InDesign CS3: Plug-in problem

Report · Aug 21, 2009

I am trying to open a file that was created by another company. It's telling me that InDesign cannot open the file and that I need to upgrade my plug-ins to their latest versions, or upgrade to the latest version of Adobe InDesign. It shows in this "Cannot Open File" dialog box a list of plug-ins that are already in my list of plug-ins in the "Configure Plug-Ins" dialog box. My question is, how do I upgrade my plug-ins to their lastest version?

Report · Apr 17, 2011

Peter, you are a godsend. I'm stunned. If these files were always CS2 files then I must have been editing them with this v.3.0.1 that is currently running as this is the absolute only inDesign I've had since before I can remember and these files, as you now see, were edited right here where I sit as recently as this time last year.

Very confused by how I worked on these files with what I had and yet now, can't. I'm hanging by a thread (so to speak) to see if I can follow options for the best possible choice given what you've found. If I understand you correctly, the only way to (hopefully) open these CS2 files is to somehow get CS5.

#1 choice: Since the current disks I own were an education suite I will have to see whether there are any education suite upgrades with CS5 for best pricing.

#2 choice: if there are none available, then I will have to choose to purchase a full version of CS5 out-of-pocket for US$699, which would be a real blow as that is a huge amount of money. I'm getting priced-out of these tools altogether as I will be needing my first After Effects shortly. And making that worse is that I'm not sure buying CS5 would get these CS2 files to open. Do you know whether they would?

#3 choice: I could take the book and try to reverse engineer the page layouts using the v. 3.0.1 I have here, hoping that that version will export/create suitable pdf's for my first-rate printers to work with. Which now that I think of it was likely the initial cause of my seeking out the CS5 trial in the first place. I vaguely recall something made me start seeking the upgrade--it wasn't just for sport.

Report · Apr 17, 2011

If the other files are also CS2, as I suspect they are, they were never edited in the version 3 you currently have installed. The file history can't lie about things like that an it just can't happen (as you are seeing). Are you absolutely positive you don't have CS2 someplace? The 2010 dates and the 4.0.5 patch level imply that the software was installed and fully updated at some point.

The only currently marketed edition of Adobe products through regular reseller channels is CS5, but your files will open in any version from CS2 through CS5. Be very careful, though, about purchasing an older version. The auction sites, for example, and many web pages offering older versions, are filled with counterfeit disks or copies that cannot be registered. Many, perhaps most, users are unaware that if they upgrade they cannot transfer the older version to a new user unless they also give them all of the other versions in the upgrade chain and completely remove the software from their systems. The must also supply a license transfer form (available as a download from Adobe). Educational software cannot be transferred at all.

As I said, an educational license is the best deal. It's relatively inexpensive and you get to continue using the software after you graduate or leave school, and can upgrade to a regular commercial license for a future version just like any commercial user. It's how I purchased a lot of my own software years ago. The downside is that you have to qualify, and that means being a student or faculty member at an accredited secondary school, and yes, they do ask for proof.

Report · Apr 17, 2011

My husband came home just after you got to the kernal of the problem, Peter, and he pointed out to me, rightly, that I had purchased my v. 3.0.1 educational from a colleague second-hand after he upgraded as we were both using the application 96% for the same qualifying educational purchaser, a seminary we design/ are on staff with.

I have been trying to avoid the high costs of these applications for many years, after my initial Adobe purchases in 1992 (Photoshop 2.0 was the new release that year! HA!) I'm not very productive with projects and my income is shockingly low from these jobs.

So, it's high time I grew up, bit the bullet, and spent hard-earned money on full and proper versions for myself.

I have been combing the Adobe store for the best value given that I need inDesign 5, Photoshop--any version above 3, Illustrator, any version as I use it so rarely, and very soon I'll want After Effects and possibly Premiere for a big animation project.

I think the Suite that makes the most sense for me is the Production Premium $1,699 except the buying guide says it includes inDesign but the product page doesn't list it as included? I need to find out which is correct.

Would you have any suggestion(s) on this? Should I enrole in an After Effects class (because I am unfamiliar with that application) at a qualifying school and make a purchase there of a Creative Suite that carries the software listed above.

I could ask a less knowledgable/informed salesperson, but I'd really appreciate your help/suggestion and to know what you might choose to do in my place?

And from a tech pov, should I uninstall my entire array of Adobe applications and start completely fresh if I purchase a Suite?

A thousand thank yous plus compounding interest, Shelley

Report · Apr 17, 2011

Shelley:

In re #63, while you can't open the file history of files you cannot open, you can use my method outlined in post #37, which does a similar thing using Exiftool (and XMP metadata). You're right that's its not relevant, but it might help you with forensics if you're still trying to figure out what happened...

Production Premium does not include InDesign. My view of the buying guide web page doesn't show it either - -what web page were you looking at?:

If there's a web page that has this wrong, it's fairly important to get it fixed since it might confuse a lot of people...

Most people who do web work with InDesign tend to get Design Premium. Do you really need Flash Builder and Contribute?

Uninstalling...ought not to matter. I would not do so unless you ran into a problem (but maybe others have other recommendations).

Report · Apr 17, 2011

Thank you, John, yes, that incorrect buying guide page is here: http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/designstandard/buying-guide.html Thanks for making sure no one else gets confused about that.

I in no way need all the software offered in these big Suites. But I'm trying to get the ones I do need without buying them individually. Looks as though there is no way. I may decide to subscribe to a month by month use of After Effects later. But renting software access feels resitrictive after all these years of just having it available once purchased, like borrowing a fine paintbrush, if that makes sense.

