Unable to open InDesign files saved to a network drive

[S***@adobeforums.com]

The user is getting a message saying "Cannot open the document doc.indd You may not have permission or the document may be open already for multi-user access, Close the file and set the properties to Read-only in windows explorer".

This user has the only copy of indesign so there is no one else accessing the file. I did go into windows explorer and set it to read only but the user is still getting the same message.

[Art Campbell]

It's a network permissions problem, or at least the error message is.
The user probably needs rad/write/execute permissions on the file and directory, and they may also be something wrong with the group permissions.
Depending upon the operating systems, it could be something as simple as case sensitivity in a user name or differing user names... For instance, if InDesign was installed by Administrator, but the user's file is owned by JoeUser...

But it probably needs to be resolved by your network admin.

[P***@adobeforums.com]

I've seen this for no apparently good reason with one particular file (on deadline, of course). I was finally able to work around the problem by selecting "as a copy" in the open dialog.

Peter

[D***@adobeforums.com]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[A***@adobeforums.com]

Hello, we had this problem and it was solved by ejecting a CD that was named the same as the AFP mount point, and then trashing the AFP preferences.

AFP mount point => somename
CD/DVD => somename

You might also want to check your "/volumes" in the terminal to make sure that all the mount points have been successfully ejected and removed.

Hope this helps.

[S***@adobeforums.com]

Just to add to the thread ... after we open a file on a network drive, _ALL_ network drives are promptly disconnected. The user in question runs Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat, Quark, etc. all without issues of any kind.

[D***@adobeforums.com]

Well for me InDesign is the only "quirky" program. All the rest fo my Adobe Design Premium CS3 works like it should.

I am embarassed I haven't been able to solve this. As a workaround I have to transfer everything to a local harddrive to work on then copy it back to the network. Thank goodness I'm not working jointly on anything right now.

[Mike Witherell]

Hey Adobe Phorums, this seems to be a Windows question; not a Mac question.

[GPChicago]

We're having the same issue. Only InDesign files from one mapped drive are causing adobe InDesign to lock up. However, unlike most of you if I copy the file to the desktop, it still locks up.
Every other type of file stored on this mapped drive runs fine, and InDesign files on other mapped drives operate with no problems.
Its only this single mapped drive. To make things even better, all the mapped drives in question (working and not working) are on the same server.

There was a recent server migration of all files, but that was two weeks ago. Any problems associated with that should/would have come up within the first few days. There have been no architecture changes, software upgrades, patches etc since the migration. The files just stopped opening this morning.

I'm somewhat new to the adobe application suite so any advice would be appreciated.

[P***@adobeforums.com]

GP,

Your problem sounds as if it could be link path issues due to the migration. There have been a number of similar posts regarding mapped drives and changing the absolute paths.

Peter

[GPChicago]

We thought that as well at first. Though we moved all drives over to this new server setup using the same naming convention as the old setup. For the first two weeks the drive worked fine. Now, within the past day or two, all .indd files on drive X allow InDesign to open, then lock up as it tries to load the file. Oddly enough .indd files in drive Y (also migrated) open no problems. Even files on Y that are linked to files on say Z migrated with no problems.

If it was just a linking problem, it would have shown up two weeks ago right when the server cut over took place. Also, the naming convention is the same as it was before the migration. From what I gather reading previous posts, if it was just an link problem then copying it to the desktop would break all the links and allow the file to open and then all one would have to do is relink the files? Even copying to the desktop yeilds the same InDesign lockup problem.
The drive structure is basically like this:

X drive
Image folder
Image files and folders are saved here.
INDD folder
Corresponding .indd file is saved here pointing to images
saved in the image folder.

[K***@adobeforums.com]

Post by GPChicago
if it was just an link problem then
copying it to the desktop would break all the links

Not really. Just moving the ID file around doesn't affect the links.
It's still looking for the linked files on your network.

Try copying the ID file along with all its linked files to a local
folder. Put the linked files in the same folder as the ID file. And then
try to open the ID file.

[P***@adobeforums.com]

Can you try moving the image folder below the InDesign file in the tree structure?

[GPChicago]

Ah, I see. Like I said, I'm not too familiar with InDesign yet, and saw some things about breaking links when copying it to the desktop, so I figured I'd ask to make sure I was understanding what was happing with that. I get it now thanks.

I'll try both of those in the morning when I get in and see if it helps.
I'll probably copy the whole drive to my station to play with the local file aspect. luckily someone with more server access than I have will be in tomorrow to check some other server settings that I haven't been given access to yet.

Thank you all for your input, I greatly appreciate it. I'll keep you posted.

[D***@adobeforums.com]

Ok people, cue the Twilight Zone music……… but I can now open the .indd files over the network as I should be able to as I have been with all my other CS3 applications all along!

I have changed nothing, upgraded nothing, it just works again. I wish I could offer some insight as to why the problem went away but I cannot.

I will keep my eyes tuned to see if it happens again and try and remember anything that might cause it. But for now I am back to business as usual…Alleluia! No more having to transfer my files/folders to a local drive for working.

If anyone needs any of my setup parameters or anything to compare just let me know.

Don Perry
***@pmc-appraisal.com

[P***@adobeforums.com]

Don,

Is your default printer network or local? An off-line default printer can cause InDesign to hang while opening files.

GP,

Copying the drive won't help unless the links are moved into the same directory or a sub-directory as the InDesign file. As Ken said, moving the file doesn't change the link reference data.

InDesign looks first in the referenced absolute path and if that path is invalid, in the current directory and sub-directories. There is no automatic search up a level. If you move everything to the local drive and disconnect from the network I would expect you to see a missing links dialog, given your current directory structure. Relinking to the local copies will only shift the pain, not cure it, if you move the file to a new location. It might work to copy the file locally, disconnect from the network and open it without repairing links, then reconnect to the network and repair the links before saving and closing the file, but that is going to be a real chore.

Peter

[GPChicago]

Right, it was being done for comparison reasons. Make a copy locally and dump the image folder under the ID folder and test. Then do the same on the server side location, and see which, if any, might have worked.

Neither option worked while connected to the network. However, once I disconnected, the local copy worked both ways! It worked with the Image folder and ID folder on the same level, and with the Image Folder a sub folder of the ID folder.

Once I reconnected to the network I had the same problem, neither the local copy or the server copy would open. Well, its progress at least. At least I can potentially save all the files by having marketing pull them down locally, until a new hosting solution can be worked out.

EDIT: Actually about 2 minutes after I posted this I got a call saying they are opening again, just extremely slowly. They aren't happy about the new folder structure, but at least the files actually open. Now the question is finding a way to edit the links so they point to the proper file paths, and hopefully return to the old directory structure.

Thanks for your input, you all were more helpful than the adobe techs.
If you have any more ideas please kick it my way. I grateful for all your help up to this point.

[R***@adobeforums.com]

For me this problem only occurs when In Design is on a Vista system and the network share is on a Samba server.

I have no solution to offer.

[A***@adobeforums.com]

I have the same problem, but no solution. I am not able to open Indesign files on the Network or link photos to document.

[D***@adobeforums.com]

I have upgraded to CS4 and all my problems went away.

Upgrade price is $600-$700 but in reality is less than one job (at least for me) and well worth it plus you get the new tricks of CS4.