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How to Keep InDesign CC 2015 When You Install CC 2017

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Here’s a quick tip/reminder that when you install InDesign CC 2017, whether it’s today, tomorrow, or six months from now, you have the option to keep CC 2015. But this option is somewhat hidden, and if you just click Update, the installer will also uninstall CC 2015.

Here’s the deal: In the Creative Cloud installer, click the Update button to start installing InDesign CC 2017. In the dialog box that pops up, click Advanced Options and deselect Remove old versions.

indesign-cc-2017-installer-1

The same idea applies for other apps like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Editor in Chief of CreativePro. Instructor at LinkedIn Learning with courses on InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape, and Affinity Publisher. Co-author of The Photoshop Visual Quickstart Guide with Nigel French.
  • Mouse says:

    I really hate how this option is hidden.

  • Monica says:

    Is there any way to get it back 2015 if you DO delete it when upgrading?

    • Mike Rankin says:

      Sure, just go to Previous Versions in the CC app. Click on the Install button and you should see versions going back to CS6 that you can install.

      • Frans van der Geest says:

        ‘Sure, just go to Previous Versions in the CC app. Click on the Install button and you should see versions going back to CS6 that you can install.”

        Nope. Just CS6, no CC 2015 (or earlier) anymore! Not in CC app nor in CC Cloud webbrowser downloads…

      • Frans van der Geest says:

        Strange enough: InCopy CC 2015 and Edge Animate are there. InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator CC 2015 are not…

      • Mike Rankin says:

        Not sure why you’re not seeing them. Every version back to CS6 is available for all apps.

      • Kay Honaker says:

        Like Frans, I also see only some of the programs, and only the most recent version of each.

      • Justin Ross says:

        Blank for me too.

        BUT, (I can’t quite remember how I did this, sorry), click on PREVIOUS VERSIONS, then FIND ADDITIONAL APPS. See if InDesign is there. Click install and choose a version.

      • Kay Honaker says:

        Oh, THERE it is. Click FIND ADDITIONAL APPS. Then click All Apps and choose VIEW PREVIOUS VERSIONS at the bottom of the drop-down. Click Install for the program you want to use, and choose the version you want to install.
        Thanks, Justin.

  • Storage is cheap. This is one option that should default to keep. Yeah, Adobe lets you reload older versions, but why should anyone have to do that?

    Has anyone who has problems with the sluggishness of ID-2015 discovered if that’s cured in ID-2017. I’ve only had minor issues, but that’s the only reason I can see to upgrade.

    If that’s fixed, I can’t imagine why Adobe would not be trumpting it to the heavens. This update needs some reason to adopt it. A year and a half wait, and it looks like the handiwork of a summer intern.

  • Michelle says:

    What would be the advantage of keeping 2015?

    • JimTheo says:

      Keep the devil you know.

    • Lindsey Thomas Martin says:

      Some of us rely on plug-ins and scripts, not all of which are updated as soon as a new version is released. For example, I use Woodwing’s Smart Styles for formatting tables and it usually takes some months before an updated version of the plug-in is released.

      • Lindsey Martin says:

        Welcome news from Woodwing: ‘… Yesterday Adobe released InDesign CC 2017 and we are currently conducting a final test against this version. Smart Styles for CC 2017 is expected to become available mid November …
        Tom Pijsel’

      • Lindsey Thomas Martin says:

        Note from WoodWing this morning announcing the availability of Smart Styles CC 2017. Supports Adobe InDesign CC 2017 and InCopy CC 2017. Adds support for spanning footnotes across columns, arrowhead scale control and the stroke option “align” that influences the position of the arrow tip.

      • Frans van der Geest says:

        Sadly enough, there is something wrong with SmartStyles CC 2017: it does install but does not get loaded. Even the About Woodwing plgu-ins dialog will not show to enter a serial. Something is broken here!

      • Lindsey Thomas Martin says:

        Frans, I had to restart ID to make SS load. You could post a query at WoodWing’s forum, now here. Lindsey

    • Dwayne Harris says:

      It depends upon what one’s job is. I work with a lot of designers and publishing houses and they want jobs done in a certain version. This is probably because they are not planning on upgrading right away.

      I still do some jobs in CS6 because one small publishing house still uses CS6, and we send them the files back. Or we supply rough pages and return the file to he designer so he/she can add in all the artwork to his/her liking. And then they send it back to us. If they use CC, we have to use CC (and not CC2014 or CC2015).

      Plus–many times we may have to make changes to a previously published book from a few years ago. To avoid the risk of any kind of reflow, we use the version it was originally done in (unless it’s super-old).

      I have all versions going back to CS3 on my computer at work and at home.

    • Tina Widzbor says:

      Third Party Plug-Ins. (Movemen MathTools, for example.)

