InDesign spinning wheel on every click. Can't work!

[foxprintservices]

I am using InDesign 2021 & 2022. It is constantly "Not responding" using both versions. I can't get anything done. This has been going on for months. Since purchasing this iMac with the M1 chip. Actually I've been experiencing issues with InDesign since before this new iMac was purchased. I purchased it to try and stop the issues thinking it was the older Mac I had that was causing the problems. But that seems not to be the case.

I open InDesign and then try to open a magazine file and it immedietly hangs up. Every click causes the spinning wheel to appear and then I get the "application not responding" message. I've restarted 3 times this moring and it is still happening. I really am hating Adobe right now. 

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Sounds frustrating.

Here's a few things you can try that might get you back on track

Try resetting your preferences:
The easiest way to reset everything is to delete the InDesign preferences: as soon as InDesign starts to boot hold down Shift, Alt, Ctrl (and Apple/Cmd if working on a Macintosh). 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

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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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There's also a list of things to try here

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/resolve-slow-performance-and-unexpected-behavior...

[dip]

Hi,

I have the same issue and nothing seems to help. I disabled changes tracking, I trashed the preferences, I reinstalled Indesign and NOTHING. The application lags for minutes, can't work! This is ridiculous! What can cause the problem? Fonts? Links? Can someone help? I need to be able to work normally. This is utterly frustrating!

[leo.r]

@dip Try to create a clean new user account and work from there. Will it make a difference?

[Cyndie31373403rzak]

I have been having this issue for most of this year. This has happned in both the 2022, 2023, and 2024 versions of the app. It has also happened across 2 different ISPs, one of them being fiber 1G. It happens in some files and not others. My company is convinced it is font-related??? However, I seem to be one of the only users in the company having this issue. I know one other designer who has seen it. We switched from UTC to ConnectFonts last year. What type management are you using?

[raymondd13924530]

I have been having this issue for a while and its starting to affect the time I spend on a job so I have tried switching from Indesign 20.0 to 19.5 as a temporary measure. I am going to check out Infinity though because I have had it! with Adobe clitchy software and the cost for the clitchy software. And yes I run the lastest software on an over priced MAC Studio 🙂

[raymondd13924530]

https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/publisher/

[Eugene Tyson]

I beta tested Affinity Publisher and it has nowhere near the comprehensive tools that InDesign has - I found it quite limiting, but that was some time ago. 

If something else works then that's fine - I certainly wouldn't keep buying the same saw that doesn't work if there was a different saw that worked better for my purpose.

[Sadie5CF8]

If anyone had this issue like I had, here's how I solved my problem. I work for an ad agency and sometimes we work remotely using a VPN and server to house our files. When I tried working on a file directly from the server, InDesign would just hang and spin every time I made a click or moved my mouse. Once I closed, saved the file on my local and reopened, I didn't have an issue.

Keep in mind that I didn't always have this issue on a file opened directly from the server, which could be because someone else creating/worked in the file or something else.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hello everyone, 

For users facing this issue in InDesign 2025, please check this community post for suggestions and workarounds provided by the product team: InDesign 2025 Performance Issues on Mac.

Best, 

Abhishek 

[defaultpzf2lphjnf8h]

I have the same issue. running ventura 13.7.6 I have indesign 2025 v 20.2. Nothing works. The first time I cleared preferences it worked for a while. Now when I clear preferences the spinning wheel keeps appearing. I am now updating to v 20.3. Hopefully that will work. If not I will have to switch back to the 2024 version. Adobe's got to a better job!! Instead of giving us commercials in their applications they should be concentrating more on how to make them work!

[BobLevine]

This discussion is from 2022 so my guess is you're not seeing the same issue. I'm locking this discussion to avoid confusion and request that you create a new one with your full system specs including, most importantly, amount of installed RAM.