InDesign CS4

[#1]

I have an InDesign text document which now when I open it, it has turned into a picture document in the editor and doesn`t allow me to edit it.  The indd file is filed normally, but when I open it in my InDesign it acts like a photo.  What is going on?  I can do anything with it.  Not even print it.  Have I got a configuration messed up?  Any advice and help is greatly appriciated.

[#2]

I have an InDesign text document which now when I open it, it has turned into a picture document in the editor and doesn`t allow me to edit it.  The indd file is filed normally, but when I open it in my InDesign it acts like a photo.  What is going on?  I can do anything with it.  Not even print it.  Have I got a configuration messed up?  Any advice and help is greatly appriciated.

[#3]

Hi there,

Apologies for the delayed response. Does it happen with a specific file or all? Which InDesign version has been used to create this file? 

This information would help us assist you accordingly. Looking forward to your response.

Regards,

Ashutosh

[#4]

Dear Ashutosh,
Thanks for your concern.
I am not sure to which problem you are referring, as I have had many, but
I'm not sure that I reported them to you.
My main problem arose when my iMac suffered a malfunction which was going
to be too costly to repair and caused me to buy a new one.
Unfortunately, the new iMac came with Catalina OS and caused many problems
when trying to use my already created files, as my files were created using
Sierra OS. I tried to get the Sierra OS from the Apple app store without
success and finally had to accept that the earliest OS I could use was
Mohave.
Also, Apple, in their infinite wisdom, now create their iMacs with 64-bit
architecture, completely ignoring the fact that most users have created
their files over a long period of time, using 32-bit architecture, as I
have.
After many hours of trial and error, and help from Apple Support on the
phone, I managed to get all my apps working except InDesign. I was very
disappointed with this as I paid over £1000 for it and had been using it
without a problem for nearly ten years and therefore created hundreds of
files.
Eventually, I found out that I could buy the new version of InDesign on a
monthly basis, but that it would cost me £19.97 per month. I have had a
free 7-day trial and found that it would work for me, but I am still very
unhappy that I have had to do this to be able to access my files.
As I have already paid over £1000 for this app, I feel that I should be
able to continue to use the app without having to re-purchase it. If my
iMac had not expired I would have continued to use the original version of
InDesign without a problem, so I feel that I am being victimised because of
the failure of my iMac.
Is there anything you can do to make me feel happier about adobe products?
Before this problem, I had the greatest respect for Adobe products, but
this experience has not helped me to continue with this respect.
Yours, in hope!
Dave Baxter

[#5]

Dave,

There is absolutely nothing that Adobe can do to assist you here other than to diagnose the issue.

When you choose the Apple Macintosh computer platform (and that is your choice), you are implicitly agreeing to play along (and pay along) with a philosophy that their new computer models run operating system (i.e., MacOS) versions that do not maintain application compatibility going forward. And even with your new system, when Apple inevitably comes out with MacOS 11.1 or 11.2, they will break application compatibility yet again, forcing Adobe and other application vendors to reprogram their applications to continue to be able to run (and also noting that such updated applications cannot run on older MacOS versions!!!).

One of the benefits of the subscription model is that within a short time after Apple releases the next neat-and-cool, cool-and-neat incompatible MacOS release (along with patches to fix same), you automatically get an update to Adobe's applications that takes into account the MacOS incompatibilities as well as new application features and fixes.

Exactly what do you expect Adobe to do to make you “feel happier about Adobe products?” The CS4 products were released in 2008 and haven't been supported in many, many years. Yes, you may have paid “over £1000” for the full CS4 Master Collection sometime between 2008 and 2010 when CS5 was released, but over time that comes out to less than  £0.23 per day for use of all the available Adobe graphic arts software from 2008. (I assume you didn't pay over £1000 for just InDesign CS5!)

I know that this isn't what you want to hear, but it is reality. If you want to gripe further, I would suggest aiming your ire at Apple. It was their choice to stop supporting 32-bit applications on MacOS, not anything to do with the underlying hardware. (By the way, your next Mac will be using incompatible hardware that also requires new application versions – that is the Mac Tax!)

[#6]

InDesign CS4 is a very old version and will not be compatible with modern operating systems.