Document made in InDesign 2024 no longer loads in InDesign 2025
InDesign 2025 (v20.0)
is unable to open a document (a 400 page book in one single file) that I finished a few days before updating InDesign. It was made using version 19.5. I've tried several versions of the book: both the last work file and a finished packaged version on a separate drive. I have also tried opening an older version before the latest changes with no luck.
There are no error messages. It just starts loading it and then after a while, doesn't anymore. The book doesn't appear in the Open Recent list either even after several attempts and restarts. This is on an iMac Pro 2017.
Reverting to version 19.5 and the book opens just fine.
Fortunately the book is already being printed. So I guess I won't get fired. :)
Random Scandinavian
shared this idea
We would require more information for the same. Are you not able to open any InDesign document created from ID19.x version in ID20.0 or is it specifically happening with only a specific document?
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Travis
commented
Using the creative cloud app you can install "Other versions" of InDesign ID19.x alongside 2025. Then open and resave your files as IDML, then they should open in 2025 that fixed it for me at least.
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Travis
commented
I'm experiencing a similar issue as the OP, and to answer the question you asked, I'm unable to open specific InDesign documents created in version ID19.x using ID20.0.
System: Windows 11
I recently updated to ID20.0, but my colleague is still using ID19.x. When I try to open some of their documents, nothing happens—whether I use the "Open" option in the file menu or double-click the file in Windows Explorer. The only solution that worked was having them save the file as IDML, which then opened without any issues in ID20.0.I also reviewed the documents on their computer (also Windows 11) to compare the files that opened successfully versus those that didn’t. Here are a couple of key observations:
I did not have the same fonts loaded on my machine as they did.
Some files had missing links.
I mention this because, before a file opens, InDesign typically displays a dialog box pointing out issues (like missing fonts or links) before fully launching the document. It’s possible the issue is occurring at this stage. So far, I’ve encountered this problem with three files, but resaving them as IDML has resolved the issue each time.Unfortunately, I can't share the original documents since they contain sensitive information, and stripping that content would leave nothing significant for comparison.
My next step is to delete one page at a time from the problematic ID19.x files and attempt to open them in ID20.0, repeating this process to see if I get different results. Given that our documents share many elements, it’s difficult to narrow down the root cause quickly. If I find that removing a specific page resolves the issue, I’ll check the other documents for that same page and begin removing individual elements from it to possibly identify the object causing the problem.
I'm open to suggestions, but this is the plan I have so far based on my current understanding of the issue.
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Tim Szumanski commented
I am not able to open any 19.x files, either. I've tried multiple ways, and nothing.
