Member Avatar for francisiname

There is a file created in one of Adobe programs. The file was damaged and in the native program doesn't open. Extension of the *.indd file.
In attempt to open writes: "file ... is damaged (Error code: 4)".
Thus without problems it is copied anywhere.
The file was lying quietly on the disk a few months after finishing work with him and manufacturing PDF. And here suddenly it was required to change a source code. And it doesn't open.
Whether it is possible to restore somehow, even if with loss of some part of data?

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A concise, ordered recovery checklist for a damaged Adobe InDesign (.indd) file — building on ’s backup/temp-file point, ’s prefs/cache hint, and ’s version check. Try the low-risk items first, then proceed to more invasive options.

First, make at least two copies of the damaged .indd and work only on copies. Try File → Open and choose “Open Copy,” or open the file on another machine or a different InDesign version; if it opens, immediately Export to IDML (InDesign Markup), reopen that IDML and Save As a new .indd, then Package the document to capture links and fonts. These steps are standard, frequently effective first actions. () Open corrupt files: quick fixes (indesignskills.com)

If the file won’t open at all, reset InDesign preferences (hold Shift+Ctrl+Alt on Windows or the Mac modifier keys while launching, or use “Reset Preferences on Quit” in newer builds), remove any leftover .idlk lock file only when InDesign is closed, and clear the InDesign Recovery cache folders described in Adobe’s support docs. Also try disabling third‑party plug‑ins and test on a different OS or user account; bad fonts or a plugin often trigger corruption or open-time crashes. ()

If those fail and a PDF of the source exists, convert the PDF back into an editable InDesign document (expect cleanup). Tools like Recosoft PDF2ID can rebuild pages and extract text/images but won’t perfectly preserve styles. For mission‑critical files, commercial DTP‑recovery vendors can often extract layout and text; Adobe also accepts sample files for investigation (see Adobe support for current submission details). Recosoft PDF2ID (recosoft.com) Example recovery service (Markzware) (markzware.com)

Work from copies only, document each attempt, and treat any third‑party recovery as a last resort — exporting IDML and packaging files regularly is the best prevention.

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Member Avatar for LaxLoafer

If the file is corrupt you'll probably have a hard time trying to recover the contents. That's why it's important to keep backup copies :-)

In the unlikely event you don't have a backup, try looking for a temporary file. Sometimes applications will create such files while a document is open and delete them when finished. It's just possible a temporary file may still exist, especially if the fault that caused the corruption also terminated the application unexpectedly.

Which operating system are you using?

Member Avatar for miloaccountant

If it was good, it would not break. There is, of course, a virus probability and almost zero probability of an undetected error of reading from a disk. Try to remove/transfer the folder: \Documents and Settings.......\Application Data\Adobe\InDesign Your Version Adobe
Then try to open the file.
You can look still at this forum. Maybe you will find useful recommendations.
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/7b77f49d-c8f4-4247-aa73-3084c75e876d/how-to-repair-a-pdf-document?forum=officegeneral

Member Avatar for almostbob

What version of InDesign are you using to open the file, old files show as corrupt in newer versions

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