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TICKET ARCHIVE -> InDesign CS 3 Crashing on one doc

Catfishcounts - Mar 22, 2008 - 4:04 pm

I tried to copy and paste text into a layout from an Apple Pages document. I couldn't place it because it was an old trial v. Moments after pasting the text, ID crashed. So I went to Apple and bought a serial number, shut down, rebooted, and it still crashes no mater which choice I make for recovery' no, cancel, or yes. InDesign will still open other documents, but the moment the file in question appears, it crashes.

My last backup was Monday, about 60 hours ago, and my deadline in tuesday. Needless to say, I'm a little tweaked at this point. OPen at the time were InDesign, Photoshop, Bridge, Acrobat, Word Mac 2004, and my daily Mac apps; Mail, Address book, and iCal.

My InDesign is 5.0.2.640, all Adobe stuff is from CS3 Design Premium
system: new 24 " iMac 2.8GHz, 2GB RAM, Mac OSX 10.4.11

DeltaMac - Mar 22, 2008 - 5:46 pm

Your problem sounds typical of a corrupted font. Are you using an ususual font with your Pages document? Have you verified that the fonts that you are using with the Pages document are good?
What are you using for font management? Most font management apps will be able to check on the validity of your fonts.

If checking your fonts doesn't help out - you could try a second step in the copy and paste process. Paste your text into TextEdit, then copy from TextEdit and paste into ID.

Hope this helps you...
- Dale

Catfishcounts - Mar 22, 2008 - 6:06 pm

There aren't any funky fonts in that Pages doc. Times New Roman of all things. I'm going back through Font Book, and I don't see any flags. see below

Now I can't even open the document without it crashing the program. The very next second after the document opens, InDesign crashes.

That is the one area that has always haunted me, fonts that is. I know there are system fonts, and user fonts. I tried suitcase last year, and I just didn't follow it. So I've stuck with the default Mac Fontbook, and I haven't had any trouble up until now. I read in another board that Linotype Font Explorer was easy to use, and that using its 'Clean System Fonts' command might take care of it. I did that, and it sucked all of my Adobe OPen type, and 60 of my most common postscripts fonts into a folder on my desktop, and they weren't showing up in my apps. Everytime I mess with fonts I get burned. I know it's a hurdle I must cross, but now I've just tried to get back to square one. I unistalled LInotype Font Explorer and now there's a crucial font I can't seem to get into font book from any Library folder, or my other backup font folders.

DeltaMac - Mar 22, 2008 - 6:50 pm

Certainly sounds like a corruption in that file, if no other document does that. If there is not a font problem, then it must be something about the document formatting. You may have to give that up.
This usually works for me: Open the document in your creation app, Pages in this case, I suppose. Copy all the text. I hope that you are not expecting some complex formatting to carry across. Paste into a New document in your target app. Assuming that InDesign likes your choice of fonts, you should be good.
Sorry that you weren't ready to take the time to find out how to use Linotype Font Explorer. I choose not to let it organize the fonts, and I have been using it for a couple of years with no problems at all.
I don't have more info for you, so I wish you luck. You may find more support if you re-post your question on the main forums at this site. You will get many more 'looks' and potential for someone to help who knows what your problem might be (other than fonts)
- Dale

Catfishcounts - Mar 22, 2008 - 6:55 pm

Thanks for the reply. Please forgive me... frustrated and famished. All help is GREATLY appreciated!

Catfishcounts - Mar 22, 2008 - 6:59 pm

I will be giving Font Explorer another try when / if I make my deadline. So in not using it to manage, you mean you use it basically to look for problems with font files? Validate I guess it is?

Does that mean you're using FE and Mac Fontbook together?

DeltaMac - Mar 22, 2008 - 7:45 pm

Yes, I use it to keep an eye on all my fonts. I run it maybe twice a year.
No, I don't use font book at all.

Catfishcounts - Mar 22, 2008 - 8:07 pm

I appreciate the info Dale.

I've run permission repairs, no help. And now that I think about, I was having some strange things happen with all of my style definitions while working on this now detoured layout. I've read that maybe a selective ditching of some specific cache folders either manually or a little wider scope with Tiger Cache Cleaner would help. I'm currently backing up everything to a large external before I do anything like that.

Will you remind me what I need to hold when booting from the system disk, is it option+c or just c?

DeltaMac - Mar 23, 2008 - 6:29 am

You can use Option (only), or just the letter C. Option will allow you to choose from the bootable disks that you have available to your system. C will try to boot from the CD/DVD, and is normally a quicker alternative.

Catfishcounts - Mar 23, 2008 - 10:04 am

Thanks again!

I got the document open late last night/early this morning in the most low tech way possible. I noticed that when I opened ID from the Apps folder, it didn't ask about recovery. I would just click open, and browse to it and open. Using this method it crashed just a little slower. Well when it came up, it was on the spread with the lethal text visible. I though, in my late night way, if I can select and ditch that text quick enough, maybe it won't crash. On the third try, it worked. Now, needless to say, I have back-ups on all of my externals, and am backing p after every major step.

Oh, and feeling lucky, I reloaded Font Explorer, checked for it NOT to manage my fonts, and somehow I was able to add the font I was worried about that I couldn't reload with FontBook.

Strange how things work sometimes... very, very strange. :{)

DeltaMac - Mar 23, 2008 - 11:17 am

Glad to hear that you are getting closer!
-Dale