InDesign 2023 makes a read only file

[Christina228449123bw0]

I have just updated to the 2023 InDesign, and now suddently my documents are read-only and I cannot save the file, but have to make a save as version and give the document a new name everytime I have to save my work.

Do you know why this is happening? And how to avoid this?

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi everyone,

I followed up with the product team about the Quick Look extension change. They confirmed that this step simply disables the Quick Look extension, which is responsible for generating InDesign file previews (the small thumbnail you see in Finder when selecting an INDD file).

Turning this off will stop preview generation in Finder, but it will not impact your normal InDesign workflows. You can continue working in InDesign as usual.

If you try this workaround, please let us know whether it helps with the read-only issue on your setup. Your feedback will help us guide the team further.

Thanks again for your patience and collaboration!

Best,
Abhishek

[Thomas355319251lq8]

Hi Anubav, Hi Abhishek,

disabling the quick look seems to prevent the issue most of the time. I still have it soemtjimes and logging still when it is happening. I will send you more feedback as soon as i have a better picture on it.

[pifath67]

Unfortunately, for months now, nothing has been done to fix the issues with write protection and the inability to overwrite existing PDFs during export.

Unfortunately, this is costing us a lot of time and frustration.

For example: Saving each file anew or in a different location takes about 15 seconds. Doing this approximately 30 times a day, and with 20 working days a month, adds up to about 2.5 hours. At an hourly rate of €70, that's 2.5 times the monthly cost of an Adobe subscription.

Shouldn't we actually be receiving compensation from Adobe for this?

Where is the compensation for the customers who have been waiting for over two years for these bugs to be fixed, Adobe?

We pay and pay and pay and Adobe does nothing!

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @pifath67,

I completely understand how frustrating this situation has been, especially with the amount of time and effort it’s costing you in your daily work. I wanted to check in and see whether you've had a chance to try the steps shared earlier in this thread, including the workaround related to the Quick Look extension, and if so, whether it helped improve the behavior on your end at all.

If the issue is still persisting after trying those steps, please let me know and share any observations you've noticed.

I'm looking forward to your update so that I can escalate it with the team.

Abhishek

[pifath67]

Hi Abishek,

I've already tried the various workarounds, including disabling the Quick Look extension. That didn't solve the problem.

Furthermore, back in April, Adobe employees installed a plugin on my computer during a Teams session, which was supposed to log activity. After I'd been using it for a few weeks, they stopped responding to my feedback.

Clearly, Adobe isn't particularly interested in finding a solution.

Since we're having a two-week company holiday starting next week, I'll use the only workaround that works: I won't use the program.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @pifath67,

I fully comprehend how frustrating and tiring this situation has been for you. I apologize that it remains unresolved on your side. I have escalated the issue to the product team with your most recent feedback and the ongoing problems you are experiencing, including the write-protected files and the PDF overwrite issue, even after implementing the known workarounds. I will keep you informed here as soon as I receive any updates or next steps from them.

Thank you for your understanding, and I appreciate you taking the time to provide such detailed feedback despite the difficulties.

Abhishek

[pifath67]

Just did an InDesign update.
Surprise: Nothing has changed regarding the write protection problem or the problem of not being able to overwrite PDF files.
I think the "team" should stop collecting information and start solving the problem.
I have the feeling that no one at Adobe is interested in a solution. It's just a lot of work...
This really can't be called customer service - it's more of a rip-off. You get an inferior product for a lot of money.

[pifath67]

Addendum: It is NOT possible to overwrite an existing PDF even if ALL folder windows have been closed, Acrobat has been closed, and the file hasn't been opened previously. Message: File is already open. Haha...
Possible workaround: Shut down the computer before saving 😉
When will these serious bugs finally be fixed, Adobe?

[pifath67]

It's nearly impossible to work sensibly and efficiently because almost EVERY file is opened as read-only.
Why do WE always have to use workarounds to compensate for the shortcomings of the software we pay a lot of money for?
After all, WE are the customers, for whom a minimum level of service could be provided.
But large companies apparently don't care about customers once they've paid for the product...
It's sad...

[Jürgen27241002fjjp]

The problem incomprehensibly still exists (and has for years in our company) and I fully share their opinion regarding problem solving and customer-oriented support. Instead of AI tools, a solid working version would be more helpful. On the other hand, the support solution of saving files locally and then uploading them to the server is impractical. That was the case in the 80s...