Many commenters on the Forum discussion are reporting that when they pause file syncing (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.) or copy a cloud file to a local drive, it solves/avoids the issue. That has worked for me - I copy a file from OneDrive/Sharepoint to my desktop, work on it there, then copy it back to the syncing location.

Sometimes it'll give an error on the first save (it says it can't but it actually does) and usually saves as normal after that. Another user suggested making 1 edit, then "saving as" to overwrite the original document, then working as normal. I hope this helps some others commenting here.

Adobe Forum - InDesign files corrupted and unable to save after Windows 11 update KB5074109 (January 2026)
https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/indesign-files-corrupted-and-unable-to-save-after-windows-11-update-kb5074109-january-2026/td-p/15663227

I am experiencing repeated file corruption and save failures in Adobe InDesign when working with documents stored in cloud-synced folders (previously iCloud, currently OneDrive).

When saving an existing .indd file, InDesign displays the error message:

“Cannot save ‘[filename].indd’. The file is damaged (Error code: 2).”

After this occurs, the document can no longer be saved reliably. In some cases, only Save As IDML works. A normal Save or Save As (.indd) fails.

This issue occurs even though:

The file opens normally

There are no missing fonts

Links are valid

Disk space is sufficient

I have found that InDesign only saves reliably if the file is stored outside of cloud-synced locations (e.g. in the local Downloads folder). Saving inside iCloud or OneDrive causes the issue.

Steps to reproduce
Create or open an InDesign document (.indd)

Save the document inside a cloud-synced folder (iCloud Drive or OneDrive)

Work on the document (multiple pages, images, guides, margins)

Attempt to save

InDesign returns:
“Cannot save… file is damaged (Error code: 2)”

Expected result
The document should save normally, regardless of whether it is stored in a cloud-synced folder.

Actual result
Save fails with “file is damaged (Error code: 2)”

File may become partially corrupted

Only IDML export sometimes succeeds

InDesign lock files (~filename) remain behind

Workaround
The only reliable workaround is:

Saving and working only on local folders (e.g. Downloads or Documents outside cloud sync)

Using IDML to recover corrupted files

Additional notes
This has happened multiple times on different projects

The issue appears related to cloud sync interfering with InDesign’s save process

File sizes increase after IDML recovery, suggesting internal rebuild

This is a serious workflow risk for professional users relying on cloud backups

Like others I work in an environment where it's not possible to rollback security updates. The workaround just isn't viable for many sectors.

This is now causing significant stress and delays to work. Is there any updates to this fix at all?

In a corporate environment we cannot remove security patches, this is a critical issue that is creating deadline issues.

The mentioned Windows updated was removed and I installed the entire Adobe Software again. Things worked fine the last 3 days. Just now it happend again. Im working with onedrive.
It really is a problem. Deadlines and broken Files, and working with teams on onedrive makes everything a bit difficult, as the company will not be able to understand this dilema.

This temporary workaround is not possible in my company because of the company guidlines.
InDesign is nearly unusable due to this bug. Pls fix this asap

Is there an estimate of when this issue will be resolved? As an enterprise user and team lead, this is impacting our designers from completing client projects. Uninstalling the update will require global security approval, which is highly unlikely.

Please fix asap!

Same problem here

I experience the same issue with 21.1 on PC when trying to save my files on OneDrive.

I have copied he files out of OneDrive on my machine, and this issue does not occur. I have also checked the box to always keep the files on Drive.

Is this still under investigation? InDesign is virtually unusable at the moment.

InDesign is nearly unusable due to this bug

Hi there, i have exact same issue and i tried to roll my windows 11 update back but it doesnt show up in the update history... would uninstalling the latest (KB5067931) one work instead?

I am writing to report a serious and now widespread workflow failure between InDesign and Dropbox on Windows.

InDesign can no longer reliably save files stored in Dropbox folders using Smart Sync / cloud-synced storage. I now receive repeated errors stating that files are “damaged (Error Code: 0)” when saving, even on healthy documents.

This did not used to happen. The problem only began in the last 12–18 months and has now made my normal professional workflow impossible. I am being forced to adopt awkward local-mirror workarounds simply to keep files from corrupting.

This is not a niche issue — many designers and studios are reporting the same problem. The current Adobe position that “cloud folders are unsupported” is not acceptable for modern collaborative work.

InDesign is a core professional tool. It must be able to function safely with mainstream cloud storage like Dropbox, OneDrive, or at minimum provide a clear, built-in solution instead of pushing users onto third-party hacks.

Please escalate this internally as a priority. Designers should not have to redesign their entire file workflow just to save an InDesign document without corruption.

I am happy to provide logs, screenshots, or examples if needed.

I am on windows 11. My colleague had the very same issue. There are a lot of posts in the adobe support forums about it too - uninstalling that specific update solved it.

It's affecting users who are synced to onedrive, drop box etc.

What's strange though - the update just got installed again when I restarted my computer today and the error has yet to occur.

EDIT: It started to happen about 10 minutes after posting :]

Doesn't seem like it'd be anything to do with that from the notes but who knows...
https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/topic/january-13-2026-kb5073724-os-builds-19045-6809-and-19044-6809-bd960b49-050e-432f-a9d5-2454cb377fed

@Andy K - did update, though to KB5073724 (Cumulative Update for Windows 10 v 22H2) - are you on Windows 11?

Will try rolling it back.

Check if you have had this windows security update installed in the last day or so:
2026-01 Security Update (KB5074109) (26200.7623)

This was causing a similar issue for me and uninstalling the update fixed it.