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Data merge issues when upgrading to InDesign 19.4

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
April 21, 2024
12 replies
18806 views

Today I updated indesign to version 19.4. When I use the databases for the data merge function with linked images within the database, a message tells me that the images are not reachable. The files I’m working on, including databases and images, are in the Dropbox folder. I downgraded to version 19.3 and everything worked again. Can anyone help me?

{Reanmed By MOD}

Performance

Correct answer Surbhi Sharma

Hi All,
This issue has been fixed in the latest version of InDesign 19.5
Kindly update the data source file with the POSIX style path in Macintosh to work with data merge functionality smoothly.
Please refer to the helpx https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/data-merge.html to know more about the difference between HFS and Posix style paths.
Note : Relative path as such /<foldername>/<filename> is no longer supported after the fix, as it considers the starting “/” as an absolute path. Instead the recommendation is to omit the starting “/” and use <foldername>/<filename> instead or any of the other existing way to access relative path like ./<foldername>/<filename>

S

Surbhi SharmaCorrect answer

New Participant

Hi All,
This issue has been fixed in the latest version of InDesign 19.5
Kindly update the data source file with the POSIX style path in Macintosh to work with data merge functionality smoothly.
Please refer to the helpx https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/data-merge.html to know more about the difference between HFS and Posix style paths.
Note : Relative path as such /<foldername>/<filename> is no longer supported after the fix, as it considers the starting “/” as an absolute path. Instead the recommendation is to omit the starting “/” and use <foldername>/<filename> instead or any of the other existing way to access relative path like ./<foldername>/<filename>

B

BACnOAK

Participating Frequently

Fixed? i'm at a total loss here. did the update to 19.5 and my linked images have disappeared AGAIN! and my path looks like this: servername:folder:graphic.extension.

S

Surbhi Sharma

New Participant

@BACnOAK Seems like the path you are currently using is in HFS style. As mentioned above, please update the data source file with the POSIX style path in Macintosh to work with data merge functionality smoothly.
Please refer to the helpx https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/data-merge.html to know more about the difference between HFS and Posix style paths.

N

Nicolas37702915i0zh

New Participant

La solution proposé par les Dev fonctionne sur mac… Merci pour l'info!

N

Nicolas37702915i0zh

New Participant

Bonjour à tous,

Je profite de ce fil pour ajouter mon expérience : j'utilise la fusion de donnée dans le cadre de création d'étiquette depuis quelques années… Donc, la base de donnée (fichier excel) est propre, utilisée depuis de nombreux mois, l'arborescence n'a pas changée… Bref aucun changement. J'ouvre mon process ce matin pour produire les étiquettes de ma commande, et… tout foire : problème identique à celui abordé dans le thème. Après de nombreux essaie infructueux, j'ai fait l'essai avec une version plus ancienne d'InDesign : cela refonctionne. C'est bien un problème de la dernière version d'InDesign. Les dév Adobe ont du travail !

leo.r

Community Expert

By @Nicolas37702915i0zh

You may experience this known problem with data merge in InDesign 19.4 on Mac. InDesign quietly dropped support for HFS paths, which disrupted many existing workflows:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-issues-when-upgrading-to-indesign-19-4/m-p/14574309#M571330

V

Venessa Sylvester

Known Participant

Instead of giving me the path to the link with colon separators, it is returning / in the place of usual colons. This doesn't work for the merge and returns the error below.

When I correct the path to use colons, it still will not find the images, even though the paths are correct. I tested making a new document, tested putting all images into the same folder with the indd file, and even tried to re-run merges that worked a few weeks ago.

In every case, I get this error message:

"The data source references one or more missing images. The missing images cannot be previewed or merged. At the time you create a merged document, you can choose to generate a list of all missing images."

I've restarted indd, restarted the computer, updated the OS to Sonoma 14.5, checked creative cloud to make sure indd is up to date. I'm at wit's end. I use this feature too often for it to just randomly break like this. Any and all advice is appreciated.

leo.r

Community Expert

InDesign 19.4 quietly dropped support for HFS (colon-separated) paths. However, there are still issues even with POSIX paths in data merge in 19.4.

For more info, please see here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/data-merge-not-working-absolute-paths-macos.html

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-issues-when-upgrading-to-indesign-19-4/m-p/14588028/page/2#M572308

J

Jonathan36624190r1sh

New Participant

Getting indesign to recognize file paths has been difficult.

I am running macOS 14.2 (23C64) and Indesign 19.4

I have been mapping image locations from path out of google drive.

This is a resource that had been helpful:

https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/84121/indesign-data-merge-file-path-syntax

I had it working fine by replacing "/" with ":" and removing the first instance.

