When you notice that your Adobe InDesign software is starting to behave a bit erratically, deleting the InDesign preferences (also referred to as resetting the preferences) often solves the problem. This article explains how to reset your InDesign Preferences.

OVERVIEW

How do I know if my Adobe InDesign preferences need a reset?

In general, you will notice the software to behave erratically, which is about the best way to describe it. The table below lists just a few of the specific behaviors we have noticed when the InDesign preferences become corrupt.

Note that these issues can occur in normal, everyday use of Adobe InDesign, and are not specifically related to the use of AccurioPro VDP software. So in general, it's probably a good idea for you to reset the InDesign preferences from time to time.

HOW TO RESET INDESIGN PREFERENCES

Option 1 - Soft Reset 

The Soft Reset option was made available for Adobe InDesign 2024 and newer versions of InDesign. This method uses the InDesign Reset preferences on quit option to perform a reset of basic preference settings (including UI components, which generally cause the most problems). To perform a Soft Reset, please follow the steps outlined below:

1. Launch InDesign. 
2. Open the Edit menu in the InDesign menu bar and choose Preferences > General.
3. Click the Reset Preferences on Quit button.
4. Quit InDesign.
5. Launch InDesign

Note:  The soft reset preserves most user and system data. Try this one first, and if issues continue after applying this preference, then follow the instructions below to initiate a Full Reset of your InDesign preferences.

Option 2 - Full Reset

A Full Reset is available for ALL versions of InDesign. This method uses a special InDesign startup key sequence to restore the InDesign preferences to their original, default state. This is the best way to ensure a complete reset of all preference items. To perform a Full Reset, please follow the steps outlined below:

1. Quit Adobe InDesign.
2. Hold down the following four keys:
   

   Macintosh Systems: Hold down the (Cmd + Ctrl + Option + Shift) keys
   
   Windows Systems: Hold down the (Ctrl + Alt + Shift) keys​
   

3. Keep these keys held down while you start up Adobe InDesign.
   Note: Clicking on a shortcut/alias (icon) to start InDesign may not trigger a reset of the application's preferences. Instead, for more consistent results, start InDesign by double-clicking on the application file (the .exe or .app file) in the Program Files or Applications folder on the system. 
4. You should get a prompt asking to confirm deletion of the preferences.
5. Confirm that the preferences should be deleted.

Adobe InDesign will now launch with a brand new set of default preference settings.

Full Reset Notes

If you do not see a prompt asking you to delete the preferences, then quit InDesign and try again. This can occur if InDesign did not detect that the key sequence was being held down, or perhaps the wrong keys were pressed.

If InDesign does not prompt you whether to delete its preferences upon launching, you need to repeat the instructions until InDesign does this. To more easily apply this second approach, navigate to the following location (this example uses the names for the InDesign 2026 application): 

• On a Windows system: Go to the Adobe InDesign 2026 (or 2025, etc.) folder in the Program Files folder and locate the application file named InDesign (the full name of this file is InDesign.exe).
• On a Macintosh system: Go to the Adobe InDesign 2026 (or 2025, etc.) folder in the Applications folder and locate the file named Adobe InDesign 2026.app.

Then, press the keys (on Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Shift; on Macintosh: Cmd+Ctrl+Option+Shift) and while keeping these keys pressed, right-click on the InDesign.exe file and choose Open from the context menu. Do not release the three keys until the prompt to delete preferences is displayed. 

Will this mess up my InDesign Preferences?

This reset procedure simply restores the standard Adobe InDesign application preferences to their default values. It does not affect workspaces, keyboard shortcuts, style sheets, or any of the other important settings you may have previously established. For more details about Adobe InDesign preferences, please see Restore all preferences and default settings on the Adobe web site.