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Inspiring
April 29, 2025
Answered

Turn off Convert PDF to InDesign Document (Beta)

  • April 29, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 637 views

This feature was installed without my knowing it. It slows down my workflow because it takes forever to do a conversion and the cancel button doesn't work. I've accidentally activated it about four times today. I want to turn it off/uninstall it, but the Adobe page describing the feature doesn't tell me how. It's a beta, so I should be able to opt out. Anyone know how?

Correct answer Dave Creamer of IDEAS

You couldn't have made the error prior to the latest version since the Open menu would not have shown PDFs as an option. 

 

You didn't mention if you have file extensions showing or not. That will help identifiy the PDFs. Also, on my Mac and Windows computers, the icons show up as Acrobat icons and not InDesign icons. 

 

You can go to UserVoice and register your request. Be sure to search first to see if someone already has, so you can upvote it.

https://indesign.uservoice.com/

1 reply

Dave Creamer of IDEAS
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 29, 2025

I don't think there is anyway to disable it. However, you must be opening PDFs, so it not an accident. Do you have your file extensions showing (.pdf, .indd, etc.)? If not, turn them on, it will lessen the accidental selection of PDFs during open.

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)
Are__KayAuthor
Inspiring
April 29, 2025

Thanks. Let's just agree to disagree about what the nature of accidental means. In my case I consider it an accident that I clicked on the proof PDF file instead of the INDD and initated this unwanted conversion. I certainly didn't do it with intention. Having made this error prior to the beta would have had no effect (which is why I wanted to turn off the beta).

I guess I need to be more careful from now on, since there's no way to turn it off. But how exactly is something Beta if doesn't include a way to opt out of it?

IMHO, it's a bit niche and should not be so easy to activate. I have a fairly powerful machine and it's still a very long, frustrating wait to reverse the error. I feel sympathy for anyone who makes this mistake on a more modest machine. 

Robert at ID-Tasker
Legend
April 29, 2025

@Are__Kay

 

When / where / how exactly have you clicked on this PDF?

 

Outside of InDesign - and you've InDesign set as default application to open PDFs?