InDesign constantly resetting workspace

[Klemen5C46]

This is getting seriously annoying. I'm an advanced user using a lot of functionality, having to reset my workspace and preferences every few weeks can take up to 20 minutes.

I mean, why the hell does my Essentials Classic page now only show Properties and Pages panels? Who uses InDesign just to flip pages around?? 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Which OS & InDesign version? 

[Bill Silbert · Accepted solution]

Do you set up your workspaces with a document open? If so try setting everything up as you like it with no document open making sure to use the option to save the workspace and then quit the program. This should make the workspace a part of your InDesign preferences. Then make a copy of your preference file to use at any time in the future if InDesign becomes in any way corrupt.

Your preference file can be found at the following locations:

MAC: The User Library folder in which InDesign’s preferences are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that InDesign is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N). With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the folder called Preferences and within it find the folder called “Adobe InDesign”. This is the folder to make a copy of.

WINDOWS:: On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then "InDesign" folder in this path is the one to copy: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<Language>.