Unable to import existing preferences in InDesign 19 version

[AKS666]

That's really bad. I do not have the time to check the preferences with the older version to look what preferences I had and the worse thing is, ALL defined colours are gone... Same is for formats and stuff, I have to do everything from the scratch, this is really really bad!

So please let us use the preferences of the older version as it always worked that way before!

<Title renamed by moderator>

[Eugene Tyson]

You should have been able to sync  your settings
https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/sync-settings.html#:~:text=Migrate%20settings%20from%20one%20....

You can backup your preferences etc.
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/indesign/kb/indesign-preferences-support-file-locations.html

Recommend do it regularly and keep a local backup. 

Make a feature request
https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

[AKS666]

This is NOT working.

Doing this ends up opening InDesign with an error message, saying thtat the Indesign preferences were created with another version of InDesign and will be reset to standard.

So please fix this.

[Eugene Tyson]

I sent you the links for reporting bugs or making feature requests.

You can transfer and backup your preferences.

I find it difficult to understand how you went through all the steps for syncing your preferences in such a short time. 

There's plenty of websites and tutorials out there to follow. 
It should be fairly straightforward.

[AKS666]

Preferences can be taken over during the install of a new version. This is not working.

Or preferences can be taken over afterwards, both ways are explained in your support link, both ways do not work. There is no need to read lots of websites, these two ways should work but they do not, it's that simple.

[Eugene Tyson]

Not everything is going to work the same for everyone. There's multiple systems and work methods, for example 3rd party plugins, or different os or different something.

It's impossible in my eyes to envisage it working smoothly for everyone.

I feel your pain and understand your needs and your view on simplicity.

But there's a reason there's pages of information and tutorials because it doesn't work smoothly all the time.

Report bugs or make a feature request
https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html

Sorry it is not working for you. But all I can do is show you where to find the information to fix your issues

It's up to you to fix them out not and do file a bug reports or it will never be addressed.

Best of luck.

[Fit It , already]

@Eugene Tyson This is not the type of reply I'd expect from a Community Expert. No need to comment that you don't agree with the span of time that passed while @AKS666 went through the steps. Nor add in "There's plenty of websites and tutorials out there to follow. It should be fairly straightforward." 

It doesn't work and Adobe messed up with this update.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

There is nothing wrong with the remark of @Eugene Tyson , it is balanced and factual and states how it is. Sorry if you don't like it but that is not his fault...

[Fit It , already]

@Frans v.d. Geest I accidentally replied to the @Eugene Tyson 's 2nd post, and not the initial post, and their reply was professional & respectful. I salute them. I'm not sure why you are chiming in except to continue to stir that pot. This part of the discussion is over, move along.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

@Fit It , alreadyYou are not being very respectful are you? Reported.

[Mr Chin]

This isn't Twitter... or X? The discussion of getting this resolved is what's important. Not battling over who's right over what question was made, or whether the suggested steps were already done. If they repeat something already tried, ignore it. Don't just battle back and forth. We know its a bug and we need it addressed. Let's wait and work with our 18.5 until then. thank you.

[Eugene Tyson]

I don't get it - I'm a volunteer not a staff member. There is a conduct required and I've never stepped over those bounds. 

There's no need  to continue, I've answered a question, I've answered an objection over my method of reply, and the chapter is closed.
Please desist from derailing the thread further.
Thank you.

[simonflynn]

You're right, it's not his fault. It's Adobe's fault for releasing flawed updates and continually using it's commercial clients as beta testers. The syncing of prefs was touted as one of the key benefits of CC and it's SaaS model, one that was particularly anticipated from freelancers that often worked on client sites.

Unfortunately, like many other touted features, it has worked sparingly, if at all. And instead of resolving these features adequately in future releases, new unasked for features are added instead. Complete with their own issues...

Lastly, instead of supporting these issues with paid professionals, Community Experts are "employed" to be apologists for Adobe, to attempt random troubleshooting and to cop the flak that unsatisfied customers deserve to have heard. Please list all the areas where I am wrong...

[Eugene Tyson]

I never once apologised about any of this. I've just been offering solutions.

