2023Indesign .indd document loses crucial info when opened by InDesign 20.4, 2025 after 'conversion'

[hare-in-moon]

I have Indesign .indd files going back nearly 20 years. I can open a .indb from 2007 and all the files are in place, when a file is opened the various stylesheets are present in their windows. Most of the fonts are dead, but that's recoverable. 

I just opened a .indd file from 2023 and got a splashscreen informing me that the file would be converted via Creative Cloud. When it finally opened it showed up in single page view instead of spreads, and had lost all the style names, all the placed image names. I aborted opening the 2023 .indb when it informed me I'd have to convert all the documents before it would open it.

What is going on? And please do not tell me i should have saved everything as .idml : why would I NOT WANT my design details saved in the file?  I have the text in a Word doc.
Besides which the 2007 .indd opens perfectly. As have all the files from earlier versions of InDesign until today.  
Also there is no topic that accurately describes this. I'm going to assume it's a bug -- losing all that data can't be a feature. And 'import and export' is as close to 'open a native .indd file and lose information' as I can find. 

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @hare-in-moon,

Thanks for reaching out and sharing the details. I completely understand how frustrating this must be.

When opening older .indd files in newer InDesign versions, they do get converted, but all styles and links should stay intact. The loss of paragraph styles and link names you're seeing isn't expected behavior and could indicate possible file corruption.

Could you please confirm your operating system version and whether this happens with all 2023 files or just this one? Also, let me know if these files used any plugins or custom workflows.

In the meantime, please make a backup of your original files before reopening them. If possible, try opening them on another machine or InDesign version to check if the issue repeats.

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

[hare-in-moon]

Hi Abishek, and thank you.
I'm glad I uploaded the screenshots to prove this did happen, because today the same file opened without any problem at all. I haven't restarted the Mac (mac Mini M1 2020, running 15.5) and I don't think I quit/restarted InDesign since that problem occurred.  If it recurrs I'll report back on this thread. FWIW I don't use custom workflows and I haven't installed a plugin since InBooklet in CS2 (and that disappeared long ago).  

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @hare-in-moon,

Thanks so much for sharing your update, and I'm really glad to hear that the file opened fine the next time. It's definitely strange that it happened once and then resolved on its own, but it's good you took those screenshots as a record.

If it happens again, please let me know right away, and also share if it affects any other files or if it's just isolated. Additionally, keep an eye on any unexpected behavior after updates or if you notice patterns (for example, after certain actions or system sleep).

I'll stay tuned for your update if it recurs, and we’ll work together to investigate it deeper if needed.

Thanks again for staying on top of this!

Abhishek 

[BobLevine]

Do you have multiple versions of InDesign installed? Did you double click  to open it or use file>open? It sounds like you double clicked and the operating system launched an earlier version of InDesign. 

[hare-in-moon]

Bob,  InDesign2025 20.4.0.52 is the only functional copy of InDesign on this machine. Whether I double-click a file on the desktop or open the app itself from the dock, that's what runs. I checked this previously in 'About InDesign'. Also, an earlier version of InDesign wouldn't necessarily have to run the conversion: the .indd file is dated Sept 2023.
As I said to Abishek upthread, the problem did not recur this afternoon. 

[BobLevine]

If it's being converted in the cloud it was created in a LATER version of InDesign. 

[hare-in-moon]

I haven't looked at the file since I saved it in the PRESS folder in Sept 2023. So no, not created in a version of InDesign later than 2025 20.4.0.52, which is the version I'm currently running.

[BobLevine]

That's is very strange. FYI, current version of ID is 20.4.1.

[hare-in-moon]

I know, thanks. I don't allow automatic updates.