Large InDesign file keeps crashing when opened

Question

Hello,

InDesign keeps crashing when I try to open an indd file. I have also tried to open it in various locations as an indd and an idml file (from my local OneDrive saved files and from the desktop).

The file has 612 links weighing in at 2.71GB. The InDesign file itself is 147.6MB. It has hyperlinks throughout.

I inherited the file and it seems that it has been reused every year for at least the last 5 years.

I am using macOS Monterey version 12.3.1 with 16GB memory. My Adobe InDesign has been updated to version 18.1

I can open other InDesign files.

Is there anyone who can offer any advice or insight as I'm at a loss!

Thanks in advance

🙂

Mike Witherell · Accepted Answer

Here is a collection of troubleshooting advice and procedures:https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/reset-indesign-preferences-and-other-troubleshooting/m-p/11990234

Peter Spier · Answer

There's a Windows only tool available at INDDRecovery — a program for restoring corrupted InDesign documents that might help if you have access to a Windows machine.

When all else has failed, there's Markzware's paid recovery service: https://markzware.com/products/file-recovery-service/

If you get this recovered, do a save as to a new name to rewrite the file. And while this clearly is not a problem of your own making it illustrates the problems that can come up when you continuously "recycle" old files into new ones. For things like newletters or magazines (or anything else that has repetitive issues) it is far better, and safer, to set up templates with page layouts and styles, and to start each edition as a new file from the template.

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