Not paid either, hence the volunteer part.

There's a bug forum for every single software on the planet, every operating system and everything else.

You log bugs about cars, boats, recipes - pretty much anything can be reviewed.

New features are added, but they don't add features because they're not wanted, they could be in development for years.

Anyway, you know how to log bugs as mentioned in this thread.

Ranting here does nothing. Literally.

[BobLevine]

You know nothing about any of us and I can assure you we are not "employed" by Adobe at all. The fact that we're trying to help or may disagree with the seriousness of this doesn't make us apologists.

I've been making the same argument as you for years. Put out one release with nothing but stability and bug fixes. Stop giving us new broken things (especially things with no value to most users) and stop breaking things that used to work. But nobody's listening to me.

But this? This isn't even in my top 20 as far as worth worrying about.

[simonflynn]

I may know nothing about you @BobLevine but I can see the results for myself. And so can you given the below:

“I've been making the same argument as you for years. Put out one release with nothing but stability and bug fixes. Stop giving us new broken things (especially things with no value to most users) and stop breaking things that used to work. But nobody's listening to me.”

And you are definitely being utilised/deployed/made use of by Adobe, even if you are not actually being paid. And that makes it even worse...

While this may not make your top 20, I highlight this issue as it was touted, 10 long years ago, as one of the main benefits of signing up for Creative Cloud. It barely worked at launch, and has occasionally worked under pristine circumstances since.

I'm listenbing to you now, but I'm actually wondering why you're commenting here at all to be honest...

[Eugene Tyson]

@Fit It , already  Firstly, thank you for bringing this up and letting me know you didn't find this helpful. Feedback is feedback, good and bad, I accept you didn't find this useful.

Community Experts are volunteers on the forum, forum users like you, who have spent years on the forums helping people, in their free time. I've been doing this for must be over 20 years. I don't always  get it right.

My apologies.

Many occasions it has transpired that not all steps were followed when asking. 

There are no time stamps on the posts, but I do remember this being very quick to get a reply 'This is NOT working'

At which point
I had pointed to the Help files for the issue. 

I also pointed to how to back up your preferences

And also a 'Feature Request' (which is also the Bug Report area) - as it's a long long long list of people asking for easy ways to back up preferences. 

I then recommended there might be a solution elsewhere by searching around a bit. 

Sorry if this was not helpful.

---------------------------

Finally - I'd like to say - I didn't know about the issue with the new release of InDesign 

I had no idea there was an issue facing users - as I have not upgraded past 18.3 InDesign.

My apologies to OP @AKS666  for being short in my reply and not understanding the issue fully.

That's my fault - and I'll adjust my replies in the future.

Thank you

[Subtrax]

Same problem with me as well. Not wasting time trying to sort this, I've rolled back to 18.5

[shariberg]

It didn't work for me, either. I got a message saying it couldn't sync and that it would revert to the new, updated settings. I'm not happy. I had saved color palettes and fonts and I'm right in the middle of a huge project for a new client. I'm happy with the new features, but Adobe needs to figure out a way to stop wiping out users' preferences every time they update. I have neither the time nor the inclination to keep making these adjustments every time. It's exhausting. 

[Barb Binder]

Hi @shariberg :

You have probably already done this, but if not, you might want to consider returning to 2023 until these issues get resolved. If you removed 2023 during the 2024 update, you can still reinstall it through the CC desktop app. Deadlines are stressful enough without dealing with software issues.

~Barb

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Yeah, I have both: 18.3 (do not update to .4 or .5!) and 19 to test.

[stefanbiba]

This is typical for Adobe. Every version has its own special bugs which is so annoying. And btw the inconstancy with os-wide dark mode and screens for opening a file or saving a file is also a thing which is alive since many versions.

[BobLevine]

All I can do is confirm that it didn't work for me on Windows 11. First launch showed an alert that the prefs were from an earlier version and that all prefs would be reset to default.

Something is not right. If you want to report it as a bug it might get fixed, eventually.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

It also did not work for me, Mac.

[Frans v.d. Geest]

Oh, and also Color Management settings are, again, ignored and reset... sigh...