Report · Apr 17, 2011

Thanks. I've sent an email to some folks in Creative Suite marketting management. Hopefully they can get that fixed real soon.

Report · Apr 18, 2011

Thanks, John. I don't seem to have a route to anyone who can get that fixed, myself. If you switch to the upgrades tab on that smae page, there's an error as well where the second grouping headings both say Deign Standard, but one should clearly be Design Premium.

@Shelley, InDesign is included in ONLY the Design Standard, Design Premium and Master Collection packages. Design Premium includes Flash Pro, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver, which are missing in Design Standard, which gives you a lot of web capability, too, if you decide in the future you want it, and Photoshop Extended, which has more capabilities in things like 3D, if memory serves, which you might also want. The cost differential between Standard and Premium is less than the cost of buying Standard and a standalone Flash, or only a little more than Standard plus a standalone Dreamweaver.

After Effects is pricey, and if you think you need it AND InDesign, I honestly think you would be better off buying the Master Collection than any of the smaller packages and a standalone for the missing program. Production Premium doesn't include Acrobat, which I think you'll find you need if working in the print realm, and again the price differential is small between Production Premium + ID and Master Collection.

That said, you also need to think about which programs you expect to use all the time and would want to start keeping up to date. Suite packages can only be upgraded as a package, which is of course more expensive than upgrading a single standalone. A one-product upgrade is about $200 for most products in Design Premium package, about $300 for AE. To upgrade Design Premium is about $600, and Master Collection about $900, or a little less than the cost of adding a standalone license for after effects to one of the design packages and about the same as upgrading Design Premium and After Effects standalone at the same time. If, however, som programs you think you can upgrade only every 2nd or 3rd release, you may save a significant amount over the course of years by purchasing those programs as standalones or an islolated package.

Report · Apr 18, 2011

Wow, Peter, this is exactly the kind of big picture, rational, objective consultation I was hoping to get. Thank you! You've giving me excellent food for thought that I can chew on to make my buying decisions. After so many years limping along with old versions and not knowing how to update them or splash out for upgrades it may be that buying all fresh again (the last time I did this was in 1992!, Hmmm, about wha? Can that be 20 years ago?! No.) and going forward with nice openable documents might be called for. HA!

Thanks to everyone for their help here!

Shelley Noble

Report · Apr 19, 2011

FWIW, I highly recommend Design Premium. Rather than rehash a bunch of stuff here, you can read the article on my website: http://theindesignguy.com/purchase-advice.shtml

I'm currently updating that page with CS5.5 information.

Bob

Report · Apr 19, 2011

Oh, one more thing. If you hurry you can save yourself some money. Amazon has CS5 Design Premium for $1622: http://amzn.to/hXo7M5

Buying CS5 now should entitle you to a free upgrade to CS5.5 when it ships: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/153/tn_15304.html

You'll save yourself almost $300 and be compatible with anyone with CS5 or CS5.5.

Bob

Report · Apr 19, 2011

Thank you, Mr. Levine, will review your article and suggestions with gratitude.

My dilemma is that I need a fresh full inDesign and will be needing AE (older version ok) shortly. I'm running old PS/ILL/and Acrobat too, which I can scrimp along with I think. But then again I don't know what I'm missing out on in terms of capabilities.

It's as though my Adobe software needs can only be resolved in the most costly way possible no matter how I slice it up.

If I do figure a way to buy the full Master Suite, is ther a way I can absolutely erase my entire HD and externals of any and all existing Adobe software, short of backing everything up and wiping the entire drive(s) as if new?

Thanks to Mr. Hawkinson and Hunt for handling the site detail/correction.

Report · Apr 19, 2011

Let's start with this...What software do you have and what version is it?

Additionally, what kind of computer do you have and what operating system is it running?

Bob

Report · Apr 19, 2011

As you wrote this, I was just messaging you thanks for the information in your article and store. I feel funny continuing my software purchasing saga here in the inDesign plug-in issue thread. May I send you that message and go from there? Or would this conversation be useful for others as well? I'd be happy to lay it all out here as I see understanding the price structure/Suites/ and offerings is important now that I'm paying attention to it.

Report · Apr 19, 2011

I think others might benefit.

Bob

Report · Apr 19, 2011

You could start a new thread.... So the rest of us who are subscribed don't have to hear an unrelated conversation....

Report · Apr 19, 2011

Got cha. will do, Stix Hart

I laid everything out for Mr. Levine in a message, if he has anything to suggest tomorrow, I'll be sure to initiate a new thread with the information elsewhere on this forum

Thanks to everyone again.

Report · Apr 19, 2011

Thanks. I've sent an email to some folks in Creative Suite marketting management. Hopefully they can get that fixed real soon.

I guess they have a two-step review process that takes a bit. The original problem is now fixed, and the upgrades table issue Peter noticed is is in the "production" queue, per Simon Hunt/Web Marketing.

"Thanks for the extra set of eyes," he says.

Report · Nov 13, 2014

I am trying to open an indd doc in cs3, and the doc was also created by a different author using cs3, however i can't open the doc due to missing or outdated plugins. There are 2 screens that appear, one with a shorter list, then a second screen with a much longer list of about 25+ that are missing. Where and how do I locate these missing plug-ins? Thanks for your help!

Report · Nov 13, 2014

It was NOT created in CS3. It was created in a later version of InDesign.