cursor won't load place text

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

I can't get the cursor to load on placed text. I'm placing a docx file, and I've done this a hundred times with no problem. What could possibly keep the cursor from loading?

ID CC, Windows 10.

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

Well, i tried to do that, but when i clicked to install a previous version, nothing happened. WHen I clicked ON that frame with the older version, it took me to the new one. So...don't know what's up with that.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Well, i tried to do that, but when i clicked to install a previous version, nothing happened. WHen I clicked ON that frame with the older version, it took me to the new one. So...don't know what's up with that.

By @Kelli Jae Baeli

Can you post some screenshots what exactly you are doing - on what "frame" you're clicking?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Exactly what fault are you seeing? Does ID allow you to select the DOCX file? Does it give you a loaded cursor? Is it that clicking with the loaded cursor does nothing? Or... what exactly does "will not load to autoflow" mean, here?

Have you tried enabling ID's file import menu when you select the DOCX file? Have you tried drawing a new text frame to place the text (instead of trying to place/flow it into an existing/primary frame)? Have you reset ID's cache and preferences?

Beyond that, it sounds as if you have a lot of tools and utilities loaded on your system that manage the same fileset. Any one of those could be locking/blocking the file. (Down to, when Windows file manager has Preview enabled, some apps can't access a file that is selected and being previewed "because it's in use by another app.")

Have you tried doing the Place from a fresh reboot, without opening or enabling any other related tool?

Have you tried making a copy of the DOCX file and loading that?

All things I'd try. FWIW, I don't think I've ever heard of a fault quite like this, so it's either a very rare issue with ID or some combination of utilities, apps and settings on your system.

[Barb Binder]

FWIW, I have used Malwarebytes on my Macs for years. No issues.

I also regularly reset my preferences with no issues. You can back up the important preset files (scripts, keyboard shortcuts, workspaces, etc) prior to resetting preferences so it might take five minutes to recreate your actual preferences.

-~Barb

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

I think that's my only choice now...I'll try to backup my presets first, as you suggest.
And Malwarebytes was the one that locked all my files and wreaked havoc on my computer, so I'm not keen on having any of those. I did better, really, with just letting the native Windows Defender take care of it. Will be using that now. Again. Jeez.

UPDATE: Creative Cloud will not let me install an older version, nor uninstall the current one. When i click to install/uninstall, nothing happens.
I rebooted my computer, and then tried to PLACE the text again, and watched the blue circle grind for a while. I clicked that blue circle, and it gave me background info...(see screenshot) said it was loading a font: Adobe Kis (which is the font I use for body text--it's legally used through my subscription). But when it finally finishes, the background task is blank (see screenshot2). And nothing pastes, same issue.

UPDATE: finally found the ID2024 version in start menu of Windows, so opened that and tried again, and text won't import/paste/place in that version either. What the hell is going on? Is Niburu in retrograde?

UPDATE: I uninstalled both versions of ID, rebooted my computer, tried to place text again with same issue. I opened the docx file in WPS and there was that message again that the file was locked by another program. So now, I assume this is the issue. But will have to try to figure out WHICH program has locked the file. (see screenshot)

Downloaded Lockhunter, put filename in it and it said nothing was locking the file. grrr. (see screenshot)

[Peter Spier]

I see the file path is to drive W:\ which implies some network storage device. There are a lot of reported problems, particularly in newer versions, with trying to work directly off remote storage. Waht happens if you copy the file to your local hard drive and try to place it from there?

And for what it's worth, I've also been using MalwareBytes for about 30 years with no isuues even remotely similar to what you are reporting.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

And there are periods?

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

ALL my workign files are on an external hard drive...there is not enough room for them on my C drive, and it slows down my computer.

I have always done it this way for many years, with no issues. I suppose i could test the idea by placing the file on the C drive temporarily, but it still leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

As for Malwarebytes, this is the SECOND time it's screwed everything up. And then i started using Advanced System Care (IObit) with their antimalware app, and the same issues came about, so that was uninstalled, too. both of them lock me out of my files and there wasn't a thing i could do to stop it. that might not have anything to do with this, but it's just my suspicion.

Anyway, I've narrowed it down a little. It seems to be anytime i try to place a docx file in a document set for paperback--with facing pages, etc.

