Indesign 2023 crashing for random actions

Report · Dec 15, 2022

I have text box that has two columns and it crashes all the time I want to do stuff. I style table with table style, crash. Autoflow text to next pages, crash.

I save it to IDML. Indesign 2022 say it cannot open .... indd while it is opening IDML and recomends me to save as IDML. It cannot create IDML, and cant handle longer texts. I basically have no way out.

I choose to convert it with Indesign 2022. Who knows what losses occured, but still same crashes.
Pretty much unusable on book design.

I have heard that if using columns in text frames it will be slow. I already split the book into 20 page pieces. If it cannot handle tables in this configuration then there should be warning. "Pleaso do not use this program this and this way."

Report · Dec 16, 2022

There is no problems with using columns and tables.

Here are some troubleshooting ideas you can try.

Mike Witherell

Report · Dec 26, 2022

Hi @Sorontar,

Hope you're doing well!

We would like to follow up on your issue. Are you able to resolve the issue? Please feel free to update the discussion if you need further assistance from us.

We would be happy to help.

Thanks,

Harshika

Report · Feb 02, 2023

I still design documents with two columns per text frame and it is always crashing and some edits. No matter the indesign version or windows version and none of the troubleshooting that Mike recommended do not help.

I feel that it has still something to do with rearranging stuff on pages and columns and Indesign cannot handle that.
Also I import text from Word with tables and footnotes and so on. Maybe some odd things transfer from Word.

I have 30 pages this time and if I want to change style of single footnot hyperlink underline, then it everything crashes. Multiple character and paragraph styles also cause the crash. I just have to tell the client that some text styles have to be with some random default style.

I repeat, it is multiple computers different operating systems and different Indesigns and nothing changes. Even the Word files have different origins. It is not me. I doubt it has to do something with my location and language settings.

Report · Feb 03, 2023

Hi @Sorontar,

We understand how frustrating it could be for you. Is it possible for you to share a screen recording of the issue? If possible, please also share the InDesign file with us so that we can test it on our end and investigate the problem and help you.

We will make every effort to assist you.

Thanks,

Harshika

Report · Feb 10, 2023

It might be that file has been corrupt and I used same file as a seed file for other similar projects, just changing styles, dimensions and so on.
Now I created completely new file and imported all the styles and it feels little better, but still crashes often.
For example, try to change Character style: Bold Bullet Font size.
It mean I am stuck whatever half-designed bullets I have.

Report · Feb 10, 2023

Tables and images are not problem. Columns either. Only fancy thing I have left are paragraph rules.
I cant change width of the rule anymore. It means redesigning document or placing some fake paragraph rule made in Illustrator behind my text or something. Every time wrestling with it one more hour lost. Word does not crash.

Importing from DOC may have some bad elements? But I dont want to style everthing manually. Like copy pasting through notepad without formatting.

Windows and Indesign version nor machine I am working on do not matter. It must be something to do with import or some specific setting that most of us are not using.

I sent crash log to Adobe, dont know if it helps.

If I had paragraph style with rule below and I wanted to edit the width it crashes. If I removed the paragraph style from everything and changed it then and reapplied, now I can edit the width again with Preview on with no problem until I tried to change offset of the rule. It does not make sense.

"Solution" is to copy text to another file, design there and paste back in.

What a terrible rant it is, but it is really bad. I already research about other software for this.

Report · Feb 10, 2023

InDesign version 17 or older would work better?

Report · Feb 10, 2023

It seems that that crash happens when Preview is on. Working without preview is not good solution tho.

Report · Feb 10, 2023

>> It might be that file has been corrupt and I used same file as a seed file for other similar projects, just changing styles, dimensions and so on.

Yeah, that's not a great idea, particularly if the file is causing problems. Did you try exporting to .idml and opening that and saving to a new name, or moving all the pages into a new .indd file, or even cut and paste the content into a new file?

Report · Feb 10, 2023

Did you try exporting to IDML and then re-opening the IDML and save-as to INDD? Sometimes this cures internal file corruption.

Mike Witherell

Report · Feb 13, 2023

Today I had no problems with crashing at all. I did some research and it seems to be that at some point there are so many rules that Indesign has to calculate for displaying the file (lot of paragraph styles and rules and so on). With complicated design rules there could happen some contradiction that Indesign does not know how to solve.
On the one hand it sounds plausible but on the other it does not make sense. Indesign is meant for beautiful design and not making some very simple Word-like layouts. Some specific setting or attribute from importing is probably to blame, but it is really hard to find out.

Maybe after few crashes I should clean the file with IDML because errors from crashing may stack up.

Thanks for trying to help!