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Bewitched_perspective408b
Participant
September 9, 2026
Answered

Why are my Adobe programs unlinking everything when nothing has changed?

  • September 9, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 101 views

Recently I have had issues with Adobe programs missing links (specifically Illustrator and InDesign).

For reference, all my files are on dropbox and I work directly from there. I will work on a file, save, and then the next day when I open it again it tells me all my links are missing and I need to relink them. It NEVER used to do this and it is getting very frustrating.

Is this the result of an update? Is there some secret setting I can turn off?

    Correct answer BobLevine

    Make sure that any smart sync features are turned off in Dropbox and that all files are fully synced to your local harddrive, not downloaded on demand.

    6 replies

    detailed_Whisper6b18
    Participant
    September 25, 2026

    If your Adobe apps are suddenly becoming unlinked even though you haven't changed anything, I'd first check whether the Creative Cloud desktop app is still signed in correctly and whether it has recently updated.

    You could also try signing out and back into Creative Cloud, then check whether the affected applications are still listed under your account. If the issue continues, checking your Creative Cloud installation and account status may help identify whether it's an authentication or installation-related problem.

    If you can share which Adobe applications are being unlinked and what you mean by “unlinking,” it would be easier to narrow down the cause.

    Bewitched_perspective408bAuthor
    Participant
    September 9, 2026

    Darn. Unfortunately it’s still happening to me, even though the files are fully synced to my hard drive. I’m also getting a weird error where the links do not have any indication of being missing (no red warning) but then it won’t let me save out as a pdf because they can’t be found.

    nik.m
    Community Manager
    nik.mCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    September 18, 2026

    Hi @Bewitched_perspective408b, I’m sorry you’re still experiencing this issue. Could you please share your InDesign version and your computer’s operating system?

     

    Thanks,
    Nikunj

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    September 9, 2026

    Hi ​@Bewitched_perspective408b,

     

    Sorry you're dealing with this repeatedly. Could you please try Bob's suggestion and let us know whether making the files local resolves the issue?

    Additionally, please make the entire project folder available offline in Dropbox, including the InDesign/Illustrator document and all linked assets, rather than only the main document. In Dropbox, right-click the project folder and choose Make available offline, then wait until it shows as fully synced before reopening the document. 

    Looking forward to your observations.

     

    Thanks,
    Abhishek

    BobLevine
    Community Expert
    BobLevineCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    September 9, 2026

    Make sure that any smart sync features are turned off in Dropbox and that all files are fully synced to your local harddrive, not downloaded on demand.

      Bewitched_perspective408bAuthor
      Participant
      September 9, 2026

      Hi Bob,

      Thanks for the note. I’ve double checked and I had set the folder to be available offline but it looked like there may have been a delay or glitch. I’ve set it up again, so I’m going to check tomorrow (if I reopen the file the same day I haven’t been having any issues - just when I open it another day).

      I’ll let you know if that fixed it!

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