My InDesign auto-updated to 2021 (v16.0) overnight and this morning it simply won't launch. It get's to the "what's new" screen for a millisecond then crashes. Have tried uninstalling and reinstalling but same issue. Have now had to reinstall previous version (v15.1.2)... anyone else having this problem? I'm on a new 16" MacBook Pro (as of Jan 2020)... Adobe helpline are ignoring me!
We're sorry to hear about your experience. Please make sure you're using the latest version of Adobe InDesign for better experience and performance. Follow the steps shared inthis help articleto update your app.
If you still facing problems launching InDesign, please try resetting InDesign preferences by following these steps: For Windows-
Close all Adobe applications.
Go to Locations : C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Adobe
Rename InDesign folders to InDesign.old
Launch InDesign from CC.
For macOS-
Close all Adobe applications
Go to Locations: ~/Library/Caches ~/Library/Preferences
Rename Adobe InDesign and com.adobe.indesign to Adobe InDesign.old and com.adobe.indesign.old
Launch InDesign from the CC
Once you have tried the steps shared above, you can use the button shared below to launch InDesign:
**Please note that resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings, and InDesign will launch with default settings. This way, all your old settings will be saved in .old folders, and InDesign will recreate new folders with default settings.
For Advance troubleshooting for InDesign launch issues, you may try the suggestions shared onthis community postand share observations with us.
It's 2023 and this is happening to me now. Any ideas why? It hasn't happened in years and now...I can't go a day without having to uninstall and reinstall just to use the app.
We're sorry to hear about your experience. Please make sure you're using the latest version of Adobe InDesign for better experience and performance. Follow the steps shared inthis help articleto update your app.
If you still facing problems launching InDesign, please try resetting InDesign preferences by following these steps: For Windows-
Close all Adobe applications.
Go to Locations : C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Adobe
Rename InDesign folders to InDesign.old
Launch InDesign from CC.
For macOS-
Close all Adobe applications
Go to Locations: ~/Library/Caches ~/Library/Preferences
Rename Adobe InDesign and com.adobe.indesign to Adobe InDesign.old and com.adobe.indesign.old
Launch InDesign from the CC
Once you have tried the steps shared above, you can use the button shared below to launch InDesign:
**Please note that resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings, and InDesign will launch with default settings. This way, all your old settings will be saved in .old folders, and InDesign will recreate new folders with default settings.
For Advance troubleshooting for InDesign launch issues, you may try the suggestions shared onthis community postand share observations with us.
Hi Ashutosh. I have similar problem. I have tried your sugestion. It doesn't work, and since the previous Q/response have been made more than a year ago, I expect the issue to have been fixed by Adobe since then. I have the latest version of InDesign 2021 - and I can not open my old files from 2018. Not the indd files nor the exported idml either. I can't even open the exported pdf version of the document in case I wanted to re-create the entire thing from skratch.
As I read all over online and also in this forum - it is not a small hassle - but a rather epic fail from Adobe, it seems. I feel I have been made hostage - not able to open an existing, important document - nor can I access the pdf.
Issue with InDesign: When I try opening the files (tried all possible ways one can open files) - I don't get an error massage. I seems to simply ignore my request, after I click 'Ok' to opening the file in the dialogue box, which in it self is odd.
Issue with Adobe Acrobat: When I try opening th epdf file, a modal pops up with the generic text that: "...the file cannot be opened, it is either damaged or...blah blah.."
Can you please assist, investigate and/or tell me specifically - what I have to do, in order to gain access to my files - as a paying customer of your otherwise marvellous products.
I have the same issue. Just changed my computer yesterday, now using the Macbook Air 2020. I have downloaded Indesign 2021 from my Adobe profile, it installed fine and right after installation I was able to use it, although it froze a couple of times. Today I wanted to open one of my files and Indesign won't open. It doesn't show any error message, just doesn't open up. Not from the Dock, not from Launchpad and not by clicking on an Indesign file. What can I do?
Windows 10: renamed the file as suggested, restarted pc, then InDesign finally opened. Found the newly-created preferences file next to the old renamed one.
Hi Bill, I am facing the same issue. I have just updated to Big Sur, and updated Adobe CC apps. Now Indesign 2021 freezes and becomes unresponsive when I try to open files I was working on 1 day ago. I have uninstalled Indesign and reinstalled 3 times, and also deleted the preference files as you have suggested and still Indesign won't work. My IT department cannot help... pleaese do you have any support on this?
Copying and pasting this "delete your preferences" for every single problem is getting really annoying and is absolute nonsemse and not moderation support at all. Or "uninstall and reinstall" are seemingly the only two answers to anything involving crashes or data recovery for files and I am getting incredibly frustrated
If we have to delete our preferences to install a new version, how do we reincorporate those preferences in the new version? Is there some way to transfer them or do we just need to remember what we did every time it updates?
I certainly agree. It seems that "trash your preferences file" is the go-to answer for any problem in these forums. The prefs are extremly valuable with tons of small adjustments. It is not something that I would trash to "see if it helps". It is very rare for other software to corrupt its own prefs files, yes it might happen, but the frequency of this advise on Adobe forums is surprising. I have worked with InDesign since version 1.5 (moving from Quark). We are around 30 designers working all day in InDesign. I cannot remember one single time deleting prefs has been the correct solution to any of the problems InDesign has thrown at us. But then again, maybe we have just been lucky.
Unfortunately every time that InDesign is updated it involves new code in the program which may or may not be compatible with every preference that has been set up for previous versions. A lot of this happens because Adobe is an outside provider of programs that are made to run on operating systems that Adobe has no hand in maintaining and upgrading. The last couple of Macintosh OSs have pretty much thrown out a lot of the rules that have been at the core of running a Mac for a very long time. Windows 10 keeps the same name but is constantly upgrading with no thought whatsoever for compatibility with earlier versions of outside programs. For both Mac and Windows the Adobe upgrades are mostly trying to just keep up with the new restrictions and requirements that Apple and Microsoft keep laying out. It is hardly surprising then that each new version of Creative Cloud apps work best when setting them up from scratch.
As to whether deleting preferences can be a helpful tool for solving problems in moments not involving an upgrade. I suggest you follow the instructions in the bold faced paragraph of my preference instructions and keep a copy of your "pristine" preference file. Use a copy of that to replace preferences when whacky things start to happen. I have found this an extremely useful, time saving way to quickly solve annoying problems for a very long time now.
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