InDesign auto recovery failing, need to recover mini saves to restore doc

Report · Apr 16, 2024

I'm a lil concerned. InDesign crashed and keeps attempting to recover the file I was working in but doesn't. I click REOPEN, it tries, and generates the same crash report over and over, asking again if I want to reopen the file. So it's having trouble pulling from the recovery files. Can I go to the recovery files themsleves (those mini saves InDesign makes every minute in the background as you work), move them to a new location, and try to reopen my InDesign file that crashed? Is there a way to access the mini saves and not lose my work?

Report · Apr 16, 2024

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the trouble. Can you please try the suggestions shared in this article and let us know if this helps or if you need further assistance.

Thanks

Rishabh

Report · Apr 16, 2024

I was just reading this articcle myself. I'm having trouble locating the InDesign Recovery files on my computer. I know the location is listed in Preference > File Handling > Document Recovery Data, but a portion of it is not readable. It looks like this:

Clicking choose doesn't take me to the correct location. I tried using this address online (Users/[User Name]/Library/Cache/Adobe InDesign/Version[#.0]/InDesign Recovery) but there is no Adobe InDesign folder in Cache. For me is would be Users/Library/Caches/ then some misc apple folders. If I can find the recoveery folder I can try the tutorial.

Report · Apr 16, 2024

From what I can find online, I should be able to locate the Recovery folder using this format:

Users/User Name/Library/Cache/Adobe InDesign/Version19.0/InDesign Recovery

On my system, I cn only get this far:

Users/User Name/Library/Cashes...

Nothing else matches after this. Where is the InDesign Recovery Folder?

Report · Apr 27, 2024

Check your spelling of cache...

And this is a hidden folder on Mac and possibly hidden on PC, so be sure to check how to show hidden files and folders.

That aside, in twenty-plus years I've never found a way to use the recovery data if InDesign fails to open the file automatically. You have a better chance with the file itself. I don't know of any free tools for Mac, but if you have access to a PC you can try the tool at http://kasyan.ho.ua/indesign/all/indd_recovery.html or if the time time to rebuild from scratch is more costly than a few hundred dollars, you can try the paid recovery service at Markzware: https://markzware.com/products/file-recovery-service/

Report · Apr 25, 2024

Hello,

I am also currently having this issue with recovering my file after a crash. Before the crash occured, InDesign was already starting to slow down, and I noticed that some random pages of my document had been completely erased of their content. I was really confused since I made sure to click the "save" button every 3-5 minutes to ensure this wouldn't happen.

I restarted my computer after InDesign froze completely for a long period of time, and while it worked smoothly this time, I did not recieve a recovery file nor any message of a crash. Part of my work remained completely disappeared and I have no idea how to get it back. I spoke with an agent but they said there is no way to recover files after a crash, which further confused me because there technically are ways to retrieve backup versions of the file, but we have to locate the folders you have mentioned first.

While I have a PC, I was also not able to find the InDesign Recovery folder. I could only go as far as This PC/Windows(C:)/Adobe/Adobe InDesign 2024/, leading to a bunch of documents such as licensing and documentation, but nothing as to versions or recovery folders. I couldn't find any library folder through the Users folder, so I went another route - and even then there was no file as described in the article. Were you able to resolve this issue ever since?

Report · Apr 25, 2024

try to retrieve a backup copy via Windows built-in backup system - some info here:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indd-file-corrupt-and-crashes-indesign-when-open...

Report · Apr 25, 2024

Thank you for your response, I have tried to check for previous versions using the Properties option for my specific file but unfortunately, none were found.

Report · Apr 26, 2024

@Jessica304400710ks0

Doing Save alone isn't enough.

You need to do Save As with a new name at least at the end of the day.

After each operation, InDesign is building Undo history. This history is available to you - until you close your document - then it's preserved in the file - but unaccessible.

When you do Save As - InDesign is purging this Undo history - and your file will open quicker and work better.

Additional benefit of doing Save As with a new name - you have backup copy.

Once a week or monthly you should delete some of the copies - leaving some that you think could be important - just in case.

Report · Apr 26, 2024

@Jessica304400710ks0

Recovery files rather won't help you much - you need to try to open your INDD file then do IDMLing - export as IDML, open, save with a new name.

If you can't open your INDD file - then I'm sorry but it's gone.

You can also try this if you can't open your file:

http://kasyan.ho.ua/indesign/all/blind_open_and_idml-export.html

Report · Apr 26, 2024

Overall, the solution would be to save the file as a copy? I suppose I have not been taught this before as it's always been emphasized to me that saving the file constantly will be enough to save your work from crashes or freezes. There was a sort of expectancy that Adobe InDesign would provide a "Recovery File", as it usually does when it crashes, but since I did not wait for it to close and rather restarted my computer, I'm not sure if that was the reason it resumed as if nothing had happened.

My file thankfully has not gone corrupt, it can still open normally despite the remaining missing contents. I took a screenshot of the dropdown menu that appears when I click "Save As" on my document. Is the last option what you are referring to when you mean to export a copy of the document as an IDML?

Report · Apr 26, 2024

@Jessica304400710ks0

Yes, but I prefer Export option.

The way Save works - it's "quick and dirty" - it just adds info about each change at the end of the file.

Then, when you open your file - InDesign needs to analyse all those small changes - 100s or 1000s of them- and build current snapshot of the document. Then, when you add new chunks - it needs to do this all over again.

When you execute Save and InDesign send request to system to save it - system doesn't care to keep all those chunks together - they can be scattered all over the drive.

When anything goes wrong - InDesign's/system's crash, power loss, etc. - some chunks can be lost - and InDesign might not be able to rebuild the file.

When you do Save As - InDesign is rewriting all this info and removes all those tiny steps.

Report · Apr 26, 2024

I see, I'm starting to have a better understanding of what we can do to further prevent such data loss of occurring in the near future. Although if we save and export a copy of a file, and then we continue to edit the original file - the copy won't exactly update the newly input information in real time, correct? To export and/or save a copy, we would have to consider how much progress has been made in the original file before doing so?

Report · Apr 26, 2024

@Jessica304400710ks0

You start a new file.
You work on this file - you do Save every few minutes - depends on the number / severity of changes.
At the end of the day you do Save As with a new name - increased counter, date, whatever.
Next day - you open this copy and work on it.
You repeat steps 2 to 4.

So every day you work on the last version from the previous day - after Save As.

At the end of the week - or month - delete some of the files but leave some - just in case.

Report · Apr 26, 2024

I understand, I will make sure to try this from now on. Although it's unfortunate the lost data may not ever be recovered, thank you so much for your time and help in showing how this can be prevented in case another crash happens. Have a great rest of your week!

Report · Apr 27, 2024

If you were working in a Dropbox or OneDrive folder you could roll back to a recently saved version easily so in addition to the other suggestions, that's one to consider, too.

Report · Apr 27, 2024

I understand, I will make sure to try this from now on. Although it's unfortunate the lost data may not ever be recovered, thank you so much for your time and help in showing how this can be prevented in case another crash happens. Have a great rest of your week!

By @Jessica304400710ks0

You are welcome.

Unfortunately, you shouldn't relay on InDesign alone - you should always "do" backup yourself.

Of course I'm not saying that you should do it manually - the simplest trick would be to do what @BobLevine suggested.

Or any other automated backup process.