Troubleshooting Weird InDesign Problems (101 error new)

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I've gathered this information from the Adobe help files and from info posted throughout the InDesign forum by many ACPs. (Thanks to Barb Binder for her review.)

Try these options in order and check to see if problem has gone away after each option.

Easy Options to Try First

Option 1: Reset InDesign's preferences

To do this, start InDesign and immediately hold down the modifier keys. You will see a confirmation dialog box if your timing was correct. If InDesign just starts up as normal, quit and try again—but faster!

• Windows: Control-Alt-Shift
• Macintosh: Command-Control-Alt-Shift

Option 2: Delete Cached Data Folders

Windows: Turn on Hidden Items under the View section of the File Explorer.

• Go to: C:\Users\~UserName\AppData
  • Once there, continue to: \Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\Version [#] and delete* folder contents.
  • Back out to the AppData folder and go to: \Local\Adobe\InDesign\Version [#] and delete* the folder contents.

Macintosh: View the hidden user Library folder holding down the Option key and selecting the Go menu while at the Finder.

• After the user Library folder opens, navigate to:
  • Once there, continue to: Preferences/Adobe InDesign/Version [#]  and delete* the folder contents.
  • Back out to the Library folder and go to: Caches/Adobe InDesign/Version [#] and delete* the folder contents.

*Note: You may want to make a back up of these folders up before deleting them.

If the problem persists, time to do a few of tests:

Tests

These tests are to [try to] determine if the problem is with the computer, the software, or the file. These tests are not in any particular order.

If you can eliminate the computer and software, you probably have a corrupt or soon to be corrupt file.

Test A: Isolate Problems with the File

• Create a new file (or two) using the same workflow methodology.
  • If the problem goes away, it could be a corrupt file.
• Save the problem file as an IDML file
  • reopen the IDML file and Save As a INDD file.
  • If problem goes away, keep good backups and check all the graphics for possible corruption.

Test B: Try Another Computer

• If the problem goes away when using another computer, the problem may be:
  • The operating system on the other computer—this includes font problems.
  • A corruption during the install of the InDesign software or plugin.
  • Some leftover user files that were not removed.

Test C: Create New User (on original computer)

• Create a new user and log in as the new user
• Run InDesign, open the file
  • Package the files over to the shared Public folders, use a server, or use a flash drive.
• If it does not persist, the problem is somewhere in the user's cache files.
• If it does, the problem is probably with InDesign or the operating system.
  • This is assuming you did the IDML test already.

More Complex Options

Option 4: Uninstall the App and Reinstall

• User the Creative Cloud app to remove InDesign. When asked, remove preferences.
• Reinstall InDesign.
• See if problem goes away; if not, continue to option 5.

Option 5: Use Adobe CC Cleaner

• Download and install Adobe Creative Cloud Cleaner tool at:
  https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html
• Follow the instructions and remove InDesign completely.
• Reinstall when finished.

Option 6: Repair the OS

This is beyond the scope of this information. Generally, both Windows and Macintosh have methods to repair or replace the OS during the start up procedure. Best to Google the process. (Print it out so you will have it in front of you during the process.)

[TriciaLawrence]

Thanks Dave!  This is great information for the InDesign user!

[rob day]

Thanks Dave & Barb.

In addition, I usually delete the Caches first to see if that solves the problem—interface problems are often from corrupted caches. Unless you work with the default preferences rebuilding them can take some time, so it is worth saving a backup of your preferred prefs folder.

Also, rather than using the key command to trash prefs, I’ve found on that on OSX, dragging the Prefs folder out on to the desktop, restarting ID, dragging the desktop version back into the /user/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign folder with replacing, followed by another restart, will often solve the problem without sacrificing your preferences.

[S_Gans]

Very cool! Thank you! Has some stuff I hadn't thought of.

[David Popham]

Thanks Dave, Barb and Rob for this list and additions. One additional troubleshooting tool, especially if you suspect another application is interfering with InDesign, is to reboot your computer in safe mode, then launch InDesign and test to see if the same issue is occurring.

[IDEAStraining]

I left out an easy step--reboot your computer. 

InDesign decided to crash on me when starting up, so I tried both the "Easy Options to Try First" to no avail. I shut down the computer for a minute and booted back up--success! (I prefer shutting down rather than a restart.)

[jane-e]

Thanks, Dave and Barb, this will be useful to direct folks to when there is an issue.

~ Jane

[hajaralebary]

Thank you, very helpful information for users. For PC users, this very simple trick also works :
- search the file: %Temp%
- erase all data.
Then your computer becomes faster.

[CeceliaC]

Thank you! I was suffering from a sluggish interface, especially when scrolling through many pages of a large document in the page view. I've been so frustrated, and between the Apple RGB color profile and clearing caches, my performance issues are great improved. Now, if I wanted scrolling and rendering to be even faster, but the Mac Activity monitor says I'm not using what I have (CPU, RAM, GPU capacity all below max), is there any HW change I could do to make the program run faster?

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Do you have a SSD (solid-state drive) or an old style hard drive? That can make a world of difference.

[Geоrge]

Alternative Option 2 (rename folders instead of delete them)

For Windows 

• Close all Adobe applications. 
• Go to Locations : 
• C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe  
• C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Adobe. 
•  Rename InDesign folders to InDesign.old 
• Launch InDesign from CC. 

For MAC  

• Close all adobe applications 
• Go to Locations:  
• ~/Library/Caches 
• ~/Library/Preferences 
• Rename Adobe InDesign and com.adobe.indesign to Adobe InDesign.old and com.adobe.indesign.old 
• Launch InDesign from the CC 

(Steal from here - https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/indesign-not-saving-packaging/m-p/11561500?page=1#M402078 )

[Geоrge]

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/reset-indesign-preferences-and-other-troubleshoo... - new updated thread about