Corrupted File, InDesign Hangs when I edit a certain page (Windows, InDesign 15.1)

[#1]

Hey folks!

When I edit (add a cross reference, add a paragraph, delete the spread) my file on a certain page, InDesign hangs. I need to use Task Manager to kill it. 100% repro.

Attaching the file. It's the page with the header BATTLE FOR THE GRAVITAS MISLAID, page 39 for me, but w/o the linked images, it may be a different page for you.

Things I've tried

• Uninstalling reinstalling InDesign
• Saving to and loading from IMDL
• Editing page before it and after it (works fine)

If there is a way to save even some of my work I'd be very appreciative. Weeks of work here.

Thanks in advance!

John

[#2]

Hey folks!

When I edit (add a cross reference, add a paragraph, delete the spread) my file on a certain page, InDesign hangs. I need to use Task Manager to kill it. 100% repro.

Attaching the file. It's the page with the header BATTLE FOR THE GRAVITAS MISLAID, page 39 for me, but w/o the linked images, it may be a different page for you.

Things I've tried

• Uninstalling reinstalling InDesign
• Saving to and loading from IMDL
• Editing page before it and after it (works fine)

If there is a way to save even some of my work I'd be very appreciative. Weeks of work here.

Thanks in advance!

John

[#3]

Hi John,

answered in this other thread of you.

Strange thing: This other thread where I answered seems to be vanished from the forum.

With all your comments and all of my comments.

Hope you are doing well with your document.

As I answered some days before: I had no issues with your document with InDesign 2020 on Windows 10.

Best,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[#4]

I have tried with the attached document and it have export to IDML successfully. Please drop an email to namhata@adobe.com and I shall send you the exported IDML

[#5]

Hi John,

to make that clear: I do not think, that your InDesign document is corrupt.

Of course: If I open your document all the linked images are missing and also some fonts.

Maybe the issue lies in the fonts and not in the document itself?

No issue to access a certain cross reference.

I am able to scroll smoothly through the paragraphs in the Cross References panel.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[#6]

Thanks for taking a look at my file.

I was always able to stave as an IDML, it just didn't solve the problem.

Here's what I did that worked (until today):

• Created a new document.
• Dragged my master pages from the old document over to the new one.
• Copied and pasted each and every spread from the old to the new.
• Renamed the old, causing all the cross references I had copied to break.
• Fixed all the cross references.
• Save every day to a new file so I don't lose more than a day's work.

Today the crash came back while added a cross reference. Once again, it was a cross reference in a certain place. I could add one before or after, but in this one place I would crash. 100% repro. Many crash reports sent to adobe.

I thought about what was unique about this place? Normal paragraph style. Same as what worked before and after.

Then I noticed. It was right above a header with Span Columns on. Could that be it?

• I changed the header to not span.
• I added my cross references. They were fine
• I changed the header to span.

OMG, this worked.

I went back to the previous area that caused a crash. It was just below a span column. I'm thinking this is may be kind of bug in InDesign, not file corruption.

That's all I got.

[#7 · Accepted solution]

Hi John,

you said:

"Then I noticed. It was right above a header with Span Columns on. Could that be it?"

Well. Yes. Span Columns is always a good candidate for instability!

Thank you for reporting this!

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )