InDesign - need a "Fix my Corrupted File" Upload Service

[_caseyadobe_]

There are frequently posts on the forum for people who have corrupted INDD files. This means lost work and frustrated InDesign users.

The Indesign team should offer a "Fix my File" upload link to its customers.

For each corrupted file, you will help a customer, and in the process, hopefully improve the overall stability of the product (which has issues) and benefit everyone...

Adobe: If you are afraid that you will be swamped with requests to "Fix my File", then you should probably just get out of the SW business now...

[kai_howells]

The file was open in InDesign and being worked on, but not in the process of being saved when the server connection dropped.

I know as well as anyone that if you lose the connection during a write then all bets are off.

I don't understand how simply having a document open in InDesign when the connection to the storage media drops out how this could cause corruption of the document so severely that it can't be opened again...

[Peter Spier]

ID writes everytime you do anything.

[kai_howells]

And therein lies the problem.

ID should leave the original document alone on disk and commit all writes to a temp file, only merging them when the user actually saves the document.

Although thinking this through a bit more, I'm not sure ID writes back to the original document all the time - what would happen in the case where a user opens up a document, makes some quite major changes and then does a save-as to save it as a different document. Surely this would have to leave the original document unmodified...

[Peter Spier]

Every time you make a change ID must write the change history so you can undo. When you do a save as ID either overwrites or creates a new file.

[Peter Spier]

> I'm not sure where the Adobe InDesign Cache folder is in Windows

C:\Documents and Settings\[Username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version 5.0\Caches\InDesign Recovery by default, but it can be moved using the application prefs, so it's not guaranteed.

[_tania_marino_]

Anne-Marie, Tommy, Peter -- Thanks so much for the information. I will look into the cache suggestions when I'm at the office next week. I did pull the file to my desktop (w/o the lock file) but it still wouldn't open. One of my concerns was that InDesign just seemed to be generally buggy (?) after that, even when opening (or attempting to open) other files, or *even* just to start the program.

Another side item--the JPGs in question that were being placed when the issue occurred were also used in the cover I designed. (These were edited on my Mac at home, from the desktop, not over a network, and then ftp'd back to my office.) While I am used to large files sizes for PSD docs, usually in the high 200MB, this cover is 400,300KB, which is on the excessive side. Typically I would reduce the file size of the JPGs (each were ~4.5MB) to use in the .INDD, but as I was already close to my deadline, I was just dropping them in to get the production done. I'm just curious if there's any connection, perhaps the outside chance something is up with these image files...?

Thanks again, I'll be sending the InDesign file to Tommy for analysis.

[_uoha_]

Thanks Matt!
It was very thoughtful of you Bring it up!
Great memory):-

[_Neil_Griffith_]

Hi there,

I have an Indesign CS3 file of a manual that I absolutely need, but it keeps causing Indesign to quit when I try to open it. Can anyone work a bit of magic to some how repair the file?

Regards,

Neil Griffith

[TommyDonovan]

Hi Neil:

I dont know if Ill be able to open it, but Id like to take a look to see what may have gone wrong.

Please upload it to our FTP server. Here are instructions for doing so:
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb402038

The instructions mention creating a folder with a case number. Instead, please create a uniquely named folder and then email me when youve uploaded it: tomdonov@adobe.com.

Thanks,
Tommy Donovan
InDesign Development
Adobe Systems, Inc

[_Jennifer_Hernandez_]

Hi,
I have an InDesign CS3 file that will not open. It says that the file is "damaged and cannot be recovered (Error code:5 ). Any ideas on how to get around this?

[_Jennifer_Hernandez_]

Ok, they emailed me the file again, this time not zipped and it opened fine in InDesign. Problem solved.

[Nini_Tjader]

Jennifer - This is the feature request forum, not the forum for asking questions. You are in the wrong forum.

But, if ID says the file is damaged and cannot be recovered you better start looking for an older backup (if you have one) or to recreate the file from scratch.

[TommyDonovan]

Hi Jennifer:

I'd be interested in taking a look at your file to try to determine what may have gone wrong.

If your file is small enough for email, you can send it directly to me (tomdonov@adobe.com).

For larger files, you can upload them to our customer support FTP server. Here are instructions for doing so:
http://www.adobe.com/go/kb402038

When using the FTP site, please create a folder with distinguishing name, transfer your files to that folder, and then send me an email to let me know the files are there for me to take a look at.

Thank you,
Tommy Donovan
Development Project Lead
InDesign Product Family
Adobe Systems, Inc.
tomdonov@adobe.com

[DavidMWE]

Hello Jennifer,

Actually, we may be able to recover that file...

http://markzware.com/blogs/bad_corruptedadobe_indesign_docs/2008/09/15/

Video Proof...
Fixing bad Adobe InDesign Files- an update!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QNncZIR6Jx0

Friendly Regards,
David Dilling
Markzware

[_Amy_O_Neil_]

Tommy,

I have a file that is giving me a "File is damaged (Error Code: 4)" May I send this file to you to look at?

This is the second time a student of mine has had a file crash and not be able to be recovered on this specific machine. It is part of her final project (due next week!)

Please let me know
Thanks

Amy O.

[TommyDonovan]

Hi Amy:

Yes, I'd like to look at your file.

You can send it to me directly at: tomdonov@adobe.com. Or, if it is a large file, you can upload it to our FTP server. Here are instructions for our FTP server:
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb402038

These instructions include a step that talks about creating a folder with a case number. Instead of a case number, please give the folder a unique name and then email me to let me know the files are there.

Thanks,
Tommy Donovan
Development Project Lead
InDesign Development
Adobe Systems, Inc.

[_BigRaynSD_]

I have a indd file thats corrupted and needs fixing.
How do I uploade it since its too big to email?

[TommyDonovan]

BigRaynSD:

Please can upload your INDD to our FTP server and then email me at: tomdonov@adobe.com. It is rare that I can fix a file, but we collect as many corrupt documents as possible to try to determine how it may have happened.

Here are instructions for our FTP server:
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb402038

These instructions include a step that talks about creating a folder with a case number. Instead of a case number, please give the folder a unique name and then email me to let me know the files are there.

Thanks,
Tommy Donovan
Development Project Lead
InDesign Development
Adobe Systems, Inc.

[_Bee1_]

Tommy,
I also have one of those files with the same error. I'd like to know if I can send you the file so you can have a look at it and see if it's repairable.
Thanks.

[TommyDonovan]

Hi Bee1:

You can send your file directly to me at: tomdonov@adobe.com.

If it is large, you can also upload it to our FTP server and let me know it's there. Here are instructions for doing so:
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb402038

These instructions include a step to create a folder with a case number. Instead, please just use a unique name for the folder and let me know what you've used.

Thanks,
Tommy Donovan
InDesign Development
Adobe Systems, Inc.

[_Jamie_Whitehurst_]

I have an indesign document that will not open. I really need it to work and dont have much time to redo it. If you could help me that would be wonderful.

[_Juro_Berko_]

Hi Tommy

I have a damaged InDesign file (CS2) that causes InDesign to crash by opening it. Could you please help me with that?

Thank you.

juro

[_Ben_Bernard_]

A student in our department has a CS3 InDesign file that returns the
following error messages:

- Error encountered while reading JPEG image. Image may be damaged or incompatible. Resave the image with different settings and try again.

- Could not complete your request because of a database error. The file "NDSUProjectBook.indd" is damaged. (Error code: 6).

- Adobe InDesign is shutting down. A serious error was detected. Please restart InDesign to recover unsaved InDesign documents.

Restarting InDesign and choosing automatic recovery leads to the same
chain of error messages above and an application crash.

The offending file has been copied to:
ftp://ftp-sj.adobe.com/NDSUProjectBook.indd

Thanks!
--
Ben Bernard
Computer Services Specialist
Department of Architecture & Landscape Architecture
North Dakota State University

[_Carolyn_Clingen_]

I have a file that returns an error code:3. I desparately need it recovered. Can you help?

[_Karen88_]

I have experienced similar problems with an ID file. I can no longer open the file and when I try, I get a dialog box about the file being damaged beyond repair and classified as an Error Code 5. I have tried changing the file name, location, opening it up in earlier versions of ID. Nothing works.

I uploaded my problem file. Can anyone help?

Thanks
K