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This article is from June 30, 2008, and is no longer current.

InDesign CS3 Crashes When Opening Files From Windows Explorer or Bridge

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Mac users can skip this one.

There have been scattered reports in the InDesign Windows User to User forums from of CS3 crashing when opening files from either Bridge or Explorer. Apparently the folks at Adobe have found a workaround but not an exact cause or fix.

As explained in this TechNote article, the workaround, besides not opening files that way, is to make sure that your links panel is not active when opening the file. I’ve never experienced this problem myself and I open a lot of files from Bridge but if you’re among those suffering from this you might consider a new workspace without the links panel.

According to the TechNote, Adobe is working on a fix.

Bob Levine is a Southern New Jersey based graphic designer and consultant He provides guidance in developing efficient, collaborative InDesign and InCopy workflows as well as a full array of graphic design services including WordPress-based web development. For more background, visit his website, www.boblevinedesign.com or his blog, www.BobLevine.us.
  • wa veghel says:

    Same can happen on the Mac!
    If you use Default Folder and have the links panel open, opening a document crashes InDesign. Closing the links panel (or disabeling Default folder) and the problem goes away…

  • Bob Levine says:

    Hadn’t seen it reported but it makes sense. I can’t think of too many single platform bugs.

  • Steve Werner says:

    Wa,

    I cannot confirm your problem. I’m on a MacBook Pro, Mac OS X 10.5.3, Default Folder 4.0.6. When I have InDesign CS3 5.0.2 open in the background, with the Links panel open, and I open an InDesign file from Bridge CS3, I do NOT get a crash.

  • Roland says:

    I always have the links panel on screen, but it’s rarely active when I open files. I’ll keep this in mind should I start getting crashed though. I’m on Win XP Pro.

  • wa veghel says:

    >I cannot confirm your problem.

    it seems random at first, but have your links panel open (visible) open a file heavy on pictures, close open again, 2 out of 3 times a crash… (on MacBook 2.2 Ghz and Mac Pro 2006. Both running Os 10.5.3)

    After opening the beach ball appears… InDesign crashes

  • Bob Levine says:

    Wa,

    Perhaps this can be corrected with the Leopard 10.5.4 update. Worth a try.

  • Dan Nelson says:

    I was definitely having this problem on XP. It was very frustrating. Great to find a work around.

    I find that as long as the links panel is not open, the crash is avoided. So, it’s still OK to have a links panel in your workspace, you just have to keep it closed when opening files. (Of course, half the time I’m opening files, it’s because I want to open something I’m linked too. So, I was constantly getting the crash.)

  • Tim says:

    We have a problem with some machines in the studio, Bridge CS3 crashes everytime to the point that some people are using CS2 version again (G4 running Tiger).

    Not a problem on the G5’s.

  • Bob Levine says:

    That’s not really the same problem, Tim, but G4s are getting a bit long in the tooth and Bridge is a bit of resource hog.

    How much RAM do you have in those machines?

  • Rafael Cruz says:

    Same thing happens to me in after effects.

  • this is not good, they better make an upgrade

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