Dropbox users w/ 'Broken Links' error message in InDesign since upgrading from Big Sur to Monterey

[markh83032812]

What are InDesign creatives that use dropbox doing about this?

We are downgrading our staff from Monterey to Big Sur to keep them happy and productive.

Dropbox Support do not seem to understand that the Monterey implementation of online only/local file syncing no longer functions the way it used to under Big Sur. They tell me that 'cloud only' (zero file size) linked files in InDesign on macOS Monterey need to first be locally synced to prevent this workflow error message pop-up - but this didn't used to be the case under macOS Big Sur.

I provided DB Support with a screen recording illustrating the problem (see link) showing that this was not required under macOS Big Sur. Other forum posts say that MS OneDrive on macOS Monterey is not generating this linked file error message.

[Laubender]

Hi Mark,

cannot see a link in your post.

"Dropbox Support do not seem to understand that the Monterey implementation of online only/local file syncing no longer functions the way it used to under Big Sur."

Hm. Hope, that others with MacOS chime in here.

I cannot comment on this because I am on Windows and have no issues with Dropbox when its SmartSync feature is turned off.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[markh83032812]

Here is the link: 

www.dropbox.com/s/5lmtck47lk1cowt/Dropbox%20Big%20Sur%20InDesign.mov?dl=0

[Willi Adelberger]

Since I know of that problem, I go to the folder, I need and click with right mouse click and select Make files offline available.

I have turned off DropBox synchronisation. But this has only little effect.

[BobLevine]

I don't understand what you're saying. Do they or do they not have smart sync turned off in Dropbox prefs? If they don't, they should definitely do that. It causes all kinds of problems.

[Willi Adelberger · Accepted solution]

Turned off is ignored as it is now. Only, when all folders are selected to save forced offline it might work.

[markh83032812]

I don't even know what you are saying. In any case, please don't bother commenting on my post if you don't understand the problem. The way ID works at the moment is broken and Adobe need to fix it. I can't fix it, and neither can you Willi

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

You realize we do not work for Adobe--correct? We are users here like you.  Being obnoxious is a good way to have other users stop trying to help you.

Also, how can you say @Willi Adelberger doesn't understand the problem if you don't even know what he is saying?

[Laubender]

@markh83032812 said:

"Dropbox Support do not seem to understand that the Monterey implementation of online only/local file syncing no longer functions the way it used to under Big Sur."

Hi Mark,

looked into your video where you show a machine with MacOS Big Sur and InDesign 2022.

And with a problem accessing linked files in an InDesign document that are stored on a Dropbox volume.

So do you already have the problem with Dropbox on MacOS Big Sur?

Or am I missing something? I'm confused, thought the issue was with InDesign on MacOS Monterey…

"They tell me that 'cloud only' (zero file size) linked files in InDesign on macOS Monterey need to first be locally synced to prevent this workflow error message pop-up - but this didn't used to be the case under macOS Big Sur."

I have no idea if this is a new behavior of Dropbox on MacOS.

If so, I fear you have to adapt to it. Or stay on Big Sur if that's possible at all.

Just to give you an example:

I'm on Windows 10 and I have Dropbox Smart Sync turned off altogether. I never see a cloud symbol on one of my files on Dropbox. Never worked differently. And I have no issues with packaged InDesign documents on all of my Dropbox folders that I share with my clients or students.

So why can't you turn off the feature Smart Sync for Dropbox?

Too much data to synchronize?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[markh83032812]

InDesign/Dropbox/Big Sur = all working fine.

InDesign/Dropbox/Monterey = broken workflow, have to downgrade back to BigSur.

I thought DropBox engineers needed a kick, but since M365/Dropbox/Monterey is still ok, I'm now leaning toward Adobe engineers needing a kick. 

And why did anyone think 'Willy' has the 'correct answer'?! There is no solution at present to this problem until Adobe and Dropbox work together to restore broken workflow!

[Laubender]

"InDesign/Dropbox/Big Sur = all working fine."

Hm. Your video shows, that it does not. That's why I am confused.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Professional )

[markh83032812]

OMG. Adobe Community 'Professional'? Sorry i can't help you understand the problem. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

The obnoxious replies continue...

