Touchpad Scrolling Sensitivity and Zooming Issues in InDesign via Remote Desktop

[Lynn32743871mpxt]

Hi,

I have to use Microsoft Remote Desktop for work and when I open InDesign (2024), the scrolling sensitivity using my touchpad is way too high. I see suggestions saying to go to "Page Display" under either File or View, but I do not have that option in either. I could not find it in Preferences either. 

My computer is a 2024 Macbook Air, and I believe I remote into a Windows Server 2019 Standard. Because I am so used to using my Mac, this small detail makes designing for my new job quite unpleasant. Does anyone know how to fix this?

On a similar note, I can no longer pinch the trackpad to zoom in or out, is this fixable, or is it only available on Mac?

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[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Lynn32743871mpxt,

Thank you for reaching out! I can understand how frustrating it must be to deal with sensitive scrolling and the loss of pinch-to-zoom when working remotely. 

To help narrow down the issue, could you please confirm the exact version of InDesign it is 19.5 or not? 

Please try the below suggestions:

1. Adjust Windows touchpad settings: Since InDesign’s settings don’t directly control touchpad sensitivity, you might want to adjust the touchpad sensitivity in Windows itself. You can access these settings by navigating to Settings > Devices > Touchpad on the remote Windows server.

2. Zooming issue: Unfortunately, the pinch-to-zoom functionality is only available on Mac. When working remotely on Windows, the trackpad gestures from your Mac won’t carry over. However, you can use keyboard shortcuts like "Ctrl +" and "Ctrl -" to zoom in and out in InDesign on Windows.

Let me know if this helps or if you have any further questions! 

Thank you, 
Abhishek Rao

[Lynn32743871mpxt]

Hi! Sorry for the delayed response. My InDesign is v19.5, the system isn't yet updated enough to allow 19.5. 

I can adjust the scrolling speed on my laptop if I find it truly unbearable, but it actually only affects my use of InDesign. Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as other apps like Google Chrome, scroll fine.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Lynn32743871mpxt,

Thank you for confirming the version and sharing more about your experience. It sounds like the sensitivity issue is indeed quite specific to InDesign under your setup. Let’s try to address it specifically for InDesign:

Adjusting Scroll Behavior in InDesign: Since the scroll sensitivity is specific to InDesign, you might want to try adjusting the zoom and scroll settings within InDesign itself, although they are typically limited. However, you can try the following workaround:

1. Modify Mouse Wheel Behavior:

   • Go to Edit > Preferences > Units & Increments.
   • Under Cursor Key, check if adjusting the When Scrolling with Mouse Wheel setting helps. This won't directly affect touchpad sensitivity but may impact how scroll inputs are interpreted within InDesign.

2. Use Windows Accessibility Settings:

   • Although you've mentioned the issue is specific to InDesign, utilizing Windows' accessibility settings might provide a more consistent response across applications.
   • Navigate to Settings > Ease of Access > Mouse & Touchpad and experiment with the touchpad delay settings to see if this helps mitigate the high sensitivity in InDesign.

Regarding the Touchpad Zoom:

• As previously noted, the pinch-to-zoom function is indeed a limitation when using a Mac trackpad on a Windows environment via remote desktop. The keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl + and Ctrl -) or the zoom tool (magnifying glass icon) in the tools panel remain the best alternatives for zoom control in this scenario.

I hope this helps, Lynn! Please keep us updated on your progress, or if you find another solution that works better for your situation, feel free to share it with the community.

Thank you, 

Abhishek Rao