Here's the last round of tries:

Uninstalled previous versions of ID
Installed fresh version
Rebooted computer
Tried again/still same
Updated calibre
Tried again.still same
Tried converting pdf to doc in adobe acrobat and result had missing letters, it was awful, so not a solution
Deleted docx files in book directory
Reconverted in calibre/still same
Found backup file of the epub on my other backup drive, used that one to create a fresh docx file in calibre
Tried that one on fresh paperback layout, found red x to load cursor on third page (even though there were no blank pages at beginning of file). It acted like it was pasting, though I saw no loaded cursor. And the text was not there, like it was invisible. I checked to make sure the text was set to black, just in case it was white or something and I couldn’t see it
But could find no reason for it not to show.
I opened a random template for mobile/ebook layout, and pasted/placed
And lo! It pasted as normal.
So it seems there is something wrong with every last template or page layout created in document settings for the facing pages/paperback layouts
Why would those not work?

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Kelli Jae Baeli

Do you have Smart Text Reflow selected in Preferences?

InDesign become, from version 18, EXTREMELY sensitive to access speed to the files. 

[Peter Spier]

Have you tried looking at the apparently blank text in Story Editor? Perhaps the entire story is overset for some reason.

[Peter Spier]

Been thinking...

Your problems seem pretty unusual/unique and I'm wondering if they might be related to some software conflict with something you haven't mentioned yet that's on your system, so perhaps we could try a couple of other things.

Can you share one of these malfunctioning template files? I'd like to see if it behaves the same here (and I suspect Robert would like to take a deep dive with his tool as well).

Also, can you try starting your PC in Safe Mode and run InDesign with nothing else and check if the problem persists.

And as Robert has mwentioned, the use of the . in a file path except to separate the file extension from the filename is very likely to cause problems.

[Kelli Jae Baeli]

Okay. Here's the file...
I did a repair on Calibre, in case there was something going on with that program, retried everything with same result.
I created a new document template in ID, and tried again, same result. Even tried PLACING a different docx file which I'd used before without a problem, with the same result. ALSO, i tried it with one of my digital book preset documents, and it worked in those. just not in the ones for print, with facing pages/primary text frame, and different margins, etc.

Also, I have reset my preferences, and that didn't work either.

UPDATE: i moved the docx file to desktop and PLACED the file from there, in case the dot in the file path might have been issue, and the same result. (also, I have always done it this way. The directory has a dot, so it shows up higher in the directory, as I have huge amounts of files and it saves me from scrolling through them all to reach that particular folder)

[Peter Spier]

I'm having no problem placing .doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf or anything else I've tried in your template...

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Kelli Jae Baeli 

I have no problem placing text in your sample file - but would be great if you can also provide your sample DOCX file.

Also, can someone please tell me how to reflow text - without Smart Reflow ON - into Primary TextFrames?!?!

I don't use Primary TFs and I don't like Smart Reflow...

[Peter Spier]

I just held down the Shift key, but I wasn't particualrly paying attention to primary frames.

Just did it again and placed the loaded cursor into the middle of the frame on the first page and clicke with no modifier and it auto-flowed fine.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I just held down the Shift key, but I wasn't particualrly paying attention to primary frames.

Just did it again and placed the loaded cursor into the middle of the frame on the first page and clicke with no modifier and it auto-flowed fine.

By @Peter Spier

When I TURN OFF Smart Reflow - and use SHIFT when reflowing text - it creates NEW TEXT FRAMES - completely ignoring Primary ones??

The only way to use Primary ones - is to click on each one separately - and manually add pages??

Or am I missing something??

[Peter Spier]

Hmmm...

OK, I just went into the prefs and turned off smart text reflow. Holding Shift makes new frames, but clicking the loaded cursor into the middle of the primary frame withut a modifier uses the primary frame from the master and fills both sides of the spread (if two pages are showing), but no further.

I don't use primary frames normally, but it seems to me if you are going to you would want to have smart reflow enabled (which I hate and that's why I don't use primary frames -- I'm a control freak and don't want the program telling me where the text should be).

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Hmmm...

OK, I just went into the prefs and turned off smart text reflow. Holding Shift makes new frames, but clicking the loaded cursor into the middle of the primary frame withut a modifier uses the primary frame from the master and fills both sides of the spread (if two pages are showing), but no further.

By @Peter Spier

EXACTLY 🙂

I don't use primary frames normally, but it seems to me if you are going to you would want to have smart reflow enabled (which I hate and that's why I don't use primary frames -- I'm a control freak and don't want the program telling me where the text should be).

Same here 🙂

[Peter Spier]

Still on the topic of dots in file paths, you would be better off to use and underscore.