InDesign export to PDF not working

[Cass R]

Using InDesign 18.4 with Windows 10 - when i select export to PDF - it just spins up in the top tool bar and doesn't create the PDF, why could this be happening. It has worked for years, but this week, it doesn't want to.

[Eugene Tyson]

All documents or just this one?

First try exporting half the pages - try pages 1-50 then 51-100 for example

If one side exports then it's an issue with the other side etc.

Keep halving til you find problem page(s) and then find out if it's text frame, image etc by deleting item by item til that page(s) exports.

Then try fix problem by updating image or recreating text frame etc.

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Just one doc
If a document is not behaving well then try 

File>Export 
Choose IDML
Open the IDML in InDesign
Save the file as a new InDesign file with a new name
See if the issue persists.

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all docs

Try resetting your preferences:

Windows: Start InDesign, and then press Shift+Ctrl+Alt. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files.
macOS: While pressing Shift+Option+Command+Control, start InDesign. Click Yes when asked if you want to delete preference files.
A dialog will appear asking to delete the InDesign Preferences, select 'Yes' on this dialog.
Further info and instructions here if needed:
https://helpx.adobe.com/in/indesign/kb/indesign-preferences-support-file-locations.html

or drastically

Reinstalling rarely fixes everything - you can do a complete reinstall using the
Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

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[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I think you should update your first part of advice - instead of splitting in halfs - just export as separate pages. 

[Cass R]

Thanks Eugene, it is all documents and they are just single page documents. I will try the IDML file now.

I did remove InDesign and reinstalled, no difference, same issue. 

Thanks Cass

[D. Schulte]

What worked for me in the past is creating a InDesign book file, importing the InDesign file of choice and export the book as a PDF. I don't know why, but this often works.

[Eugene Tyson]

Probably because exporting PDF from book file won't be done in a background process. 

It's not fixing your issue, just working around with it. I'd be interested in finding the issue an resolving it to negate errors later on in the process.

[D. Schulte]

Yes sure, it's just a quick work around without solving the problem in the document. Yet it might be a time sensitive matter and therefore of use for cassr3868206. But I am also interested in finding the real issue in the document 🙂

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Try disabling background tasks:

https://creativepro.com/a-new-workaround-for-that-pesky-background-export-issue/ 

[Cass R]

Hi Robert, are machines are locked down, but will get our IT team to disable the background tasks and see if that works.

ThanksCass

[Cass R]

I had my IT team disable background tasks but no luck.

[Cass R · Accepted solution]

Thank you for all your suggestions, in the end I started again with a new file and it works fine now. The file must have been corrupt somehow. Thank you.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

IDMLing usually fixes corrupted files.