Troubleshoot damaged InDesign documents

An InDesign document could be damaged if an error or other unexpected behavior occurs only while you work in that document. InDesign has an automatic document recovery feature that can prevent damage that system crashes or power outages can cause. However, it cannot prevent damage that other system-level problems such as software conflicts, low disk space, or viruses cause. This troubleshooting guide can help you isolate and resolve damage in an InDesign document. It can also help you isolate and resolve system-level problems that appear to be document damage but are related to other causes.

System-level problems can cause errors and other unexpected behavior. Therefore, make sure that the system is relatively free from problems before assuming that a document is damaged. For example, run a disk utility or perform basic system maintenance before performing the tasks in this guide. System maintenance can even repair potential causes of document damage. For more information about system maintenance and how to troubleshoot system-level problems, contact your system manufacturer. Or, see the system documentation.

Complete the following tasks in the order presented:

Note: Before you begin troubleshooting, create a backup copy of the document. Some of these tasks require that you change or delete information in the document. A backup copy of the document lets you easily restore information. If the document is on a network volume or removable media (for example, a CD, or jump drive), move it to the local hard disk.

If the problem is recurrent, search the Support Knowledgebase at www.adobe.com/support/products/indesign.html before continuing. Circumstances that require specific solutions covered in a support document could be the cause of the problem.

You can download and install the latest version of InDesign by choosing Help > Updates.

Alternatively, updates and installation instructions are available on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/downloads.

InDesign stores information about plug-ins, features, and the application itself in its preference files: the InDesign SavedData and InDesign Defaults files. A damaged InDesign preference file can cause unexpected behavior with an InDesign document. You can easily determine if the problem is related to the preference files by re-creating them.

Note: Re-creating the InDesign preference files restores settings to their defaults, so you lose custom settings associated with the old preference files. Make sure to close InDesign before you re-create the preference files or InDesign can behave unexpectedly.

To re-create the InDesign preference files, do the following:

Otherwise, for manual deletion or renaming, the locations of the preference files are as follows:

• InDesign SavedData
  
  Users/[user]/Library/Caches/Adobe InDesign/Version [version]/InDesign SavedData
• InDesign Defaults
  
  Users/[user]/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/Version [version]/InDesign Defaults

• InDesign Defaults
  
  C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]
• InDesign SavedData
  
  C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\Local Settings\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]\Caches

• InDesign Defaults
  
  C:\Users\labuser\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]\InDesign Defaults

• InDesign SavedData
  
  C:\Users\labuser\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign\Version [version]\Caches\InDesign SavedData

After renaming these files, restart InDesign. InDesign creates new preference files.

If the problem persists, restore the original preferences by deleting the new files and renaming the old preference files back to their original names.

This process rewrites the data in the InDesign document and can repair damage within the original document.

If the document was converted from Adobe PageMaker, QuarkXPress, or a previous version of InDesign, try reconverting the document. If the problem recurs, troubleshoot the original document for damage in its source application before you convert it. A damaged PageMaker or QuarkXPress document most likely remains damaged after you convert it.

For information on troubleshooting a damaged PageMaker publication, see Related Documents below. For information on troubleshooting a damaged QuarkXPress document, visit the Quark website at support.quark.com.

Styles that you create in InDesign or import with word-processing files could be damaged. To ensure that character or paragraph styles in the document are not damaged, delete them and then resave the document.

To delete character styles:

To delete paragraph styles:

To determine if the problem is related to a damaged font, try switching all fonts used in the document to a standard font. (For example, use Arial or Times New Roman.) For instructions, Error "...fonts are not currently available..." in InCopy or InDesign (401374).

If the problem recurs after you switch fonts, it is not font-related. If the problem doesn't recur, the original font could be damaged or out-dated (that is, created before 1992). Try reinstalling the font or obtaining an updated version from the font manufacturer.

Try to determine if a specific element on a master page or a document page causes the problem. To isolate elements, first delete empty pages and unnecessary elements, such as those on a pasteboard or hidden layer.

To delete pages:

If the problem recurs after you delete unnecessary pages and elements, delete half of the remaining pages and save the document with a new name. Then try to re-create the problem:

• If the problem recurs, one of the remaining pages could contain a damaged element. Continue to delete pages until you determine the page that causes the problem.
• If the problem doesn't recur, one of the deleted pages could contain a damaged element. Replace the deleted pages until you determine the page that causes the problem.

After you determine the page that causes the problem, remove and replace elements on it, including imported graphics, InDesign-drawn objects, and text frames on the page.

Copying page elements into a new document leaves structural (internal) damage behind. If the problem recurs after you copy page elements into a new document, then remove that page and then re-create it.

To copy page elements into a new document:

If you received the document via email, FTP, or removable media (such as a CD or Iomega Zip disk), obtain a copy a different way. Or, have the document resent. Damaged media or a faulty email transmission can damage a document. If the document is sent via email, have the sender compress it first to protect the data. (For example, have them use WinZip or Smith Micro's StuffIt.)

If you have completed the tasks above and the problem still occurs, try one or more of the following suggestions:

By changing to a different system environment, you can remove variables that cause the problem.

Other customers could have experienced similar problems with a document and posted a solution. The User to User forums are on the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/forums/.

If all else fails, re-create the document. Make frequent backup copies, and periodically test the document to ensure that imported elements are not the cause of the problem.