Deleting Files in InDesign

[AdobeUser18]

I was working on a project using Adobe InDesign (on a Mac), saving copies of the file as I went along, as well as saving copies to my desktop. I have finished the project, and no longer need the 20 copies I have saved. I deleted the copies from my desktop, but they still appear in InDesign. When I try to click on the copies, it says: Either the file does not exist, you do not have permission, or the file may be in use by another application. The thing is, I am the owner of the files, and my laptop is now losing 20% battery/hour while it is logged off because the program is using so much energy. How do I fix this problem?

[Derek Cross]

These files have been deleted, that's why you can't access them (don't forget to empty your trash can). What's the issue?

Please confirm your InDesign version and OS.

[AdobeUser18]

InDesign 2019, 0S 10.15.2

I have cleared the trash, but how do I get the items to disappear from the program itself? They still show up when I open the program, and I was hoping to have them cleared from the menu.

[Manan Joshi · Accepted solution]

Keep using InDesign while creating/opening new files, the entries of the old non existent files will be replaced with the new ones. This list should not cause any issues with using the program, if you still want to get the list cleared out then deleting InDesign preferences should do the trick

https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-indesign-rebuilding-preferences-cache/

-Manan

[AdobeUser18]

Thank you! I went on my computer today (should have been 100% - had not been in charger for 4 hrs) and it was at 5% - however, the website helped me to clear all of the files! Hopefully, the charge will be a bit more sustained now...have to wait and see. Thanks for the advice.  

[Derek Cross]

This sounds like an issue with your computer battery rather than InDesign. How old is the computer?

[AdobeUser18]

3 years old.

[AdobeUser18]

update: I've since been able to fix the issues. thanks to those who offered help.

[Troy Deckert]

I successfully did what Manan Joshi suggested by following the instructions in the link to rockymountaintraining, with ctl/opt/shift/cmd. So I deleted InDesign preferences, apparantly, but I'm not sure. Well, now when I open up InDesign, after selecting File/New/Document, it gives me a completely black screen which is blank and no options show up.

to start, again, from scratch, I tried this: I deleted InDesign using Apple Finder (moved the InDesign folder to trash)  (as I already saved all my documents to the cloud on Apple), then shut down the computer and restarted. Then I installed InDesign from my Adobe.com account. Same thing showed up. A big blank black box with the InDesign menu bar accross the top, but none of the menu items react. There are none of the usual tools showing. What's going on now? I'll wait a bit to see if anyone responds. I just did what the Correct answer for Mana Josi said to do. I'm on a new Apple OS (10.15.7) with the newest version of InDesign as of  Nov. 2020. I guess I can call Apple, as they offer a direct help line with real people on the phone. Maybe Apple's staff can help find how a newly installed InDesign does not react. I'll never try to delete an InDesign file again, or mask it, or whatever, as I've already lost too many hours already on this. I was just trying to delete the 11 tutuorial files that were taking up all that space in my files and I have that's ready to publish, so I need to get going again. Unless anyone has a less risky way to get rid of an InDesign file, I'll just get used the idea of ending up with endless files as the years go by that I don't need in InDesign. Do you InDesign users really have all your files from the last years to wade through each time you look for something? Or do you save the files you may need, (like my published book and book cover, and epub that I must save),  to a cloud or external drive e for safekeeping, then delete and reinstall a InDesign? That's what I'm trying now, but the ctl/shift/etc. thing I did that Manan Joshi recommended really messed up my InDesign. So after I get this InDesign working again, I'll save fewer drafts and I sure won't waste anymore space downloading tutorial files that I'll also have until my dying day. I can't wait to include my InDesign files in my will, to be passed along to spouse since I can't get rid of them and keep using InDesign. It looks to be a decent, useful program for book publishing and I see no alternative but to use it, as it has the best options for a professional looking printed book and epub, but this file nonsense seems to be a serious flaw. Really, it looks like there's no other way to work on InDesign safely, but to put up with the fact that Adobe is too stubborn to put in a "Delete File" option for InDesign.  As if we're too childish as users to be trusted to delete an old file we don't need? Am I missing something easy here? Is there a safe way to delete an InDesign file? All I've managed to do use up a lot of time and now my InDesign won't work at all. This is just too much fun.  I've gotten used to the InDesign tools and created some great book covers, including one that that's on a top seller for its genre on Amazon and the other outlets, so Adobe's graphic's professionalism is fine, but would another Adobe product be acceptable for print books and epubs other than InDesign, and also allow me to delete a file? I need the standard TOC, sections, chapters, index, endnotes and footnotes, which is why I am using InDesign now, as it has all those, plus all the nice formatting for photos, charts, etc.

