Troubleshooting 101: Replace, or "trash" your InDesign preferences [2009 Outdated & Locked]

Report · Nov 18, 2009

When InDesign starts to behave strangely, the number one suggestion for troubleshooting is to replace (or trash, reset or restore) the application preferences. This will remove corrupt preferences and replace them with a new set of default preferences, and often end bad behavior.

There is a quick and easy method for doing this using the keyboard: close and relaunch InDesign, and IMMEDIATELY hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Windows) or Cmd + Ctrl + Opt + Shift (Mac), and respond in the affirmative to the dialog asking if you really want to replace the preferences. There are two downsides to this method, however. First, you must be extremely fast on the keyboard (if you don’t see the confirmation prompt, you were too slow), and second, anytime you replace the preferences you will lose most program customizations, and using the keyboard method leaves you with no backup to restore them when the problem turns out to be something else.

My preferred method is to CLOSE INDESIGN and do a “manual” prefs replacement, which consists of finding and renaming the two files which make up the preference set: InDesign Defaults and InDesign SavedData. BOTH of these files should be replaced at the same time. You can delete them, but renaming or moving them will give you the opportunity to copy them back in the event that new prefs doesn’t cure your issue. When you restart ID, the program will look for these two files, and when they are not found, a new default set will be written.

[Defunct link removed by Peter Spier on 11/6/15]

These are normally hidden files, so you will need to set your system to show them. They will be found in various places depending on the OS, and the version of InDesign. (Edit: For Mac users running OSX 10.7 or newer, you can learn how to show hidden files here: Access hidden user library files | Mac OS 10.7 Lion)

PLEASE LOOK AT THESE PATHS CAREFULLY. They look similar, but are two different folders for the two files.

InDesign Defaults:

Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<language>\ (Note: Prior to version 6 [CS4] the language folder is not used).

Windows Vista or Windows 7 and newer: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<Language>\ (Note: Prior to version 6 [CS4] the language folder is not used).

Macintosh: Hard Drive/Users/<USER>/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/<Version #>/<Language>/(Note: Prior to version 6 [CS4] the language folder is not used).

InDesign SavedData:

Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<Language>\Caches\ (Note: Prior to version 6 [CS4] the language folder is not used).

Windows Vista or Windows 7 and newer: C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\<Version #>\<Language>\Caches\ (Note: Prior to version 6 [CS4] the language folder is not used).

Macintosh: Hard Drive/Users/<USER>/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign/<Version #>/<Language>/ (Note: Prior to version 6 [CS4] the language folder is not used).

In some earlier versions of ID, InDesign SavedData may also be found in the first directory.

As mentioned above, when you replace your preferences you will lose customizations beyond those things that are set in the preferences dialogs. These include Document and Print Presets you might have created. If you haven't made backups already, you should go, prior to replacing the preferences, to the "Define" dialogs for printer and document presets and custom stroke styles, and select all of your custom entries, the click the save button and put the file someplace safe. After resetting preferences using the keyboard or by renaming/deleting the old files and restarting InDesign, these customized settings can be re-loaded with a single click once again in the Define dialogs.

PDF presets can be backed up in the same way, but they are stored in a different location and will not be destroyed by a simple preference reset. Other customizations that you should not lose are workspaces, keyboard shortcut sets, and find/change queries.

As a further step I strongly recommend that you make a copy of these two files when you have a working customized set. Store them in a safe place and you can use them to overwrite a corrupt set so no further editing or reloading will be required. Users of InDesign CS4 can use a free script from InTools.com to backup and store multiple sets of preferences: In-Tools Scripts » Preference Manager Script

Edit: Corrected Mac Path per Jongware's post below.

UPDATE: I just ran across a situation in which overwriting the InDesign Defaults and InDesign SavedData files failed to restore functionality to the tools on a single user account on a multiple user system (the other account was fine). This is an absolute first and I've been using the technique for years, including replacing these two files on this system which is used by the student newspaper where I was a professor, in order to customize or restore preferences every semester. What did work was to use the keyboard method first, then close InDesign and manually replace the two files to restore the prefs to the proper settings. -- Peter

Further update: We have had several reports now in the CC versions of InDesign where using the manual method has failed to solve problems that are normally fixed by replacing preferences. to the best of my knowledge, using the keyboard method has solved the problem for each of those users. -- Peter

Message was edited by: Peter Spier

Message was edited by: amxyz

Message was edited by: Peter Spier to add path warnings.

Message was edited by: Peter Spier to add update re: failure of one method and success of other in CC.

