Can't double click files to open them in inDesign (CS5)

Question

I cannot open a file unless I open inDesign (the program) and then do File->Open

If I double click, it starts to open, then just hangs forever. AFTER I close it, and look in the directory where they're saved, I see a (temporary?) "lock" file. Now I can double click the original file and it opens just fine. However, now when I close iD it deletes the file and the whole process starts again...

I have tried updating the software, uninstalled COMPLETELY and reinstalled, tried a brand new Win7 install.

These files are all saved on a network drive, the computer is a new quad-core Dell with 12GB of RAM and a fresh x64 Win7 install on the SSD.

Does not happen with other programs.

Adding event viewer info here:

Faulting application name: InDesign.exe, version: 7.0.4.553, time stamp: 0x4d890440
Faulting module name: Public.dll, version: 7.0.4.553, time stamp: 0x4d8903ca
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00038727
Faulting process id: 0x3ec
Faulting application start time: 0x01cd29303c1bfb90
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS5\InDesign.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS5\Public.dll
Report Id: 920bd430-9523-11e1-a40d-b8ac6f84e0de

<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
- <System>
  <Provider Name="Application Error" /> 
  <EventID Qualifiers="0">1000</EventID> 
  <Level>2</Level> 
  <Task>100</Task> 
  <Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords> 
  <TimeCreated SystemTime="2012-05-03T13:26:21.000000000Z" /> 
  <EventRecordID>2886</EventRecordID> 
  <Channel>Application</Channel> 
  <Computer>the-office.domain.local</Computer> 
  <Security /> 
  </System>
- <EventData>
  <Data>InDesign.exe</Data> 
  <Data>7.0.4.553</Data> 
  <Data>4d890440</Data> 
  <Data>Public.dll</Data> 
  <Data>7.0.4.553</Data> 
  <Data>4d8903ca</Data> 
  <Data>c0000005</Data> 
  <Data>00038727</Data> 
  <Data>3ec</Data> 
  <Data>01cd29303c1bfb90</Data> 
  <Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS5\InDesign.exe</Data> 
  <Data>C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe InDesign CS5\Public.dll</Data> 
  <Data>920bd430-9523-11e1-a40d-b8ac6f84e0de</Data> 
  </EventData>
  </Event>

Answer 1

These files are all saved on a network drive, the computer is a new quad-core Dell with 12GB of RAM and a fresh x64 Win7 install on the SSD.

Have you tried to first copy the files to your local drive, then open them? Then it may be permissions, or an InDesign bug. A quick search: http://duckduckgo.com/?q=indesign+cs5+network+drive helps us find this: http://objectmix.com/adobe-indesign/312722-unable-open-indesign-files-saved-network-drive.html

I was finally able to work around the problem by selecting "as a copy" in the open dialog.

There are other solutions in that thread.

Answer 2

This post is really a duplicate of InDesign Network Timeout Freezes ID.

I believe that InDesign doesn't hang, but is instead extremely slow to open the file. As the other post says:

I'll tell you from experience that working across a network is not a great idea with InDesign. Copy to a local drive, edit, copy back is the safe workflow.

This is a situation that's existed with InDesign since the earliest versions. An InDesign file is in reality a highly complex database "under the hood." That's what gives it its power and flexibility, but it evidently makes it vulnerable to lost communication between the application and the file on disk. Unlike a network-based database, there is no component running on the server.

Remember, too, that ID is constantly updating a duplicate document (the recovery file) while you work. Check the preferences (Edit > Preferences > File Handling) and see where that file is being saved. If on the network, then it may help to set it to always save on the local hard drive, but for myself, I prefer to work local, store on the network.