Participant

Answered

Install two versions of InDesign on one computer?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
February 14, 2021
4 replies
1419 views

Hi,

I have windows 10 and an adobe cc subscription. I have the latest version of InDesign installed and up to date.

I wanted to install a second copy of indesign on my computer that would have the middle-eastern options for text direction etc. I followed the steps to do so (change the language in my adobe account preferences...) and then ran the install (I selected a different folder to install to), but it ends up replacing the copy of indesign I had instead of installing a second one. Ultimately I would like one copy with the middle-eastern features and one copy without the features on my computer. Is it possible to do so? If so, could you let me know the steps to follow? Thank you for your help, Ash

How to

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Correct answer TᴀW

If you open a document made in an earlier version of ID, you get that "Converted" thing in the file name until you resave. And there could even be text reflow.

But this doesn't happen for documents created with the same version, where one is the ME edition and the other is the regular edition.

I do it all the time and have never had any trouble.

Geоrge

Legend

1) From my practice - you can install v2019 and v2020 in parallel and it will be works.

2) "ME" version is really with English interface. If you have hebrew, arabic, etc language works - just intall it ME and do your works. You don't needs to install both versions!

3) https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/37332040-choose-the-language-of-the-interface - Adobe ignores us by years. Decades of years. Add your voice and wait with us weather from a sea. Quark and Affinity can change their interface on the fly, InDesign can't — without any reason!

Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner

Zaid Al Hilali

Community Expert

@Geоrge wrote:

1) From my practice - you can install v2019 and v2020 in parallel and it will be works.

Hi George, I just want to be sure when I answer others next time, did you install two versions on Windows? I know from experience it is possible on Mac.

Geоrge

Legend

As I say - I was have sometime few InDesign's installed simultaneously on my PC. BUT! All of this InDesign's was different versions. Never have few ID with same version and different languages.

Remember, never say you can't do something in InDesign, it's always just a question of finding the right workaround to get the job done. © David Blatner

Zaid Al Hilali

Community Expert

I have two copies of InDesign in my Application folder, one supports Arabic, the other version is the International English. This is on a Mac, I think but not sure if it can be done on Windows. Follow the steps I listed on this post.

Dov Isaacs

Legend

Confirming the response of @TᴀW. The two versions of InDesign that have the middle-east options are simply a superset of the US English version. Even if you only occasionally use the middle-east options, why do you feel the need to concurrently have the version without those features?

- Dov Isaacs, former Adobe Principal Scientist (April 30, 1990 - May 30, 2021)

A

ashl39559399Author

Participant

Thank you both for your answers.

I had heard that it is best to open a document in InDesign in the same version that was used to create it. So I was thinking that if I receive a document in Arabic or another right-to-left language created in InDesign ME, I would have to open it in that version of InDesign on my end, and same logic with a document in a left-to-right language: I would have to open it in the English version of InDesign. But if InDesign ME is just InDesign English version with additional features, then I guess that logic doesn't apply and just having InDesign ME is enough to handle documents in any language no matter which version of InDesign they were created in?

Thank you, Ash

TᴀWCorrect answer

Legend

If you open a document made in an earlier version of ID, you get that "Converted" thing in the file name until you resave. And there could even be text reflow.

But this doesn't happen for documents created with the same version, where one is the ME edition and the other is the regular edition.

I do it all the time and have never had any trouble.

TᴀW

Legend

I'm not sure if it's possible. Sounds like you're finding that it isn't.

But what do you gain by this? The ME version of InDesign is identical to the regular one. In fact, under the hood the regular version has all of the features of the ME version. It's only the UI that is a little different: the regular version doesn't expose the ME functionality.

Just wondering...

Ariel

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