Issue with Enter Key Resulting in Page Breaks Instead of Column Breaks in InDesign

[Emi101]

I have been working with indesign for almost 20 years.
But suddenly I can no longer write in indesign.

No matter whether I press Enter, Return, or these combined with Shift, I always get a page break instead of a column break.

But if you look at the key assignment, Return is correctly set for column break.

So, what can I do?

ps:
I can write normally in other programs.
I only have this problem with indesign (current version).

<Title renamed by MOD>

[Emi101]

Edit

Its win 11 and yes, i searched for the problem and found a few articles in this forum where it was advised to press FN simultanely or switch between key binding sets.

That cant be a serious solution.

Tried a different set though: doesnt work. neither does FN.

Only way to get a column break is to enter it manually with the menu.

Impossible to work with.

[Peter Spier]

Your mention of the fn key suggests to me that you might be using a laptop keyboard. I have seen key-mapping issues in the past on some laptops that seem to be related to the status of the Numlock.

Do you have this problem if you connect an external standard keyboard?

[jmlevy]

Seeing your screenshots, it seems that you have a single column text frame on each page. So, it's logical that pressing the enter key makes a page break.

[Emi101]

Its not.

This document was made only to showcase the problem.

Of course i work with regular pages with multiple paragraphs.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Emi101

Try resetting preferences. 

[Mike Witherell]

What happens if you take the default Keyboard Shortcuts and make a newly-named custom Keyboard Shortcuts?

If that doesn't help, I would reset preferences.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/reset-indesign-preferences-and-other-troubleshoo...

[Emi101]

resetting was the first i did.

And my own shortcut doesnt change a thing either.

I even reinstalled it. Same problem.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Can you show correct screen captures with two columns per page to demonstrate the problem? As mentioned, you example only shows one column per page, so it's hard to see the problem.

It's working normally on my system. 

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

This. I really concur that what's happening here is an almost "semantic" issue in which columns and pages can't be distinguished. Create a multi-column layout and see if the behavior is more predictable; that KP Enter is actually inserting a column break, as is standard, when you actually have columns.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Yes, with a one-column layout, a column break is effectively the same as a page break. 

[Emi101]

You are part right.

I am german and wrote it with a translator which translated "Zeilenumbruch" with coloumn.

What i meant is paragraph.

But it changes nothing. By pressing Return the Cursor Jumps to the next site.

I have to use the insert break manually in the menu to insert an Paragraph break.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

As @Robert at ID-Tasker mentioned, your screen shot shows a column break. However, I'm not sure if you are showing what happens when you press the Enter key (not Return) or the one you entered manually. 

[Peter Spier]

The confused behavior of the return/enter keys switcing form paragraph break to column is precisely the problem I've seen with older HP laptops (among others) when you toggle the NumLock setting. Please check that...

[Emi101]

Its a brand new (2 weeks) Medion. And it has a numlock. But i turn it off every day and never uses it.

I also never use enter, always Return (or Shift Return).

[Peter Spier]

Age is not the issue. It's how the keyboard itself maps the key. Do you get different results if you turn NumLock on?

I suspect you may have to start using both keys.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS · Accepted solution]

Some Medion laptops have full sized keyboards, but I assume yours does not. You can remap (or add to) the keyboard commands for column and page breaks. Be sure to enter the new KB commands as Text context.

[Emi101]

Thank you!

Now it works.

And although i just changed paragraph break to Return, it now works also with Num Lock Enter.

Even when its turned off.

So there seems to be a connection.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Emi101

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/what-is-the-quot-quot-hidden-character-in-indesi... 

As per your screenshot - you have a Column Break - not Page Break.