Inspiring

Answered

Indesign Spell Check causes missing text

Forum|Forum|9 months ago
May 17, 2025
5 replies
2743 views

While making a final proof of my book, I encountered a big problem using Indesign Spell Check. It highlighted a word ("throughout"), and I clicked on the highlighted word to insert a hyphen. After pressing the hyphen key, Indesign removed all the text in my document from that point on. A total of 40 chapters vanished in a few seconds. The pages are still visible and even contain the running header and page numbers. Text threading shows no problems, and there are no indications of there being any overset text. Only the last page is still visible. I immediately attempted to use Edit > Undo, but nothing changed. I closed out and exited Indesign and then restarted it. No changes. I tried to find an earlier backup version on my laptop and on the cloud but have been unsuccessful. Has anyone experienced this problem before and found a solution?

Others

Correct answer Lambo8033

Auto-recovery is in case you crash. Otherwise, it doesn't do anything.

Without actually looking at your files, it's hard to help.

However, some suggestions for the future:

Do your own manual backup once or twice a day. I zip my project folder, add the date to the zip file name, and manually copy it to an external hard drive.

I work with a desktop/cloud sync system such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box. They keep previous versions, usually for 30 days. It also syncs files between my various computers, incuding Mac and Windows.

Remember that not saving (or reverting) is your uber-undo.

Great suggestion on the manual backups...I'll start doing that today. Thanks! 🙂

I opened up the Story Editor panel and it appears that the remainder of my document was somehow moved waaayyy down the page. I believe I can salvage it now. Thanks again for your assistance. Really didn't want to have to start the format process all over again!

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

I'd say it's just overset text - something has nudged it out of the text frame - if you can share the file it will help track down the issue so you can avoid it in the future. It could be numerous issues with it.

Barb Binder

Community Expert

Hi @Lambo8033:

There are two parts to your question: 1.) What the heck happened with Spell Check? and 2) Where is my content!

Like the others, I'd say 2 is the priority and it sounds like your content is still there, just dramatically spaced out with multiple returns. I wondering if perhaps you were using multiple returns ¶s to add vertical space instead of relying on the more reliable method of using InDesign's spacing controls? We don't know your level of InDesign knowledge but that is a common mistake for newer users. And if your dropcap paragraph style has Keep Options on it and it was mistakenly added to a long list of returns, this exact scenario could unfold.

You might enable Type > Show Hidden Characters so that you can see all of the ¶ ¶ ¶ in the layout view or the story editor view and then assign a neutral style (perhaps [Basic Paragraph] or Body—we don't know which without seeing your file) to all of them. Does the file look more normal in layout view?

If it were me, I'd just use Find/Change > Query > Multiple Returns to Single Return to remove them all, but there is a possibility you put them in on purpose and I don't want to mess you up while trying to help.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

[...] I wondering if perhaps you were using multiple returns ¶s to add vertical space instead of relying on the more reliable method of using InDesign's spacing controls? We don't know your level of InDesign knowledge but that is a common mistake for newer users. And if your dropcap paragraph style has Keep Options on it and it was mistakenly added to a long list of returns, this exact scenario could unfold. [...]

By @Barb Binder

As per @Lambo8033 initial post, he tried to insert hyphen in the middle of "throughout" - but then text, for some reason, disappeared.

Empty paras were most likely added later - in an attempt to "rescue" the situation.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

I doubt the hyphen caused the problem.

Looks like what happens when my cat steps on the return key...

The best thing for the OP to do is upload a copy of the file OR message one of us to look at it privately.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

@Lambo8033

Can you share your document - please click my nickname if you prefer to share it privately.

Or post some screenshots.

Have you checked Story Editor?

L

Lambo8033Author

Inspiring

Hi Robert,

Here's a screenshot of the project. Don't know if it will help.

Robert at ID-Tasker

Legend

Hi Robert,

Here's a screenshot of the project. Don't know if it will help.

By @Lambo8033

That doesn't even show bottom of the page 😞

And you would've to turn on Show Hidden Characters.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

When you exited InDesign, did you save?

Do you have a backup?

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

L

Lambo8033Author

Inspiring

Hi David...Yes, I did save before closing Indesign thinking the auto-recovery feature of Indesign might fix the issue. No such luck. Can't find a backup copy on my laptop, or in the Creative Cloud. I had it set to automatically save the doc so what's been saved is the current version without any text past chapter 11. I use Backblaze to back up my computer, but retrieving those files and trying to sift through thousands of them was unsuccessful. I hope that the fact all my pages are still present with the running headers and page numbers is a good sign. That maybe the text is just hidden somehow. All attempts to search this specific problem online have proven a disappointment.

Dave Creamer of IDEAS

Community Expert

Auto-recovery is in case you crash. Otherwise, it doesn't do anything.

Without actually looking at your files, it's hard to help.

However, some suggestions for the future:

Do your own manual backup once or twice a day. I zip my project folder, add the date to the zip file name, and manually copy it to an external hard drive.

I work with a desktop/cloud sync system such as OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box. They keep previous versions, usually for 30 days. It also syncs files between my various computers, incuding Mac and Windows.

Remember that not saving (or reverting) is your uber-undo.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

kglad

Community Expert

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

<"moved from cc desktop">

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