Even if I open the documents with the 2019 version with in which were created, I get an error

Hi Ute,

of course finish your job first before testing anything else.

Hm. But I would advice not to overwrite any of the older files.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hm. So your workflow is:

[1] Plug an external disk to machine A

Then you try to open the file on that disk with InDesign CC 2019 and it refuses to open saying its from InDesign 2020.

[2] Plug the same external disk to machine B

InDesign CC 2019 will open it without interruption.

What a weird thing…

Please correct me if I'm wrong on my assumptions above.

Best tell exactly what you are doing step by step on the one machine and on the other.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hi Ute,

the modification dates say April 2020. So there is a chance that someone, not you, opened and saved some documents with InDesign 2020. InDesign 2020 was released first in October 2019. Just pure guesswork, I know.

It would be a very strange bug, if the same file would be identified as 2020 document on one machine and CC 2019 on a different one. Are the files stored on a Dropbox folder that was not synchronized perhaps?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Well. I tested Jongware's script on a InDesign 2020 document vs a InDesign CC 2019 and had:

6 times "next" on the 2020 document and 5 times "next" on the CC 2019 document:

That result suggests that you tested a InDesign 2020 document on the one machine and a CC 2019 document on the other.

Note: Do not get confused by the next.1 in my result for InDesign 2020, my current version is 15.1.

So I would run Jongware's script on both of your machines.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

As Laubender mentioned, when you opened your 2019 documents in 2020, you would have come up with a Save As dialog box the first time you saved in 2020. Unless you saved "on top" of your 2019 documents, you should still have them. InDesign will not replace your original 2019 version on its own. 

If you DID save over your 2019 version, reinstall 2020 and either Save As or Export as IDML. You can open the IDML file in 2019. Keep in mind that this format goes back to CS4, so you may lose new features in the file added since then.

In the future, you may want to add the file version into the file name; you can use either the CC version or the actual InDesign version. For example, MyFile_2019 becomes MyFile_2020 when opening in new version; that file would become MyFile_2021 when that version comes out. That way you keep a history in case you need to go back. (You can keep multiple versions of InDesign installed but you will have to get out of the habit of double-clicking on a file in the desktop as it may open the wrong version. Open files through InDesign's open menu.)

Hi Ute,

then do a bug report on Adobe InDesign user voice:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/

Provide a document for testing and describe your issues with a couple of screenshots.

Same file opened on your laptop and the error message on your other machine.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hi Ute,

don't think so.

Jongware's script gave you 6 times "next" after CC.

First CC was version 9.

Next was version 10

Next after that was version 11

Next after that was version 12

Next after that was version 13

Next after that was version 14

Next after that was version 15

So in effect, I'm not sure, but I think I'm right, the script says that the document was saved with version 15 which is InDesign 2020. Again: Make a document available and I will test with Werner's script that explicitely shows the right version number. And also all the versions the document was saved from start of creation to the last time.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hi Ute,

install one of the two scripts I suggested with your InDesign CC 2019 and try to get information on an InDesign document CC 2019 refuses to open. If the script comes up with the info that the document is a CC 2019 or version 14 document then do a bug report on Adobe InDesign user voice:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/

Or make one of the documents available through Dropbox or a similar service and share the download link here.

I will run WpsIndFileIdentifier.jsx by Werner Perplies on it and let you know the result.

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hi Ute,

the facts are:

[1] InDesign documents from a later version cannot be opened from a previous version.

Not only because of that, Adobe developed the exchange standard IDML.

[2] You can export an IDML file from a document and the IDML file can be opened with any version of InDesign CS4 from 2008 up to the lastest version in 2020.

[3] Adobe offers a save-back service with Creative Cloud that automatically will move a document from a later version to an Adobe Server, opens it in the appropriate InDesign version, saves it to IDML opens with your current version and offers to open the document on your machine with your current version of InDesign.

That service might not be available if IT blocked it or if your licence does not allow you to use services like Adobe Fonts, CC Libraries, Publish Online and so on. Mostly licences in licencing models for universities or schools.

All this aside: You may have opened and saved some of your documents with InDesign 2020 without knowing it.

A double-click on a file in the file system usually opens the document in the version you installed recently, and this is 15.0.3.

Important Note:

You could use a script you will execute from InDesign's Scripts Panel that is able to find out what exact version has saved a document without opening the file in InDesign.

One sample is a free script by Werner Perplies, a German developer, that I use a lot:

WpsIndFileIdentifier.jsx

https://weepee.de/forum/indesign/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=107

( Note: To get access to the free script you have to create a log-in for his website. )

Or you could use a free script by forum member Jongware:

[Ann] Identify Your InDesign File
https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/ann-identify-your-indesign-file/m-p/3809701?page=1#M12145

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )