InDesign opens files with missing images

Report · May 13, 2022

I've been having a repeated issue with InDesign where when I open files, the images look like static (see screenshots below) or are not displaying. The image files themselves have not been moved, and are located on my local machine (not in the cloud), and the ID file has not been moved either. Even though the images aren't displaying, none of them show as needing to be re-linked in the links panel. The images do not display properly until I manually go through and re-link them all. It's a big time sink and I need to figure out how to prevent it, as it's happening every time I send a revision to the client and then come back to the project. At times it has even caused me to not be able to export my file to PDF, which I was trying to do to test something related to this issue.

It may or may not be related, but I've also had issues with files being locked after quitting the program, so I cannot open them until I delete the lock file or some other similar workaround. Generally ID doesn't seem to be playing well with my computer. I'm on a MacBook Pro running Monterey.

Report · May 13, 2022

How do they print without re-placing/relinking the images? Low-resolution? Missing? Or as expected?

The lock file issue is interesting; If everything is installed locally, and you're saving/closing the file, then closing the application, there should be no file artifacts. That doesn't mean that there aren't, of course. But it should be the end result.

When you go to delete your errant lock file, is it the only one you can find on your system? Or do you have multiple lock files as debris and have to remove them all before you can continue?

Sorry to try to answer your question with a whole lot more ... questions ... but this information will help us gain insight on your issues and hopefully point toward some helpful solutions.

Randy

Report · May 13, 2022

To be fair I think maybe the lock issue is separate for the images, but the point is that the image issue is not the only one I'm having with ID. I've had it crash too, so it's possible I'm seeing the lock issue more when it crashes or my computer dies than when I save and close, though I swear I've seen it then too.

When I have seen the lock file issue I think it's only the one lock of the file I was working on most recently. I think there was at least one time where removing the lock file didn't solve the issue and I actually had to re-save the file somehwere else in order to be able to open it at all.

I can't print the file as I don't have a printer, and it's also not intended for print and will be viewed digitally only. This issue is happening with multiple ID files, so it's not specific to this file. The client did mention they thought some icons on one of the pages were appearing pixelated when I didn't think they should, but I think that might be a separate issue that I just need to figure out and isn't directly related to the linking issues.

Report · May 13, 2022

It will help if you tell us what version of InDesign, Mac OS, and Mac hardware you are using.

Report · May 13, 2022

InDesign 17.2.1

MacBook Pro 16 inch 2019 running 12.3.1 Monterey (see screenshot)

Report · May 13, 2022

Just a thought (because there are quite a few reports of trouble with Monterey and this might be one of them), have you tried turning off hardware video acceleration in the prefs? I don't think it will make a difference, but worth trying.

Report · May 13, 2022

Hmm... I looked through both ID and Mac preferences and didn't see the setting you're talking about. Tried to google it and didn't find anything. Where is the pref you're referring to?

Report · May 13, 2022

I'm a Windows user, where that setting is not available, but it should be in the InDesign prefs. I would check the General, Interface, and Display Performance sections to see if you find it. I may not have given the correct name (but it should say hardware acceleration).

Maybe one of the Mac users will give you the exact location...

Report · May 13, 2022

I believe this is what Peter is referring to.

Report · May 13, 2022

Yes, that's it. Try unchecking GPU Performance on that screen.

Report · May 16, 2022

Ok thank you both for clarifying. I made that change and will see if it happens again. I'll update here.

Report · May 17, 2022

I have the same issue, and turning off the GPU dosen't help. Any suggestions. Thanks in advance 🙂

Report · May 17, 2022

As I said, I didn't think it would make a difference. I suspect this another Monterey bug, but I'll leave that to the Mac users to discuss.

Report · May 31, 2022

Ok it happened again, so the preferences modification didn't fix anything. I last worked with this file May 17, about two weeks ago. Got revisions from the client and came back to edit it. It prompted me to update 1 link when I opened the file and I chose yes, to update it. Then it opens with all the images looking like old TV static again. My computer did die yesterday (thought it was plugged in and it wasn't), but I didn't have this file open at the time. There is a lock file in the same folder as this file, but it must be for something else because I was able to open the file just fine. However, now I have to painstakingly re-link the images again. One image seems to be okay, which is odd. I do think it's saved in a diff place than most of the other images, but again, I've been really mindful not to change the locations of linked files. If anything changed related to the file paths at all, it was just that I added an image to the same folder where a linked image in this file is located. That would be the only change.

Report · Jun 20, 2022

I continue to have this issue with numerous files. It happened to me again today, coming back to the same project I posted about originally (though a different file, very similar in nature), as well as a proposal I was writing up for a different client.

I tried to open the proposal file from the "Recent Files" menu and it told me I couldn't because it was in use (it wasn't - there wasn't even a lock file for it this time), and then when I opened it the linked items were not displaying properly even though they look fine in the menu.

Example from the proposal document:

Here is a screenshot of the doc that is very similar to the one from my original post, which I'm continuing to see this problem with. I am at a loss. Four linked items on this page alone will need to be re-linked. It's quite time consuming to recover from this problem and I can't figure out how to prevent this from happening.

Report · Jun 20, 2022

Not a solution, but a question. Are your linked files spread out in different directories or all in one folder? If all in the same folder, you can use the "relink to folder" from the links / hamburger menu to save a little time. The fact that this is happening with files stored locally is a puzzler. Have you tried creating a test user account on your MacBook and see if it happens there? Odd things have happened with user accounts that a fresh user account fixes.

Report · Apr 04, 2024

Ive been getting that problem for about 3 years. Exactly as youve described Elizabeth. Its usually when opening an old file that was all working fine when it was created and worked on. Nothing has been moved or renamed etc. That multiple vertical line effect that looks like the stuff youd get on old tellys when the signal went is what I get. It doesnt happen anymore on current files but just legacy stuff. Nothing has been moved and its all running off the internal computer drive.

Report · Apr 05, 2024

Hi,

Sorry to hear about the trouble. Can you confirm the version of InDesign & OS, and is this happening with a specific file or multiple files?

Thanks

Rishabh