Indesign 20.2 crashing error: Adobe InDesign is shutting down. A serious error was detected

[adamg52283676]

Help! 

My 2025 indesign version 20.2 is crashing constantly - i keep getting this message and it's dangerous with working files as it's already corrupt one:

"Adobe InDesign is shutting down. A serious error was detected. Please restart InDesign to recover work in any unsaved InDesign documents."

Using M4 Mac Mini
I'm saving to a hard drive or mac and not cloud
I've deleted preferences in the library, resetpreferences in the app plus also unstalled indesign and redownloaded it. 

All no effect 😞

Any ideas?

<Title renamed by MOD>

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

What OS version?

Do you use Typeface app? People report problems and disabling it fixes the problem.

There is 20.3 update.

[Laubender]

@Robert at ID-Tasker said: "here is 20.3 update."

Hi Robert,

don't think so. The latest what I can see in the Creative Cloud Desktop App is InDesign version 20.2.

FWIW: Currently I also have a problem with constantly crashing with that version. Every time I click the View menu InDesign 2025 is crashing; without any error message. Resetting cache and preferences did not help for now, because when I remove the folders for cache and preferences with every restart of InDesign 2025 is not starting up with fresh preferences , but copies the preferences from my InDesign 2024.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Laubender 

You're right - I've confused it with 19.5.3 update. Sorry.

[Laubender]

I said: "FWIW: Currently I also have a problem with constantly crashing with that version. Every time I click the View menu InDesign 2025 is crashing; without any error message."

I resolved the issue with a clean install of InDesign 2025 version 20.2.

Means: I hid every preference or cache folders of previous versions. Also the installation folders of previous versions of InDesign before installing. That worked so far. The crucial part was, so I think, not to migrate previous preferences.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[adamg52283676]

I'm on OS 15.3.2

I just read about the Typeface issue (which i'm using) so i've just disabled auto activation to see if that makes a difference, so far so good but will report  back later today after going through a few files

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @adamg52283676,  

Thanks for reaching out, and thanks to our experts for guiding you on the Typeface issue. Since it’s a known cause of crashes when closing files, hopefully, this fix works for you. Looking forward to your update. Let me know if the crash still occurs.  

^

Abhishek

[Mac One]

This is a 'workaround' not a 'fix'. As this has started happening with the 20.2 update I'd like to know if Adobe are addressing it or pushing it to another company (Typeface) to find a solution. Or is everyone ignoring it hoping that the users will give up? 

Please let us know so we can 'fix' it rather than 'workaround' it.

[leo.r]

This is a 'workaround' not a 'fix'. As this has started happening with the 20.2 update I'd like to know if Adobe are addressing it or pushing it to another company (Typeface) to find a solution.

By @Mac One

Adobe is working on addressing this issue in an upcoming update.

In the meantime, if you roll back to InDesign 20.1 you can keep using Typeface including the auto-activate option.

[We are Singular]

This is taking too long. Typeface just released V. 4.0.0 and I figured maybe they had fixed the issue. I downloaded InDesign 20.2 again and guess what? INDD crashed with a fatal error message. I had to roll back to 20.1... 

I've already sent a message to Typeface to ask why they would release an update with no fix for the InDesign crash and are looking forward to their response, but judging by the fact that V. 4.0.0 does not fix the problem makes me think it's an Adobe InDesign issue.

Typeface is a very popular font manager, and InDesign is the app that needs font management the most. Fix this. I can't believe I'm stuck using an older version of your app and it's been months with a workaround rather than a fix on your end.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@We are Singular

This post from @Joel Cherney might be helpful: 

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-2025-is-not-exporting-to-pdf/m-p/152664...

[BobLevine]

When Adobe has found bugs in the past they've owned up to them even if they take forever to fix. If I were you, I'd be hammering Typeface as well but for me, no font manager is worth the grief anymore.

I was a huge Suitcase fan but see very little need for anything anymore.

[We are Singular]

Agreed, hope the issue gets fixed in the next InDesign release. We'll see what Typeface responds to my inquiry as well... 

[adamg52283676]

SOLVED!

I can happily say that Typeface is the problem, I turned off auto activation and it hasn't crashed once! Thanks again to this forum for discovering this 

[TögemannWerke]

Same here, InDesign 20.2 crashing in one Line, same as InCopy and yes, I m using Typeface as well. For now i go back to InDesign 20.1, that runs fine with Typeface.

I hope there will be an update to fix this soon, from Typeface or Adobe. Disable Typeface make no sense for me and my workaround.

MacBookPro 16 M3 max, MacOS 15.3.2 (but 15.3.2 wasn´t better in this case)

[rovkev]

This worked for me too... WTH?!?

So who is going to release the fix?... we will see.

Thanks community!

[Cecilia36924120zbim]

Hi, I just get an error message after installing Indesign 2025. How do you turn off Typeface? 

[adamg52283676]

Go to Typeface > Settings > Autoactivation

Toggle off Indesign section then ZERO problems with it 

[Mac One · Accepted solution]

Typeface replied to me and said:

"InDesign v20.2 indeed seems to have trouble with auto activation. The Adobe InDesign team is aware and has been investigating the issue. According to Adobe the latest InDesign prerelease version v20.3 should fix the crashes. More info is available here: https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180/suggestions/49555079

If you don't want to wait for v20.3 you can temporarily revert to InDesign v20.1 which should still work correctly:

https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/using/install-previous-version.html"

So I'm taking that nas this only become an issue when Adoce updated InDesign and the next update of InDesign will fix it; this is not a Typeface issue. Typeface have the WORKAROUND, Adobe have the ISSUE and FIX. Beware of where fingers are pointed. Sometimes it's an issue that needs to be investigated carefully with workarounds that may not be the root cause.

[NillGK]

InDesign v20.3 is available.

[Laubender]

Hi @NillGK ,

yes, InDesign 2025 v20.3 is available.

But for now (today) only for users in:

Italy, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Israel, Czech Republic, Argentina and Mexico.

For the rest of the world it still could take some days…

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

[TögemannWerke]

I m locking forwads. Greets from Germany.

[We are Singular]

Indeed, the commenter who put the blame on Typeface should make such statements based in facts. I also got the same answer from Typeface, and can say that I've downloaded InDesign V. 20.3 and the issue has been resolved.

Whenever you get the chance to update, go for it.

[Peter Akuratny]

I don't have any plugins installed and version 20.3 on Windows 11 H2 keeps crashing upon app exit.

[TögemannWerke]

Got InDesign 20.3 and Mac OS 15.4.1 today. All runs fine with Typeface. No crashes. Thx for fixing