PDF not opening after export

[perrybrus]

My PDF exports fail to open automaticly after export like it used to do. I haven't changed any setting. It doesn't work no matter what, if it's one single page or several. If I have facing pages or not. If I have a range defined or not doesn't make any difference. Whatever I do in the design file doesn't affect the outcome. It doesn't open automaticly at all. I've waited 30 minutes for it to open one time just to see if the process was slow but it never turned up. I have to open each and every PDF export manually. This error started out of the blue. I've tried this process on new files, old files and it doesn't work on any of them. W10. All up to date. IN 17.0.1.

[Diane Burns]

Anything change in your system that could have affected what's set as the default PDF viewer? Also, won't hurt to rebuild ID preferences: https://creativepro.com/rebuilding-indesign-preferences/

[perrybrus]

Rebuilding the prefs doesn't help. Nothings been changed in terms of anything really. It worked for years until it suddenly didn't anymore. Could be a program error. 

[Laubender]

Hi perrybrus,

just tested [x] View PDF after Exporting with InDesign 17.0.1 on Windows 10.

My exported PDF opened in Acrobat Pro DC on my machine automatically.

Do you have any issues with your Acrobat installation?

Or if you have Acrobat currently running, is there a dialog open perhaps?

Like Acrobat's Preferences? Then the exported PDF will not show. Only after closing the dialog.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[perrybrus]

No. There's no Acrobat process in my task manager and as mentioned I haven't changed anything. It's the same setup as always and it started to fail suddenly. I have no problems in opening and reading PDF files, they just won't open automaticly after export like they have been doing thousands of times for years. Wouldn't surprise me if Adobe suddenly slipped a quite bug release as they never admit to having bugs. After Cloud came around the bugs have been many, before in the day of the hard copies stuff rarerly happenend.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Did you look down in the Background Processes? I've been having periodic trouble with software not quitting entirely and have to manually end the process. It's not just Adobe but Microsoft and others, so I suspect it is a Windows issues. 

[perrybrus]

As mentioned it's no background process going on in the task manager. Re-installing ID didn't solve the issue either so seems to me that Adobe have released a bug in their last so called update. I belive it's a bug cause it doesn't appear identicle on all client setups, that's a classic bug in my book. When an error occurs only with a set of criterias. Guess the only solution is that Adobe releases a bug fix. I can't see any other solution to this?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

>>As mentioned, it's no background process...

Not to nitpick but you said "no Acrobat process". That could be just an app process or a background process. Doesn't hurt to double-check.

However, I agree with your premise that it is an ID bug. 

[perrybrus]

I always check my list of processes in the task manager when I experience repetead errors, I've scanned the list and there's nothing there to be stopped. I have done numerous OS reboots just to make sure. I've returned to the task manager list to see if there is something that didn't catch my eye the first times or if something is there just for a short time and then goes away. I can't figure out why I'm not able to get the PDF exports to open automaticly when it's been opening for years. I hope Adobe will fix this thing.

[Eugene Tyson · Accepted solution]

Try in Acrobat 
Choose Help > Repair Acrobat Installation

---

Otherwise try 

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

[perrybrus]

Eureka! The repair acrobat installation seems to have solved it. I did a couple of PDF exports on two different files afterwards and they both opened automaticly afterwards. What does that action actually do? I hadn't done any changes to Acrobat or anything prior to this export error.