Why InDesign Documents Open as [Converted]
Douglas wrote and said:
Whenever I open a document I haven’t used for about 6 months, I make a little modification and save it, InDesign chooses to “save as” instead of a simple save. Why?!
This is “a feature not a bug,” but I agree that it can be incredibly frustrating. The reason InDesign opens your document as [Converted] — and therefore requires that you use Save As instead of Save — is that you must have upgraded your version of InDesign between the time you created the document and the time you’re editing it. Whenever you upgrade InDesign, documents also have to go through a conversion process.
Now this seems crazy at first, but here’s the reason it happens: Most people don’t realize that the InDesign file format is actually a database. The InDesign app is actually reading a database file! And, just like FileMaker or other database programs have to “update your database” whenever they’re updated, InDesign does, too.
So the fact that your document opens as Converted and then forces a Save As is actually a safety measure. For example, if InDesign saved over the original file automatically, you might have trouble opening the file in an earlier version of the program.
That said, many users find it very frustrating that InDesign sometimes doesn’t remember the location of the original file was (which folder it’s in). I have to say that I don’t usually have this problem. InDesign seems to always remember what folder the document was in and takes me there when I need to use Save As.
This might be because I use Default Folder on my Mac. I’m not sure if there is something similar on Windows. Suggestions anyone?
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Thank you for clarifying David. I really don’t mind the “save as” issue, what frustrates me is that InDesign does not remember where the document is. Every time it does this, I have to dig into numerous files to get to the document I’m replacing. This is the frustrating part for me.
It only forgets where to “Save As” if it is a [converted] document and you choose “Save”.
If you manually go to “Save As…” it will go back to the original location every time.
Illustrator has the same behaviors when up-converting.
Hey Kevin… I just tried to do what you said. I manually did a “save as” to a 5 year old document, and it still takes me to my “documents” folder instead to the folder where the document originally is. This is the frustrating bit.
If you have a bunch of older files, Peter Kahrel’s Batch Convert Script (https://www.kahrel.plus.com/indesign/batch_convert.html) is a wonderful solution for the “[Converted]”/original save folder location issue. Just be sure to delete the contents of the Output Folder field after defining the Input Folder.
That script is a life saver, Paul. It’s saved a ton of time (and annoyance!) more than once, when I’ve had to convert books with many chapters to the current version of InDesign so I could work on a new edition.
Yes, it must be Default Folder because ID NEVER finds the correct folder whether I choose “save” or “Save-as”.
Wish my IT Dept would allow Default Folder.
Or maybe it’s that I still have CC 2014… something for me to look forward to it IT ever lets us upgrade?
I’m on a Mac and it doesn’t matter whether the file is on our server or my local desktop or documents folder — it never knows where to save.
LOL this is one thing that Quark gets right! Hey, at least now ID remebers the file name (it didn’t in earlier versions)
The best workaround (other than a script or plugin) is, if the file is showing in the Finder:
“Save” from ID, when it asks where, command-tab to the Finder, start dragging the old file, and while still dragging, command-tab back to ID and drop the file into the save dialog. Bingo.
It’s a little tricky the first few times you do it, like patting your head while rubbing your tummy — but once you “get” it it is super-easy. Works in every Mac app.
Bret, Great tip! Thanks!
Awesome Bret, I didn’t know about this trick !
The CoOp is not expensive.You try a price comparison. One of my friends did. On a £60 shop, the CoOp worked out five pounds cheaper than… oh, which one was it? I think it was Sainsburys…
Bret I like that Finder tip! Thanks!
OH My!!! That’s a great workaround!! PRO tip!
Thanks a bunch
And if you just want to save file to another folder, without renaming the file, you can drag any folder icon from Finder to the Save as dialog. You can even drag the icon from the very top of the Finder window (beside the name of the Finder window). I think it is OS X only
Maybe not directly related to the [converted] file saving issue, but note that if you open a file by simply double-clicking it in a specific folder/directory (as opposed to going to File-Open, then navigating to that specific folder within ID) InDesign will NOT remember that file’s original location once you go to Save or Save As. Instead it will attempt to save it in the location where you saved your previous ID file. This happens in Illustrator as well.
Martin, I agree. This is the confusing nature at least of Windows programs in general, not just Adobe. The application only knows a path other than the default path for Save As if you opened the file with the application. If you open the file from the Finder/Explorer, it only knows the default path, not the path in the Finder/Explorer window. (The path used when you select Save or Ctrl/Cmd-S is never examined, because it is simply the current open file. The app isn’t trying to open a new file, where it would need to know the path, but simply updating the currently open file.)
In Windows I just have the folder open where the file resides, and you can copy and paste the File Path to the Save Dialog box and it opens the right folder right there – takes seconds.
On the Mac – the file path is trickier as it’s hidden – but you can add it to the Contextual menu for a file – there’s a tiny bit of setup – go to https://osxdaily.com/2013/06/19/copy-file-folder-path-mac-os-x/ and see the section titled Create a “Copy Path” Service for the Right-Click Menu
This allows you copy the path of any file.
When in the Save Dialog box in InDesign press CMD Shift G and it brings up the path dialog – and paste that there.
Once you have that setup it’s quite straight forward.
However, the easiest method is to have Work Folder that’s in the Quick Access (both Windows and Mac have this as a SideBar in the Dialog Windows) and have your files logically saved in an order within your work folder.
I hate saving randomly all over the hard drive etc.
However, I wish InDesign made it easier, and did a look where the path of the file was originally before opening the dialog box and navigate you there – or at least ask.
Anyway – it doesn’t so we’re left with workarounds.
Eugene, the ‘copy path’ service is a nice trick. If a document is active in BBEdit, one can also use Edit > Copy Path. No need to paste the path into the BBEdit doc.
When you open a document that user special, extra third party plug/ins that you yoursekf don’t have, it will also has [Converted] and needs to be Saved as. But even when you open that Saved as document latet it will again be [Converted] as long as the plug-in is not installed. Only workaround: roundtrip as idml.
@David I have Default Folder installed and, though it has the handy ability of providing me with a list of recently accessed folders, it is hit or miss as to whether InDesign will put me in the same folder as the converted file. Feature or bug, it is bloody annoying. I long for the day when the InDesign file structure will allow us to save version agnostically, like Illustrator.
I talked to Surabh about this exact issue at MAX, and he was interested enough to ask me to email him directly about it. It does affect only [converted] files (InDesign will attempt to save to whatever the last explicit “Save” location was, regardless of the origin of the [converted] document).
I’ve been asking for a “Save converted files to original location” Preference for several release cycles, because it’s a royal pita every time I start trying to migrate to a new version. There are workflows (not mine, in almost all cases) where saving over the original would be a disaster, so I can see that making this a Preference would be the better way to go overall.