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different_Flamingo8408
Participating Frequently
March 17, 2025
Question

Redraw glitches - screen fails to refresh properly

  • March 17, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 2711 views

For the past couple of years (can't remember exactly what version of InDesign or Windows it started) I've had constant issues with InDesign not displaying objects properly after doing an edit or scrolling. Sections of the screen will have all the artwork offset by a pixel or two so lines don't match up, or the selection boxes of objects are slightly offset from the objects themselves. If I toggle preview off and then back on again (with W) it fixes it up, it all snaps back into place. But this happens CONSTANTLY. I'll fix it up and a few edits later it's back again.

 

I thought it might have just been my work laptop configuration (HP Zbook Studio, Windows 11) however I worked on my home laptop (Asus ROG Zephyrus 15) and it did the same thing so I can't blame that. Happens on any file I have so it's not the file itself. 

 

I've always had an issue with vector graphics just going "blank" until you do the ol' WW trick so maybe it's a continuation of that? I feel like the poor cousin (Windows user) using the poor cousin Adobe program that hasn't been substantially updated in years...

    4 replies

    Mike Witherell
    Community Expert
    Mike WitherellCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 11, 2025

    I have always noticed that if I haven't cleaned out %Temp% and Windows\Temp for awhile, the whole Windows PC starts to act cranky. Emptying these and emptying the Trash and then rebooting often clears weird behaviors up. 

    So just to rule that common bit of housekeeping out, have you done the above first to see if the problem persists?

    Mike Witherell
    N
    NeilGo
    Participant
    October 1, 2025

    I have recently just reinstalled windows, completely fresh install. Then once all drivers were installed, I installed creative cloud, then indesign, then opened some files. The problem persists. The files are on a firecuda nvme drive  - same drive as the application. I've tried on my wifes computer, similar spec, same issue. I've tried it on a old iMac with a crappy radeon 4gb card, and while that machine is generally unuslable due to how old/weak that computer is, I do not have the same redraw issues.

    I've tried it on simple A5 leaflets as well as 600 page product guides with thousands of images, the problem is in every document no matter how light or heavy it is.

    Turning on cpu preview improves the redraw issue but obviously reduces performance, so isn't an ideal solution.

    I believe this is obviously an Adobe problem, not a local hardware problem.   My hunch is that it's probably some compatibility issue with certain RTX cards on windows 11 that they can't be bothered to fix because it isn't Apple so it only affects a minority of users. I find it hard to believe Adobe aren't aware of this exact issue.

     

    I'm about to pull the tigger on a 5080, so it will be interesting to see if the issue magically dissappears when the newer card is introduced.

     

    C
    Charlotte33444378msb2
    Participant
    August 11, 2025

    I've had this issue for ages, I know other Windows users who have too. Intel i9-13900H, GeForce RTX 4070. No plugins. Doesn't matter whether I'm on the laptop screen or external monitor. Would be wonderful if this could be fixed.

     

     

     

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    March 18, 2025

    Hi @different_Flamingo8408,

     

    Thanks for the update! You mentioned testing with the laptop's trackpad or a different mouse/keyboard. Could you confirm if the issue persisted after that? Also, if you haven’t already, try disabling Magic Mouse Utilities on your home setup and see if that makes any difference.

    If the problem continues, try creating a new Windows user account and test InDesign there to check if it’s profile-related. Ref: Manage User Accounts in Windows.

    If possible, please share a screen recording showing the issue in action. Looking forward to your update. 

     

    ^

    Abhishek

    D
    different_Flamingo8408Author
    Participating Frequently
    March 23, 2025

    I'm leaning towards it being caused by the Magic Mouse under Windows as when I switched to the standard Dell that work supplies the issue didn't reoccur (or if it did it was very seldom). Perhaps it's something to do with how the scrolling gets communicated, but it's only InDesign that seems to have this sort of issue. InDesign is very prone to the screen scrolling wildly at the slightest touch of the scrolling surface which again no other application seems to suffer from. So I'm guessing it's a combination of the two.

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    April 4, 2025

    Hi @different_Flamingo8408,

     

    Thanks for the update, and apologies for the delay! InDesign can be a bit sensitive to input devices, and the Magic Mouse + Utilities setup could be behind those redraw glitches.

    Try completely disabling the Magic Mouse Utilities and restarting your system to see if that helps. If the issue persists, testing with a new Windows user profile (as mentioned earlier) might help rule out a profile-specific cause.

    Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!  

     

    ^  
    Abhishek

    Abhishek Rao
    Community Manager
    Abhishek RaoCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    March 17, 2025

    Hi @different_Flamingo8408,

     

    Could you confirm which version of InDesign you’re using? Also, where is the file stored - locally, on an external drive, a remote server, or in the cloud?

    Try saving the file as IDML (File > Save As > InDesign Markup (IDML)), then reopen it and check if the issue persists. If it does, try packaging the file (File > Package), then open the INDD file from the packaged folder and see if that helps. Ref: https://adobe.ly/3DODHdF

    Also, are you using an external monitor? Let me know how it goes!

     

    ^

    Abhishek

    D
    different_Flamingo8408Author
    Participating Frequently
    March 17, 2025

    Hi Abhiskek,

    This happens on anything I work on, so it's not the file. InDesign is up to date, no updates pending. But it's been doing this for at least a year so it's been through a few versions. The files are generally on my hard drive, synched to SharePoint but essentially local. I'm using two external monitors however I get the same thing when just working on my laptop without any etxernal screens. Given it's persisted across two work laptops and my home laptop I figured this might be a universal problem and not just something localised to me?

    It's like the screen sometimes doesn't refresh properly when something changes. You know, if you drag objects around the screen then other objects will momentarily get corrupted, say, a 10% opacity box will look 100% in sections as you drag something over it but once you let the mouse button go it all refreshes to how it should be. It seems that in that process certain sections of the display are redrawn in a slightly incorrect position and it takes a screen refresh (like entering/existing preview mode) to force it to redraw in the right spot.

      Bill Silbert
      Community Expert
      Bill SilbertCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      March 17, 2025

      Are you using any third party plug-ins with your InDesign? If so then check the third party's website to make sure that the version of the plug-in is compatible with the latest version of InDesign. If an update is available try that. If the plug-in has not been updated then try running InDesign without the plug-in and see if InDesign's performance improves.

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