Open File Explorer and select View > Hidden items.
Last updated on
Jun 2, 2026
Fix permission issues that prevent Adobe InDesign from starting correctly by adjusting folder access settings and resetting preferences.
InDesign requires read and write permissions (the ability to view and modify files) on specific system folders to launch correctly. If these permissions aren't set properly, InDesign may crash during startup, display error messages about read-only folders, or open briefly before closing.
Folder permission issues
If the Preferences folder is read-only, InDesign cannot create or update the files it needs during startup.
Windows
Go to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\InDesign. Replace <username> with your account name.
Right-click the InDesign version folder and select Properties.
Select the Security tab, and then select Edit.
Select your user account.
Select Read and Write permissions.
Select OK.
Launch InDesign.
macOS
Open Finder.
Go to /Users/<username>/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign. Replace <username> with your account name.
Hold Control and select the InDesign version folder, and then select Get Info.
Select the lock icon and enter your administrator password.
In the Sharing & Permissions section, select your user account.
Set the privilege to Read & Write.
Close the window and launch InDesign.
Incorrect Adobe PDF Settings folder permissions
If the issue persists, ensure the correct permissions are set for the Adobe PDF Settings folder.
Windows
Open File Explorer and enable View > Hidden items.
Go to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe PDF\Settings. Replace <username> with your account name.
Right-click the Settings folder and select Properties.
Select the Security tab, and then select Edit.
Select your user account.
Enable the Read permission.
Select OK.
Launch InDesign.
macOS
Open Finder.
Go to /Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe PDF/Settings.
Hold Control and select the Settings folder, and then select Get Info.
Select the lock icon and enter your administrator password.
In the Sharing & Permissions section, select your user account.
Set the privilege to Read or Read & Write.
Close the window and launch InDesign
macOS folder permissions issue
Open Terminal from Applications > Utilities.
Type the following command by replacing <username> with your account name and <version> with your InDesign version folder name, and then press Return:
- For full access (single-user systems): chmod 777 /Users/<username>/Library/Preferences/Adobe/InDesign/<version>
- For restricted access (shared systems): chmod 755 /Users/<username>/Library/Preferences/Adobe/InDesign/<version>
Enter your administrator password when prompted, and then press Return.
Launch InDesign.
Incorrect InDesign preferences settings
If adjusting permissions doesn't resolve the launch failure, reset your InDesign preferences to their default state.
Hold Shift + Ctrl + Alt (Windows) or Shift + Command + Option (macOS) while launching InDesign.
When prompted to delete preference files, select Yes.
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