For example Instead of;

/Users/name/Desktop/example.png

I have been using:

Users:name:Desktop:example.png

The files paths have been much longer mapping from google drive, but it had been working wonderfully this way.

But now it's not working.

CSV. files that had once populated images mapped from google drive.

It was working fine the day before, now it's not.

I am getting the error "The data source references one or more missing images...."

By manually mapping the image and checking the link I found the path identicle to what I had in my CSV. (Except with a leading "/" and seperated directories with "/")

I tried using that exact path with the "/" instead again, and with a leading "/" again, but found no luck.

What's working for others?

What changed that my CSV. is not mapping correctly anymore?

leo.r

Community Expert

~~https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-referencing-incorrect-file-path-for-images/m-p/14588007#M572304~~

~~In short: you need to use POSIX paths in InDesign 19.4 and later.~~

EDIT: Ok I didn't read your post carefully, you're already using POSIX paths.

E

Eva201109868etg

New Participant

Just adding on here since I just dealt with the same issue. As an alternative workaround, you are able to place the source file in the same location as the images and it will work. Not the easiest solution depending on the task, but it worked! I had to find another workaround because our network computers don't have permission to edit or see system files.

J

Joan33359739cbe9

New Participant

Hello everyone,
I have a problem with data-merge files that worked very well until the latest update (19.4) with tables that include an image field:
Volumes:Images:products:prod01.jpg
Until a few days ago this field worked and the image was placed in indesign without problems, now it seems that it no longer works.
However, relative paths continue to work:
/products/prod01.jpg

The problem we have is that I work with several local servers and I need paths from the root

Anyone having the same problem?
Do you know of any solution to this?

Thank you for your answers

Robert at ID-Tasker

Brainiac

Please check this post:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-issues-when-upgrading-to-indesign-19-4/m-p/14572943#M571228

J

Joan33359739cbe9

New Participant

Thanks Robert,

Deleting the file ENABLE_POSIX_PATH makes everything work again.

Sorry for not seeing that post before asking.

J

Jeffrey36883918578x

New Participant

I am new to indesign but I am trying to load png files to create card layouts with my graphics and text for my cards, is there a reason that the data merge will not work with png files? I can get jpg files to work and my text fiel

leo.r

Community Expert

Your versions of InDesign and operating system?

InDesign 19.4 has a problem with importing images via data merge (although I don't know if it's the same issue as you are able to use jpeg after all):

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-issues-when-upgrading-to-indesign-19-4/m-p/14574309#M571330

M

msudogsrule

Participating Frequently

We use CSV table imports for a bunch of text and logos, and the logos will not import under 19.4. Worked as expected under 19.3 (which I downgraded back to, so that it wouldn't interrupt my production).

I think it is related to how ID reads the path to the image in the CSV file.

Has anyone else had this issue or is there any resolution?

Thanks!

HARSHIKA_VERMA

Community Manager

Hi All,

We apologize for the inconvenience you're experiencing with Data Merge in InDesign. This is a known issue, and our team is actively working on a solution. Please refer to this article for workaround: Data merge not working for absolute paths on macOS

In the meantime, please try the workaround suggested by Sanyan Talwar in this post:

Workaround - Deleting or Renaming "ENABLE_POSIX_PATH" available at "<Install Dir>\Resources\Cookies\ENABLE_POSIX_PATH"

Please give this workaround a try and let us know if it resolves the issue for you. We will provide updates on the post as soon as the issue is fixed.

Thanks,

Harshika

knic pfost

New Participant

Nope. This workaround doesn't work for me (Deleting or Renaming "ENABLE_POSIX_PATH" available at "<Install Dir>\Resources\Cookies\ENABLE_POSIX_PATH").

InDesign version 19.4
MacOS Ventura 13.6.4
2017 MacBook Pro Intel i7

Same problem as others. Image paths that used to import via CSV no longer work. Looks like i'll need to downgrade.

leo.r

Community Expert

It appears to be a bug in 19.4 - another user has just reported exactly the same issue (and solution):

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/data-merge-working-path-not-working-anymore-on-mac/m-p/14569563#M571048

Rishabh_Tiwari

Community Manager

Hi ,

I am getting this checked by the team and will update the discussion as soon as I hear from the team. Can you also share the file with us for testing? You can add the file to a shared location like Google Drive or DropBox and share the link through DM by clicking on my name.

Thanks

Rishabh

B

BACnOAK

Participating Frequently

This is also happening on the Mac, and that looks to be a PC path. Is there a Mac workaround? Also, I put a ticket in with Adobe regarding the problem.

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