Report · Mar 28, 2013

Something else to check when none of the above works: open Keychain Access and run Keychain First Aid. In my case, it removed a keychain that was deemed problematic - it was named something like Persistent Encrypted State. Once the system was restarted and the

This may be useful when one - and only one - user account on the system is having problems with both 1) InDesign CS5.1 refusing to start and crashing almost immediately, with a Exception Type: EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGBUS) and Exception Codes: KERN_PROTECTION_FAILURE with the very first error in Thread 0 being DBUtils:UIDGetPersistedInterfaces, and 2) PhotoShop CS5.1 refusing to start and notifying the user about problems with locked scratch files and disks, even after resetting Photoshop preferences and removing the Photoshop settings files. There may have been problems with Illustrator CS5.5 as well, but that was not a priority of the user.

Other accounts on the system did not have problems running either program, and it was driving me absolutely crazy.

I have no idea what the suspect keychain does, and I don't have the exact name anymore because Keychain First Aid didn't log its activities. Hopefully this helps somebody!

Report · Jun 27, 2013

Hey,

I am working with files on a server that disconnect each time I go to lunch.

Therefore, if I forgot files opened, InDesign crash and reset all the preferences.

As this is a little bit anoying, I just wrote an applescript to put back the correct preferences in place. Here it is:

tell application "Finder" delete folder "Macintosh HD:Users:jolinmasson:Library:Preferences:Adobe InDesign:Version 8.0:en_US" copy folder "Macintosh HD:Users:jolinmasson:Documents:Adobe InDesign Backup:Preferences:en_US" to folder "Macintosh HD:Users:jolinmasson:Library:Preferences:Adobe InDesign:Version 8.0" delete folder "Macintosh HD:Users:jolinmasson:Library:Caches:Adobe InDesign:Version 8.0:en_US" copy folder "Macintosh HD:Users:jolinmasson:Documents:Adobe InDesign Backup:Cache:en_US" to folder "Macintosh HD:Users:jolinmasson:Library:Caches:Adobe InDesign:Version 8.0" end tell

And I also converted it for Alfred 2, so it's way faster to call it.

You’ll just need to replace the path with the one where you store your backuped file.

http://d.pr/f/am0h

Report · Aug 08, 2013

Hi,

Anyone else find that:

Relaunch InDesign, and IMMEDIATELY hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Windows) or Cmd + Ctrl + Opt + Shift (Mac),

Does nothing?

I've got Indesign CC - I click the dock icon to launch and immediately hold down CMD+CTRL+OPT+ SHIFT and it does nothing?

Thoughts?

A

Report · Aug 08, 2013

It's very hard to do from the Dock. Try Show in Finder (or navigate to it by hand) and then hold launch it from a Finder window.

Report · Aug 08, 2013

Thanks - will do.

Is there a dedicated forum for issues relating specifically to Indesign CC?

We've just updated and typically are coming up against a lot of new issues and were hoping others might have found solutions before us.

Report · Aug 08, 2013

No. CC questions are mixed in with all the rest on the discussions page.

Report · Aug 08, 2013

Rest your fingers lightly on all the keys with one hand, then launch ID with the other hand, and IMMEDIATELY press the keys. If you wait to find the keys after launching ID, you'll be too late for them to stop ID and present the option to delete preferences.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Report · Aug 31, 2013

it didnt work for me at first... but then i closed Indesign, then navigated to the indesign app via applications folder. Held down all four keys: (CMD,OPT,CTR and Shift), simaltaneously pressing the indesign app, and BOOM!

The rest was history.

This was a true state of emergency while working on my photography magazine. Luckily Adobe intergrates other ways of accessing general settings from the above and surronding panels, but theres nothing like having the grace of the short cut on hand.

- Freeman

Freemanphotography.me

Report · Dec 31, 2013

I am so glad I got to go out of my way to get Adobe InDesign to work again. and it still does not WORK.

Report · Dec 31, 2013

@ondeck7715,

Please start a new discussion with a full description of your system and the kind of problems you're having. Don't add them here, because you're 173 posts deep in a very long thread on a different subject.

Report · Jan 09, 2014

Thanks Paul! Have not thought in terms of ditching prefs since about OS 8.

New wrinkle: This is only happening in a single, complex document. No issues with horizontal scrolling at all.

Report · Feb 20, 2014

All better. Thanks Peter!

Report · Feb 24, 2014

Peter:

Thanks for the response. I just switched from pc to a mac so I'm still trying to learn a lot of new commands, etc. I worked with Adobe to download my InDesign to the mac so it is only on this computer for about a week. Could the files be corrupt with a new download?

latrig

Report · Feb 24, 2014

It's not unheard of for prefs to be damaged even on a new install. Repalcing them is simple, and pretty painless, so I'd go ahead and try it.

