Command-Z shortcut stops working

[Tommas B]

Hello, even though I completely uninstalled InDesign (including all old versions) and then reinstalled it, I’m still experiencing the same bug: when I open another InDesign document, suddenly the Command-Z shortcut stops working. I'm using the latest version of InDesign and macOS Sequoia — though this issue has been happening for years across different versions of InDesign and macOS. Can anyone help? It’s incredibly frustrating and such a waste of time.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Tommas B,

Thanks for reaching out, and I completely understand how disruptive this issue can be. Since you've already tried reinstalling InDesign and the problem still persists, could you confirm if it happens consistently with any specific files or even blank documents? Also, does the Command-Z shortcut stop working only after switching between tabs, or is it triggered by a particular action? Moreover, please confirm if by latest you mean the InDesign 20.4.1. 

If you haven't already, please try resetting your InDesign preferences once. Just make sure to back them up before doing so. You can find the steps here: Reset InDesign Preferences. Additionally, testing the behavior in a new local admin user profile or Safe Mode could help isolate any user-specific or third party conflicts.

If possible, a short screen recording showing the issue in action would really help us understand the pattern better and share it with the product team for further checks.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes!

Abhishek 

[Tommas B]

Hello Abhishek,

Thanks for your message. Here’s some additional information:

• I'm working with InDesign 20.4.1.
  
  

• I've deleted the preferences countless times already, as it's the only way to restart InDesign and be able to work with a document again without the error occurring.
  
  

• However, as soon as I open an older InDesign document, the error appears — both in the old document and the newly opened one.
  
  

• In Safe Mode, I can't properly open InDesign at all. I immediately encounter a new bug that came with the installation of the latest InDesign version. A window pops up saying “Cancelling, please wait…” — then the program freezes and shortly after crashes. I then have to reopen InDesign by deleting the preferences again, and can open and work on one InDesign file… but once I open another file, the whole cycle starts over again.
  
  Regards, Tommas

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Tommas B,

Since the problem continues even after a full clean setup, this suggests there might be some file-level corruption or conflict coming from those older documents. I recommend creating a brand-new document from scratch and working only in that file for a while to see if Cmd-Z remains stable. If it does, that would confirm the issue is linked to the older files.

Also, please try running InDesign without migrating any old assets or preferences, and temporarily disable any plugins or third-party utilities to rule out conflicts.

If possible, share a sample of an older document that triggers the issue and a short screen recording showing exactly when Cmd-Z stops working. If the document is confidential, feel free to share it via DM on the community.

Let me know how it goes. I'll be watching for your update so we can continue troubleshooting this together!

Abhishek 

[Tommas B]

Hi Abhishek ...

when I create a new InDesign document after having deleted the preferences beforehand, I can work with it without the problem occurring.

If I then open an older InDesign document — either at the same time or after saving and closing the new one —the problem usually appears right away. For example, the window showing missing links doesn't appear at all.

I’ve already tested running InDesign without third-party plugins and also tested without old preferences (see also my comment to Barb Binder). The problem still occurred.

The issue always appears when opening older InDesign files, even if those files didn’t show any problems when they were originally created.

Thank you and best regards, Tommas

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Tommas B,

Thank you so much for sharing all these detailed steps. From what you've described, it looks like the issue consistently appears only when opening older documents, which suggests there might be some hidden corruption or conflicts carried over from those files, even if they seemed fine initially.

As a next step, I recommend creating a brand-new document and then using the File > Place command to gradually bring in content from the older files, instead of opening them directly. This can help isolate and break any underlying corruption and allow you to rebuild the file in a cleaner environment. Keep an eye out to see if the problem starts right after adding certain elements, as this could help pinpoint what's triggering it.

You can also try opening your old documents and saving them as IDML files. Then, open the IDML and save it again as a new INDD file to see if Command-Z works properly there.

If possible, it would be really helpful to have a sample file that reproduces the problem and a short screen recording of when Command-Z stops working. You can share the file privately through a community DM if needed.

Looking forward to your update!

Abhishek 

[Barb Binder]

Hi @Tommas B:

Three more questions:

1. Are you running Webroot on your Mac? Is this all Cmd key shortcuts (i.e. Cmd S to save or Cmd P to print) or just Cmd Z?

2. Do you migrate preferences when you install a new version?

3. And how far did you go on resetting preferences? Just the keyboard shortcut or the Reset Preferences button in InDesign > Preferences > General? Or did you dig into the hidden folders to remove caches/preferences files?

~Barb

[Tommas B]

Hi Barb,

thanks for looking into the problems:

1.

I am not using Webroot and it is mainly cmd-z sometimes additional cmd-s

2./3.

Yes i usally migrate preferences but a few days ago i settled up a complete new system and I cleaned all old Adobe Versions with Adobe Cleaner and installed everything new ... after facing the problem again i also deleted everything with this terminal command:

sudo rm -rf \
~/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.InDesign* \
~/Library/Preferences/Adobe\ InDesign \
~/Library/Caches/Adobe\ InDesign \
~/Library/Caches/com.adobe.InDesign* \
~/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/InDesign \
~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.adobe.InDesign.savedState \
~/Library/Logs/Adobe/InDesign \
/Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/InDesign \
/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.InDesign* \
/Library/Preferences/Adobe\ InDesign \
/Library/Caches/com.adobe.InDesign* \
/Library/Logs/Adobe/InDesign

but the problem ist still alive!

Best regards, Tommas

[Barb Binder]

Ugh. I was hoping there was going to be an easier answer. Let's leave this for @Abhishek Rao to work through with you—he's Adobe staff.

~Barb