[Troy Deckert]

From my earlier post, here's what I did as recommended by an Abobe Community Professional, so I trusted this would turn out OK:  

"(Mac OS) Start InDesign, and then immediately press Shift+Option+Command+Control.then immediately press Shift+Ctrl+Alt. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files."

I did that. That's all I did. What was recommended by a top rated Adobe person. But InDesign now won't work. It will not even let me go to preferences. Nothing is showing and none of the InDesign functions work: Preferences, File, etc.  Oh well? I have since shut down twice, reinstalled InDesign twice. The same effect is in place. I'm calling Apple.

[jmlevy]

here's what I did as recommended by an Abobe Community Professional, so I trusted this would turn out OK:  

"(Mac OS) Start InDesign, and then immediately press Shift+Option+Command+Control.then immediately press Shift+Ctrl+Alt. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files."

No, it is a mistake: on a Mac you have to press Shift, Option, Cmd and Ctrl simultaneously and wait until the warning message. It is a one step process, no second step with the 3 keys.

[Test Screen Name]

" Or do you save the files you may need, (like my published book and book cover, and epub that I must save),  to a cloud or external drive e for safekeeping, then delete and reinstall a InDesign? " I hope not, that would be crazy. Where would the backup be? 

[Troy Deckert]

To summarize,  1) We can delete the InDesign files from our iCloud, desktop, harddrive, etc. But InDesign stubbornly keeps the files showing in the list of files in InDesign, gumming us up. Until we delete preference files as instructed by jmlevy, on Mac with Shift,Option,Cmd and Ctl on startup. Is this correct?

2) OR,  what also works, which I did, is to save needed indd files somewhere safe and uninstall and reinstall InDesign. Is this correct? To answer Test Screen Name's question, the back up would be an .indd document file on the harddrive, iCloud or external drive. The file you need just sits there until InDesign is reinstalled and you go open the .indd file again. Note: For completely uninstalling InDesign, the Apple people directed me to open  the Creative Cloud account and uninstall from there, clicking on the options button "..."/uninstall  on the right side of the screen where InDesign was listed.

[Manan Joshi]

Hi Troy,

You could also switch off InDesign from showing up this list of recent files from preferences. See the following screenshot

-Manan

[Eric5EA5]

I had this problem and worked it out.To DELETE UNWANTED FILES:. Open InDesign and SELECT A FILE YOU WANT TO KEEP (THE DELETE OPTION WILL NOT APPEAR IF THE FILE IS OPEN). Click the PREFERENCE PANEL, and then CLICK LIBRARY. CLICK THE ICON AT THE RIGHT CORNER of the LIBRARY PAGE. SELECT VIEW DELETED FILES ( yes, deleted files) from the DROP-DOWN MENU. IN THE CREATIVE CLOUD WINDOW, SELECT FILES to open undeleted files (I know, seems like this should work the other way around). Click the CLOUD ICON at the right corner of the File ribbon to open the NEW FOLDER menu. RIGHT-CLICK the file you want to delete, and CLICK DELETE from the DROP-DOWN MENU, until unwanted files have been deleted. 

[Eric5EA5]

I had this problem and worked it out. Open InDesign and seIect a file YOU WANT TO KEEP ( THE DELETE OPTION WILL NOT APPEAR IF THE FILE YOU WANT TO DELETE IS OPEN). Click  the PREFERENCES PANEL, and then CLICK LIBRARY. CLICK THE ICON at the right corner of the libratry page. Select VIEW  DELETED FILES (yes Deleted Files) from the DROP DOWN MENU. In the CREATIVE CLOUD WINDOW, select FILES to open undeleted files.  Click the CLOUD ICON at the right of the File ribbon to open the NEW FOLDER Menu. RIGHT CLICK  the file you want to delete, and CLICK DELETE from the DROP DOWN MENU. Repeat until all unwanted files are deleted.

[Eric5EA5]

I submitted the latest REPLY as CORRECTION to the first which contained the typo "libratry" in place of 'library.' Apologies! Hope the latest reply helps with deleting unwanted files. Good luck! 

[Steve5C71]

there is no Library choice in preferences.