, it's going to be a very long day....

Correct answer Barb Binder

Hi @pixelwrangler7343536:

 

Not a prefs issue - I checked.

How far did you go in resetting preferences? Using the keyboard shortcut, the Reset Prefs in Preferences > General or did you get into the hidden system files and remove content there?

 

~Barb

3 replies

Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 21, 2025

Hi @pixelwrangler7343536:

 

Glad you are back on track.

 

InDesign preferences can become corrupt over time (and in my person observation, more frequently after an update when the user migrates preferences). Knowing how to clear them is important to any InDesign user. You might want to bookmark this thread so that you have it the next time InDesign begins to behave erratically: https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/

 

And maybe take a quick look at this one which explains how not to migrate preferences and why it isn't that big a deal to disable the feature: https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-how-to-copy-your-presets-after-an-update/

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
Barb Binder
Community Expert
Barb BinderCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 21, 2025

Hi @pixelwrangler7343536:

 

Not a prefs issue - I checked.

How far did you go in resetting preferences? Using the keyboard shortcut, the Reset Prefs in Preferences > General or did you get into the hidden system files and remove content there?

 

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training
    Peter Spier
    Community Expert
    Peter SpierCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 21, 2025

    and to add to @Barb Binder's question, did you delete the InDesign cache files? UI problems are often cache related.

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      pixelwrangler7343536Author
      Inspiring
      July 21, 2025

      Thanks. I dunno what the "correct" way to clear the prefs might be these days, but the "old" method - still  recommended all over the place - Ctl + Alt +Shift +click to start = no longer a validw ay to do it. I ended up doing the reset from within InDesign, and that worked after I did it twice (!). Edit/Prefs/General/reset prefs on Quit.

      I'm always afraid that Windows "updates" tend to potentially contain big collections of software "exploders,
      " tho'...

      D
      Dirk Becker
      Legend
      July 21, 2025

      Can you tell more about the font?

      Is this repeatable after IDML roundtrip, or maybe with a snippet that you could share?

      Woud either "Find/Change" or "Find/Replace Font" be an option?

       

      P
      pixelwrangler7343536Author
      Inspiring
      July 21, 2025

      Not the font, that's for sure. It wouldn't let me even get to the point where I could click on one. Using the Find/Change is IMHO 'way too clunky for something this simple.

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