    • Leon says:

      Well, plugins for one

    • William Butt van Gelderen says:

      copying vectors into Sketch app… they are trying to be difficult towards Sketch app which is becoming a better option than Adobe!

  • Kay Honaker says:

    In 17, the Book no longer has the options to open and close book documents. Have they moved those features? I thought it might have to do with the new file format, but even after opening, saving, and closing the book and all its documents, I still can’t see those options.

    I get that I can use the keyboard shortcut to close all docs, but it would be nice to be able to open them all from the book, as well. Anyone got any tips?

  • Steve Werner says:

    It’s working for me in InDesign CC 2017.

    As my article about this version pointed out, InDesign CC 2017 has its own format. That’s also true for book files. Each of the chapters in a CC 2017 has to be saved in the CC 2017 format.

  • Kay Honaker says:

    Restoring the preferences didn’t work either. My book file is still not showing the options to open all book docs and close all book docs. Even creating a new book doesn’t make a difference — still can’t open or close all docs in a book.
    Bother.

    • Kay Honaker says:

      OK.
      After multiple hours of chat help with Adobe, we found a script (BookOpenAll.jsx) in the Indesign 2015 folders that we copied into 2017, and voila.
      I don’t remember installing this third party script, but whatever. At least it works now.
      Thanks for commiserating!

  • Heather says:

    CC 2017 is horrible…. every program that i have used since update has become unresponsive…. Thanks for the detailed information on how to go back to older versions…. as I am in the process of returning to my 2015 versions as we speak. It wasn’t just one program or one issue, it was multiple stupid glitches along the way in ever program, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign… Note to self read reviews before you update…. UGH!!! Downtime for issues….2days on and off!!

  • bob says:

    they suck so badly at programming. id2017 keeps crashing, has startup problems. i’d prefer to be asked if i want to be a betatester.

  • Marc Robinson says:

    Thanks so much for this info! CC 2017 deleted a custom InDesign extension that my department has come to rely on and I was prepping to re-image several machines from a backup of someone who didn’t upgrade. And losing a day jugging machines and installing software is not why I went to art school.

  • Thank you so much for this information. I upgraded to ID 2017, and now all my files keep crashing. I’m installing 2015 with the hope that everything will work again.

    For the person who mentioned 2015 being sluggish: I had a problem for YEARS with InDesign being very slow–sometimes taking literally ONE MINUTE to display a letter I typed. I tried every solution people suggested. It turns out it was dicey fonts. The problem was fixed when I did a clean install of Windows and returned to just Windows fonts. Then I gradually reinstalled my other fonts until I found one that caused the slow typing problem. I uninstalled and deleted that font, and so on. I also use a type manager (High-Logic MainType) to see the font integrity before I reinstall a font. If the font has issues, I don’t install it.

    • Everything seems to be back to normal with ID 2015. A fair number of people are having trouble with ID 2017 crashing. Here’s the relevant Adobe forums post:

      https://forums.adobe.com/message/9149374#9149374

      Adobe’s rep is recommending that you reset your ID preferences and that you navigate to Preferences – Advanced Type > Type Contextual controls and un-check them. He says that seems to be solving the crash problem for a number of people. They’re still trying to debug the problem.

  • Jamie Soule-Vinova says:

    Of course I didn’t see this post until I already upgraded and removed the old 2015 version… Now all of my custom scripts are gone. I don’t suppose those are hiding somewhere that I could retrieve them from?

    • Tina Widzbor says:

      Mine left a 2015 folder, with just the 3rd Party Plug in. Perhaps your scripts are there? Maybe easy enough to just move into the new scripts folder?

  • InDesign CC2017 is the second Adobe application in this update that I have uninstalled and reverted to a previous version. The constant crashing is not an acceptable situation. I don’t see any real improvement to the interface, in fact, my paragraph styles menu moved. I removed scripts that I had been using and that seemed to help performance for a while, but today, I have gone through three crashes.

  • William Butt van Gelderen says:

    I HATE ILLUSTRATOR CC 2017…. THEY HAVE DISABLED COPYING VECTORS INTO SKETCH APP… SO EVIL!!!! HOW DO I REVERT TO 2015CC… CONSIDERING LEAVING ADOBE!

    • William Butt van Gelderen says:

      I found out how to revert…

      Next to FIND ADDITIONAL APPS, click on All Apps and select View Previous version.

      • William: 1. this is an InDesign site, not Illustrator. 2. Why do you think Adobe changed anything? Perhaps your preferences just changed. Or perhaps Sketch changed. 3. No one is stopping you from using other products; if Adobe CC doesn’t work for your needs, then you should use a tool that does.

  • swappy says:

    can i get access to new features if i do these steps??

  • andrea says:

    I can’t find InDesign cc2015 in PREVIOUS VERSIONS.

    how can I get it back?
    my only option on my Mac OS Sierra is InDesign cc2017
    I must’ve upgraded and lost 2015, but I need it back now.

    thanks

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