Report · Feb 24, 2014

Peter - I did the keyboard method (and was quick enough to get the message) to which I answered yes. I closed and restarted InDesign but still no preferences. Next suggestion?

Report · Feb 24, 2014

Go back to your other thread and post a screen shot.

Report · May 19, 2014

I just had the same problem of not being able to export or print my document after switching from InDesign CS6 to CC. I tried numerous 'fixes' including deleting the preferences files. Finally I saved the file in IDML format and took a look at that. In numerous places where I had previously placed graphic images, only the placemarker was showing. The images had disappeared.

The preflight function indicated that everything was okay, but it wasn't. Somehow some of the image files had disappeared from their folder, so I copied new images into the assets folders and did a new File > Place for each of the missing images. Voilá! I was able to export to PDF without a hitch.

Report · Jun 02, 2014

This is what worked for me (after numerous hours reinstalling, wiping, cleaning, online support, etc etc).

Indesign would not open. Would get crash report over and over....Found that if I made a new profile (tester profile with admin rights) on my Mac, then it would work. But still not for my original Admin user (ME!).

Then I found after reinstalling number times (the whole adobe suite) and spending hours, that my problem for InDesign was solved by a missing folder. When i followed the paths from the original post of this message, I found i did not even have the folder (and this is a "fresh" install of CS6 suite). Just kept getting crashes for InDesign and Illustrator (but not for other parts of the suite).

the "en_US" folder was missing or not created for some reason when the suite is installed. I made the folder and now InDesign works fine. Created the folder on my Mac in:

/User/ <youuser>/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/<version>/en_us

Making that folder myself made it work! This is a problem and I spent many many hours. Adobe....you should fix this!

Illustrator is still giving me errors, so I have to see what its problem is now!

Report · Nov 18, 2015

YESSS this fixed it for me, after hours of reinstallations and countless preference clears. Creating the en_us folder works as well, for those who are missing it to begin with.

Report · Jun 04, 2014

Hi Peter:

I am using InDesign via Creative Cloud on a Windows8 Pro 64bit notebook, 16GB RAM. Today, while working on edits for a tri-fold brochure / Book Launch invitation, I completed everything and manually saved it once again (actually about every 3 minutes despite knowing ID saves auto'y every minute).

I was trying to eliminate 2 hyphenated words in one text frame, when suddenly I could not get the Text button to work normally. It refused to highlight anything, or insert anywhere. It acted like it "locked up". So I closed the file, then shut down ID, then restarted the notebook, opened ID and the file. The result was a blank page (all white) but when I hovered over the page, all the frame outlines popped up in blue outline color.

I then tried your above PREFERENCES troubleshooting. What I discovered was that the only change that I happen to make to the default preferences was the DISPLAY PERFORMANCE setting to high quality in both the OPTIONS and ADJUST VIEW SETTINGS boxes turned my page blank again. I went back to TYPICAL settings and the file page went back to normal (I saw all my graphics, text and objects) except the lower quality resolution.

I don;t know if this is the only problem in my copy of ID, but i thought you might appreciate the info.

Lastly, all CC UPDATES fail for about 4 months. All the current TROUBLESHOOTING options don;t seem to make a dent in the problem. Even happened after downloading AI. CC tired to update immediately after installing and the UPDATE failed.

Cheers, Jaykay144

Report · Jun 04, 2014

What you lose when you replace the prefs will depend on what you have. Document and print presets, if you have defined any custom ones, are stored in InDesign Defaults and will be lost, for example, so it's more than just the stuff in the prefs dialog that is affected.

Problems with updates are not something that prefs can fix. You may need to reinstall the CC suite. I suggest you post about this over in Community: Downloading, Installing, Setting Up | Adobe Community

Report · Jun 04, 2014

Thanks Peter. I did not lose anything so far, but I can not set PREFERENCES to HighQuality DisplayPerformance for this file. When I exported the file as a PDF Print file, the high quality was indeed there for the client. I was able to open another file normally with HighQuality setting, so maybe I took some action that triggered a funny response from ID.

Report · Jun 04, 2014

Might be that you have object-level display performance set.

Report · Jun 10, 2014

I've been struggling with a SUPER slow InDesign for 2 days but this fixed it! Thanks!

eric

Report · Jun 17, 2014

My preferences for Indesign CC for units and increments is not working when I set it to inches. It is showing up as points/picas instead when I want to start a new document. What is the problem?