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InDesign crashes immediately when trying to open an important idml file

Community Beginner ,
Jan 15, 2020 Jan 15, 2020

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Using InDesign 2020, but a file that was created in InDesign 2019, the IDML file contains a lot of linked images, but the program crashes immediately when I try and open the idml file. Really hope someone can help as it is a very important file for us. 😞

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Community Expert ,
Jan 15, 2020 Jan 15, 2020

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Why don't you open the INDD file?

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 16, 2020 Jan 16, 2020

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There isn't one 😞   I had been following an old mentor's advice that IDMLs were more universal / cross-version compatible. The project was only ever saved as an idml. Projects since have been saved as indd, but for this important project I only have the idml.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 16, 2020 Jan 16, 2020

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Try opening it in 2019.

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 16, 2020 Jan 16, 2020

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Exactly the same crash issue in 2019 unfortunately 😞

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 29, 2020 Jan 29, 2020

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Is there anyone else who can possibly assist on this?

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Community Beginner ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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I have the same problem. Only on specific file.

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Community Expert ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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Mentor ,
May 20, 2021 May 20, 2021

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I tested this in InDesign 2021, and the import is stuck at the missing fonts dialog. I had to force-quit InDesign.

 

Ironically, Affinity Publisher opened the IDML file without a hitch within seconds.

2021-05-20 09_00_12-Affinity Publisher.png

 

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Community Expert ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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How large is the file?

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Community Beginner ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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1.103 Mb, too small to blame the size

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Community Expert ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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Speculation:

Perhaps 1.103 Mb is too small to be a valid IDML file.

Could be that it was not exported properly.

 

What's your operating system?

 

What you can try:

IDML is a container file format. Basically something like a zip file containing files and folders.

A strong indication that the file is damaged: Unzipping will throw an error message.

 

How to unzip an IDML file:

Make a duplicate of the IDML file, rename the suffix idml to zip and unzip the file.

 

Hm…

You could also put the IDML file on Dropbox or a similar service and post the download link so that we can look into the case.

 

Thanks,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Community Beginner ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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This is dropbox link:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qrbk05lu435qz2r/04_IBARI_00_IT-en_gb.idml?dl=0

 

I have tried to unzip but I don't have found any mistake.

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Community Expert ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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Just tried to open your IDML file in InDesign 2021:

Crash after the following message that fonts are missing; the list was not completed before the crash:

Open-IDML-MissingFonts-Message-while-opening-IDML.PNG

 

Unzipping is possible without an error.

 

Could be a bug.

designmap.xml shows:

product="16.1(20)"
DOMVersion="16.1"

FWIW: The IDML file was not exported with InDesign 2019.

"16.1(20)" is InDesign 2021.

 

Perhaps it will help to open it in previous versions? But I doubt this will help.

All tests done on Windows 10.

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Community Beginner ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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Exactly what happened to me.

 

The file was exported by a CAT software by a translation of an IDML that I made with Indesign 2021. After translation this is the result.

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New Here ,
Sep 19, 2023 Sep 19, 2023

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We found the same issue with an IDML file provided by our translation company (original file was created by us and did not cause any issues. What I did notice was that it InDsign crashed the moment the missing fonts were defined and just before it crashes I could see that the file contained Type 1 fonts which are no longer supported by Adobe (which is quite annoying when working with older files to be honest).
Perhaps this could cause the crashes?

Patricia Huisman

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Guide ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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A first deeper look: the composer is confused by the frame fitting options of an inlined text frame, likely one on a master spread. I've tried random shots at related properties in the IDML but had no luck, this would require more investigation. Since each test run costs serious CPU time / thumb twisting - mainly consumed by the set up and composition of those large tables before you even get to the trouble spot - I'll leave it here.

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Community Beginner ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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Thanks for your effort!!

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Community Beginner ,
May 19, 2021 May 19, 2021

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Good job Dirk, that wos the problem. Thankz a loto of !

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Community Expert ,
May 18, 2021 May 18, 2021

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Dirk said: "… the composer is confused by the frame fitting options of an inlined text frame …"

 

Hi Dirk,

that reminds me of a bug where InDesign 2020 and 2021 is crashing when a text frame is anchored to text and the anchored frame has auto-height ( top position ) enabled and the text is forced to the baseline grid:

 

Anchored textframe with auto-sizing/auto-adjusting "height" causes InDesign 2020 to freeze
Matthias Fritsch, January 09, 2020

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601180-adobe-indesign-bugs/suggestions/39398323-anchored-textf...

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Guide ,
May 19, 2021 May 19, 2021

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Wow, you read and remember all those bug reports?

Ah, I see that one has quite some trail. You can hear the rattling sound of the Bartwickelmaschine.

From the code side I can also understand how noone yet has dared to solve it.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 19, 2023 Sep 19, 2023

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LATEST

A note to myself.

 

This bug was fixed in 2021.

Ravi Kiran (Senior Lead Quality Engineer, Adobe InDesign) said on July 14 2021:

"Fix is available in the latest update of InDesign – 16.3.2 on Mac and 16.3 on Win.
Please update your copy of InDesign to the latest available update via CCD app."

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender
( Adobe Community Expert )

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Community Expert ,
May 20, 2021 May 20, 2021

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Hi Matteo,

now that Dirk identified a possible cause for the crash, how did you resolve the issue?

 

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

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Community Beginner ,
May 20, 2021 May 20, 2021

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I am waiting for confirmation from the translation office but it seems solved.

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