URGENT ! InDesign CC won't save my files

[lseguinlutz]

Hello I saw this in an unanswered forum discussion from 2016-2018 but it seems closed for posts .

I need URGENT help please!

worked all day yesterday with clients on a book design. noticed the undo buttons weren't working but with them here i couldnt take time to figure it out, i thought it was just a keyboard shortcut problem.

When time to save comes along i cannot save, at all.

So i try to package the file in order to make a copy. IN DESIGN CRASHED AND I LOST EVERYHTING!!!!!!

My clients are due back this morning to continue but the file opens with none of the work we did yesterday. I was hitting control s throughout the day but no error message came up and so i thought all was ok.

Please please please, someone. Is there any hidden place indesign could have saved my work yesterday or some sort of recovery file?

I am really very close to tears! Its a 300 page book and i just cannot imagine having to do all of this again...

[Steve Werner]

What InDesign version? What operating system?

InDesign makes autosaves as you work. The file should be located in the location where you saved the work yesterday. Open it up from your operating system, and likely InDesign made autosaves close to where you crashed.

In case you can't remember where you saved it, open InDesign and choose File > Open Recent. InDesign should retrieve where you were when you tried to package.

You said you could not save. What happened when you chose File > Save?

[lseguinlutz]

Hi Steve

Thanks for answering!

Im using in design cc 2019 and my OS is Mojave 10.14.1

The save and save as options were grayed out

When i opened again from finder it was the old version and none of the days work was saved. did open recent and same old version came up. did a search on all recent files etc and nothing.

Is there a folder where indesign cc backs up works in progress?

[Steve Werner]

No, InDesign only saves the file where you save the file. Looks like your file was seriously hosed. Would be a particularly rare event unless you're having hardware problems on your computer. You should be saving every so often any way. Sorry it happened but there's no magic separate recover folder unless you created on. I wish I had better news, but it doesn't look good.

It's a good idea to keep a separate backup using a service like Dropbox which can recover back to previous versions.d

[lseguinlutz]

Hi Steve

I was hitting command s all the time but no error message appeared..

It doesnt seem to be that rare, if you look at this thread there are a lot of similar cases

InDesign CC won't save my files

the only problem is that even the adobe staff dont seem to have found a solution or cause?

I am re-doing all my work but am so scared it will happen again.

[BobLevine]

As Steve has pointed out, InDesign should be keeping recovery versions of your work. I've never lost more than a few minutes work due to a crash. If you're still seeing save grayed out, then try trashing your InDesign preferences. If that doesn't do it, you may have a corrupt installation and I would recommend uninstall/reinstall.

All of that out of the way, I wrote this blog post years ago, but it's still applicable.

https://www.boblevine.us/why-i-always-save-files-in-dropbox-and-why-you-should-too/

[Srishti Bali]

Hi Lara,

Sorry to hear about this issue. I hope the issue has been resolved by the steps shared above. If not, I would request if you can share the following information:

• Where you were saving or packaging the file when it crashed? For example, in Network Drive/System HDD/Shared Folder on System /External HDD?
• If it is happening with a particular file, please email your InDesign file to corrupt_indesign_docs@adobe.com and we will take a look at the document. I must also inform that file recovery can't be guaranteed with a 100% success. We'll try our best.
• If it is happening with multiple files, check how InDesign works in Root account (How to enable the root user on your Mac or change your root password - Apple Support )?

Regards,

Srishti

[Gode]

Hi Srishti,
as you can see, the Save/Undo issue is still there. Why have you clos this thread: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/indesign-cc-won-t-save-my-files/td-p/5167203?page=6

without posting a solution?  Did I miss those? The issue exist since 2013! Very frustrating!
Maybe you can help us here in the new thread?

[remoran]

12/15/2022, the dreaded cannot save nor export a document to PDF does NOT WORK YET AGAIN. Did everything Adobe recommended a couple of months ago but it's back! Unistalled the app, reinstalled the app and it worked until today.  [cursing removed]  FIX IT!!!! I've been an Adobe user since the beginning. Running Monterey on a Mac. 

[macpubs]

I have had this problem repeatedly; every so often after I update my InDesign CC program. I find it hardly "a particularly rare event".

[Indigo5C7C]

Hi, I'm having this same problem. I've just been using save as and replacing the old version. It's painful and a round about way to it, but it gets the job done 🙂

[discobanana]

Hi, I have also had the same issue with the SAVE grayed out, if I embedded one of the images/links on the page the SAVE command would enable. Hope this helps. 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Sam23798891hc45 @discobanana,

We are sorry for the trouble. I would request you to update to macOS v12.3.1, released today, and check if that fixes the issue or not. I updated and checked on my Mac, and the save button is no longer greyed out for me. I hope it helps!

Regards,
Anshul Saini

[discobanana]

Thanks but not on a mac

[JMG-TGDS · Accepted solution]

This happened to me too, no save function, no undo function, it's total BS. I am on current CC.

People on other forums were saying that these functions came back upon rebooting ID. Yeah but you may loose your work, not a hot idea.

I did have the export function, so I had hope, if you don't have the option to export either. It was nice knowing you, Sayonara!

Here's how I solved it:

Export>>IDML

Closed down Indesign, reopened, missing functionalities reinstated (if this doesn't happen try and reboot your entire computer).

Save as to INDD.

All good. File intact, sanity saved.

[JoeNelms]

Had the exact same problem. Lost a ton of work. Figured out (48 seconds after it was too late) that it was likely because my Creative Cloud app wasn't open. Opened that. Reopened InDesign. Everything worked like it was supposed to. Horrible design by Adobe but there you go.

[tiffanyl41702661]

Yes, I too found success with an export to IDML, quit InDesign, open IDML file - functionality restored and links properly linked.... I was unable to package or export to PDF because of some phantom linking issues (when all within the file was properly linked) - this work around seems to have forced things to cooperate (for now)... 

[anttiom]

This works, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem. What happens when Indesign throws a fit and does not let you save? This just happened to me and I am glad I found the IDML fix here, but I'd rather have a fix for the bug. Still, good job JMG-TGDS and rest of you! 

[nicopra]

This happened to me too several times in the past days, in InDesign (15.0.3.425) AND Photoshop (21.1.2). MacOS Catalina 10.15.3

I suddenly can't save, save as or export: the popup window doesn't show (menu options aren't grayed out)

I couldn't perform the IDML fix as the export function has the same issue.

Only way to get back my work was to force quit, restart computer (didn't work to just restart the software) and pray that the recovery had worked.

I realy hope it can be fixed soon: it's a bit stressful to work knowing you could loose all any time

[mcmullen551980]

This just happened to me as well. I followed the above advice regarding saving as a IDML and reopening. I discoverded that the problem occured because I installed some fonts and used them before rebooting. 

[sonia221]

This advice worked for me today. Export as .idml, restart computer, open .idml and save as .indd. All is working well now. Saved me six hours!

[adventurous_Eclipse01AC]

this has happened to me too, twice now.  Right now I can't save, save-as, save a copy, export, or package.  I don't want to close the program or reboot because I'll lose everything I just worked on.  It's odd because InDesign seems to be functioning just fine otherwise.  

I'm doing screen shots of my work now so I can remember where things are left off in case I have to rebuild it all again.  Grrr!

Saving and exporting are core functionalities that should never have any bug!

[adventurous_Eclipse01AC]

update on my little hell... I was not ever able to save, export IDML (or PDF or anything, actually), or package my document.  The program behaved as if all was normal; I could place images, edit text, create styles etc.  In fact I had already done my initial save-as when creating the document, and was regularly hitting CMD-S to save as I worked.  I didn't even realize that it wasn't saving until after I had completed a 12-page brochure and was tyring to export my first soft proof.

Once I realized I was in trouble, I installed the newest version of InDesign (16.1) and kept my old one (15.x) running.  I then launched the new one and tried copying and pasting elements from the old unsaved document into a new blank document.  It would sort of work, but it bundled all of the elements from the page as a single PDF object and pasted that in the new document.  No editable text, none of the paragraph styles, no links to images.

So in the end I lost about 9 hours of work and had to start from scratch.  Rebuild the entire document, redefine all my paragraph and object styles.  The billable time I lost on this is worth more than 3 years of CC subscription fees!!!!  Just a tad upset.

[macpubs]

Sent from my iPhone

[MichLienhart]

I really wish Adobe would fix this issue! It happens to me randomly and it's extremely annoying! I lose my work every time because I can't save, export or package anything. Everything else in the software is running normally so I don't notice it until I go to save something. Seems like a pretty critical issue for Adobe to fix so what are they waiting for?