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Naomi Graphics
Inspiring
March 8, 2022
Question

I can't open indesign files when internet goes down

  • March 8, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 3551 views

As I live where internet goes down often, this is a very big problem...what should I do so I can work offline. My files and indesign are on my computer not on the cloud.

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2 replies

rob day
Community Expert
Community Expert
March 9, 2022

InDesign is installed in your Applications folder. You don’t need an internet connection to work—there only needs to be a monthly connection to make the subscription payment. You can save files in your local user>Creative Coud Files folder and those files will automatically sync copies to the cloud—you do need an internet connection for the syncing to happen, but you would still work on the local copies.

Naomi Graphics
Inspiring
March 9, 2022

I know that should be the case, and always was, but 3 weeks again we lost power yesterday, and when ever I tried to open a file, it gave me a message that there was a conflict the file was open already (it was not...and it could be any indesign file, same message) it is a bug somewhere.

 

Indesign is in the applicatons folder as it should be

James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
March 9, 2022

ahh yes I am, so that could be...good catch


So ID and your work files are not on the same system. That really, truly does change absolutely everything. Whether the files are in the cloud or a work server or your local drives while ID is in another location is pretty much the same situation no matter what the 'polarity' of the relationship. Losing power or losing the connection will cause file access and sync issues.

 

Like most apps that evolved before the notion of the cloud, ID is not perfect about managing remote content and has only basic features to cope with sudden disconnection, no matter what the technical cause.

 

The solution, once you have power and internet back, is to make sure those lock files are deleted, then pick up your work and expect to have some document flaws to fix, if only loss of your last few minutes' work.

 

James Gifford—NitroPress
Legend
March 8, 2022

As far as I know, and have experienced using offline workstations, Creative Cloud applications should work as always as long as all the resources are accessible locally. You will obviously not be able to access remote or cloud files, but if the INDD files and their linked elements are all local, you should never notice any problems.

 

As for the licensing, I think the apps need only an occasional authorization ping—once a month? Maybe more often these days? But should keep working as activated for some time after going offline.

 

If you have unreliable internet, don't use remote resources or file storage, and don't rely on things like Adobe Stock or Fonts to be available. I keep nothing in remote storage and don't use most cloud features in part for that reason, although I do (thank goodness) have reliable connectivity. Just old fashioned, I guess.