Good luck with your problem.

[markh83032812]

It's not my problem. it's Adobes. We have 60+ staff. the largest of our agency type in Australia. This morning, the director of the business has said if Adobe software is broken, let's move away from Photoshop and InDesign. So we go back to my original post, to start the discussion about where we move too. I am tasked to get our teams 'issues' that are affecting productivity addressed, I am not on here to provide technical support to Adobe or Dropbox engineers to do their job. 

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

You have three possible candidates:

• InDesign
• Mac OS
• Dropbox

But you are sure it is Adobe's problem. 

[markh83032812]

This problem does not happen with Microsoft Applications that also automatically convert 'grey' online/cloud only linked files to 'green' locally synced when a file is opened that contains linked files. You can isolate the problem down to one of the three, and testing confirms it is Adobe. Clearly this forum is not the place to get this problem fixed as nobody that works at Adobe seems to be paid to monitor Abobe Support Community posts. I would have thought some other users would be Googling this and commenting on here

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

For the record, it does not happen using InDesign and Dropbox on Windows either. 

You make a good point about the lack of "me too" comments. While not definitive, the lack of other posts makes one suspect that the problem is not widespread. 

[markh83032812]

"it does not happen using InDesign and Dropbox on Windows either" what deoes this mean? Are you saying that if you use Dropbox on Windows that InDesign behaves the way we experience it in Big Sur, or that if behaves the behaves the way we experience it in Monterey?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Sorry if I was unclear--InDesign works properly.

[bv32400499]

Hi. Did you find a solution to this? I never got this to work after I "upgraded" months ago.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

>>>but this didn't used to be the case under macOS Big Sur.

Can you show this or provide a link? I do not believe InDesign ever worked with cloud-based links except with the Creative Cloud.

[markh83032812]

Sorry it's a really slow video to watch (recorded on an 2015 12" MacBook that was still running Big Sur.  So just to be clear, the video shows that under Big Sur, zero-file size cloud only linked files do automatically get converted to downloaded 'locally synced green' as soon as you right click on any of the yellow artery's and choose 'update link for all'. Now, if you were to open the same file shown in my video n Monterey, the process does not work. you only get a 'broken links' message. And the only solution in Monterey is to get out of InDesign, and mess around in Finder manually locally syncing all the linked files, which for a big business like ours, means navigating to a bunch of different locations. I have come to the conclusion that Adobe engineers are just being pr**ks to anyone using Dropbox and have broken their competitors integration, and that this problem doesn't occur for Adobe Cloud customers. Microsoft documents cloud based linked files get automatically locally synced when needed, so it's not a Dropbox issue, it's an Adobe software glitch, possibly intentional to bug Dropbox customers to move to Adobe Cloud. So our current solution is to map out all the file paths and adentify the last common enclosing folder, and right click and locally sync that folder. Problem is, with staff on 512GB laptops, and jumping around on many client projects simultaneously, we will now have laptops filling up with a lot of locally synced files that do not need to be locally synced. Well done Adobe for letting this sh**y situation fester for almost 12 months now. Presume the situation will NOT improve with macOS Ventura. 🙄

[markh83032812]

[markh83032812]

This is updated link of my previous video of InDesign/Dropbox running on Big Sur at 4x speed showing that even though linked files are 'cloud only', under Monterey, InDesign is able to convert these to locally synced files when prompted to update in the Links panel. In Monterey, this is not possible and you only get an 'Import failed' message. https://www.dropbox.com/s/ds6ly4r1k0od2ud/Dropbox%20Big%20Sur%20InDesign%204x%20speed.mp4?dl=0

[markh83032812]

SOLVED! With with a little help from Apple while Adobe engineers catch up with 2022...

1. Open InDesign file
2. Select all entries in the Links panel > Right-click > Edit With > Preview 11.0
3. After all files have been opened in Preview > Preview App > Quit
4. Continue working in InDesign

5. Open Music App, sing along to 'Better Days' chorus by NEIKED, Mae Muller & Polo G... 

Livin’ in a haze, stayin’ in the shade
All I do is sit around and wait for better days
I could use a break, can I get an ”Amen”?
All I do is sit around and wait for better days