InDesign crashing unexpectedly/database error/corrupted files

Report · Jul 28, 2025

I am running the high-res pdfs for a journal print but have been hampered by my laptop freezing and InDesign crashing, with error messages such as "file corrupted" and "database error".

Do you have any suggestion on how to solve the issue other than save the Indesign files locally in my laptop? We use Google Drive but it does not allow me to save InDesign files on it.

Report · Jul 28, 2025

Can you not save the InDesign document to your laptop?

Are the images imbeded or linked?

How much RAM and spare hard disk capacity do you have?

Have you tried resetting your InDesign preferences?

Report · Jul 28, 2025

Hi @matteo_4230,

Sorry to hear about the crashing and error messages while exporting high-res PDFs. From what you've described, it sounds like this could be linked to file sync issues.

While saving files locally is definitely the most stable approach, if that's not possible, I'd recommend working from a local copy of your InDesign file. Try downloading the file from Drive to your desktop, working on it there, and then re-uploading once done. This helps avoid potential database or permissions errors that can occur when InDesign tries to write live to the cloud.

Also, could you confirm if you're seeing the Adobe Crash Reporter dialog when the app crashes? If yes, please submit the crash report and send me the email address you entered in the dialog via DM so I can pull the logs and investigate further. Reference: https://adobe.ly/3IOTNpJ

Let me know your InDesign version and OS as well.

Happy to help further once I have those details. Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

Report · Jul 28, 2025

If you're using a cloud storage such as Google Drive, you must turn off cloud only features where files are downloaded on demand. InDesign tends to time out while trying to open them.

If InDesign files can't be saved to it, there is something wrong with your set up but there's no way to tell what that is.

Report · Aug 28, 2025

Hi matteo_4230,
Just checking in to check how things are going? Were you able to resolve the issue, or are you still experiencing the same behavior?

Thanks,
Nikunj