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keithconover
keithconover
Inspiring
November 27, 2024
Question

No or wrong workspace on startup

  • November 27, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 299 views

I have a problem. I have a workspace called Keith. It is my default. When I open a file on my laptop, it opens with the Keith workspace. However, when I open a file on my desktop, it opens with either the Essentials workspace or no workspace. I have trashed my preferences, twice, once with an older version and just now with InDesign 2025. I keep my worskpaces synced between my laptop and desktop using GoodSync (wonderful program). I just moved all of my workspaces to a backup folder and then copied all of my workspaces from my laptop to my desktop but the problem persists. Obviously there is something that is not in a workspace file, and not in Preferences, that is telling InDesign the wrong thing about which workspace I want.

 

Anyone have any idea where that erroneous information resides and how I can correct it?

 

Thanks in advance.

1 reply

E
Community Expert
Eugene TysonCommunity Expert
Community Expert
November 28, 2024

I don't think workspaces are file dependent. 

 

You need to just make your desktop the default setting by setting your Workspace with no documents open. 

 

That should be default going forward. 

 

Maybe good sync is interfering with this - try disabling it to see if it resolves any issues as a test.

    keithconover
    keithconoverAuthor
    Inspiring
    December 6, 2024

    Thanks, Eugene. I never updated my GoodSync jobs to point at the InDesign 2025 (20.x) version's workspaces etc., so GoodSync hasn't touched those.

     

    The following was the way things worked before I trashed and manually rebuilt my preferences, and still the same way after I trashed them.

     

    I've been playing around trying to see if there is a pattern. Also worth noting: with the same workspace, same files, same InDesign version (20.x) and the same files this doesn't occur on my laptop. (Yes, I have considered consulting an exorcist.)

     

    Here is what I just tried:

     

    open InDesign >

    no workspace is active >

    change workspace to Keith >

    close InDesign >

    open InDesign  >

    Keith workspace is now active

    So far so good.

     

    File >

    Open >

    AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd >

    Essentials workspace is now active >

    switch workspace to Keith >

    File >

    Save As > [save over itself in case something is embedded in the file about the workspace]

    close InDesign >

    open Indesign >

    NO workspace is now selected >

    File >

    Open >

    AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd

    Essentials workspace is again selected.

    close InDesign

    open InDesign (no workspace selected, change to Keith)

    File > Open > AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd (workspace Keith still selected)

    File > Close > (no workspace selected)

    File > Open > AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd (workspace Essentials selected)

     

    close InDesign

    open InDesign

    File > Open > AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd (workspace Essentials selected)

    change workspace to Keith

    File > Exit (without closing AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd first)

     

    open InDesign (no workspace selected, leave that way)

    File > Open > AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd (workspace Essentials selected, change to Keith)

    (add a space so the file is changed, save file)

    File > Close

    File > Exit

    open InDesign (no workspace selected, leave that way)

    File > Open > AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd (workspace Essentials selected, give up and throw up my hands in disgust)

     

    One more try:

    Right-click InDesign TaskBar icon > pick AppSAR-6-Wilderness-First-Aid-1.indd from recent files

    (no workspace selected at all)

     

    Right-click InDesign TaskBar icon > pick AppSAR-1-Short-Term-Survival.indd (Essentials workspace selected)

     

    I tried emptying out my Workspaces folder by moving everything except for the Keith workspace to a backup folder. Failed. InDesign recreated (or copied) the Essentials workspace to my folder and started using it just as above.

     

    Sigh… I am so confused…

     

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