Troubleshooting Empty Dialog Boxes in InDesign: Gradient, Paragraph, and Character Panels

[Lauren38158212ygm3]

I am unable to figure out what is happening with some of my dialog boxes that are pinned. Specifially gradient, paragraph and character boxes. They are all empty whether anything is selected or not. I have tried removing and re-pinning and that does not work either. Force quitting and restarting the app also does not work.

Is this happening to anyone else? Is there a solution? It seems to stick even with updates.

Image attached.

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[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @Lauren38158212ygm3, 

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you're having with the dialog boxes in InDesign. It's important we get those fixed so you can get back to your projects smoothly.

Since you've already tried restarting the application and re-pinning the panels without any luck, it sounds like this might be an issue with the software’s preferences or a deeper configuration problem. Please try the below steps and update if it helps: 

1. Reset Preferences and Cache: 
   - Close InDesign.
   - Then, relaunch it while holding down the Shift, Ctrl, Alt keys (on Windows) or Shift, Command, Option, and Control keys (on Mac OS). This will reset both preferences and all cached data.

Reference article: Set preferences in Adobe InDesign

2. Run in Safe Mode (for Mac users) or with base environment settings (for Windows users): This can help determine if the issue is due to conflicts with other software or system-specific issues.
   - On Mac: Restart your computer and immediately press and hold the Shift key as it starts to boot. Start InDesign and check if the issue persists.
   - On Windows: Perform a clean boot to see if background applications are affecting InDesign.

Reference article: Start up your Mac in safe mode – Apple Support (UK)
Start your PC in safe mode in Windows - Microsoft Support

Before you proceed with these steps, please confirm the version of InDesign you are using and the operating system details. 

Let me know how it goes, and I’ll be here to assist you further if needed!

Best,
Abhishek Rao

[Bill Silbert]

If the automated way of deleting InDesign cache files that Abhishek Rao has suggested doesn't fix the issue then you may need to manually delete your InDesign caches. This process (which is not the same as deleting preferences) will usually fix any interface problems such as the one that you are having.

To do so:

For Macintosh Users: The User Library folder in which InDesign’s cache files are stored is hidden by default on most Macintoshes. To access it make sure that InDesign is closed and click on the desktop to launch a Finder Window (Command-N). With this window in column view follow the path User>Home folder (it’s the folder with an icon that looks like a house—it may have the user’s name rather than “Home”) and click on the Home folder. With the Option Key pressed choose Library from the Finder Go Menu. “Library” will now appear within the Home folder. Within the Library folder find the “Caches” folder. Within the Caches folder find and delete the entire folder “Adobe InDesign”. I find that deleting the InDesign cache folder completely leads to a lasting change.

For Windows Users: On Windows 7 and above the caches files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\Version [#]\<Language>\Cache.