Sorry. my bad on version numbers. The latest patch for CS4 is 6.0.6, but you might want to stop at 6.0.5 if you have file with imported Illustrator graphics because, if memory serves, the 6.0.6 patch changes the way they are scaled on relink.

Do you actually have an InDesign Document open when you go to File > Export...? I presume the answer is yes or the command would not be active.

When the export dialog opens you should see a standard file save dialog with a large area that shows folders and files, and two fields below where you can enter a name and choose a file type to export. What do you see in the file type field? If it isn't PDF, can you click the arrow on the end and choose Adobe PDF?

What is showing in the name field? Are you able to enter a new name of your choice?

I suspect that at some point you may have changed the name of the PDF you exported from the file (the default is to use the same file name, but you can enter anything you like), then saved the .indd file after doin the export. When you do this you embed the new PDF file name into the file and it will always be selected the next time you try to export. If I recall correctly, exporting to .idml or .inx, then opeing that and resaving as a new .indd should clear that, and simply changing the name for the export to match the filename  of the docuemtn may work as well.

You can only export the file that is open and active when you issue the export command. Are you trying to export some OTHER file?

Please try the following:

From an open .indd file choose File > Export...

In the dialog select Adobe PDF from the Save As Type dropdown.

In the name field type the same name as the .indd file you are using, without the .indd extension.

Navigate to the folder where you want to save the PDF -- you may not be there automatically

Click OK.

You should now see either a confirmation that you want to overwrite an existing PDF (if there is one) to which you probably want to say yes, or the PDF Export Options dialog (that will appear after confirming an overwrite, if that shows up). Choose your settings and complete the export. Please be sure that view PDF after export is checked.

What happens?

What I had you do is "normal," so I don't really know what you were doing before, or how to go back to it.

?singing wrote:

I note though it will only save to Acrobat 8 rather than 9. 

If memory serves, Acrobat 9 was not released until after CS4, so the InDesign CS4 PDF Library, which is the code that produces the PDFs on export, doesn't know anything about Acrobat 9. You'd need to upgrade to see Acrobat 9 listed, but the truth is that there is no difference in compatibility between 8 and 9, as far as I know -- both are PDF version 1.7.

Try a couple more things.

First, make a brand new file -- doesn't even need to have content, just File > New > Document... and then use File > Export...

Does that behave more or less as you expected? ID should offer to save as Untitled-1 (or similar) with the appropriate extension for the export format. If you save with a new name before exporting, ID should fill in that name instead of Untitled UNLESS you have already exported the file to some other name, then saved the document after exporting.

Second, instead of File > Export... try File > Adobe PDF Presets > (preset of your choice from the list)... That will open the save dialog with Adobe PDF preselected as the type, and will use the settings from the selected preset unles you change them in the second dialog.

I just checked and I do not see any options for Acrobat 9 compatibility in CS4 export. Did you have CS5 or CS5.5 installed at some point?

I really think you are misremembering. I haven't updated CS4 since the 6.0.5 update was released a couple of years ago, and I don't see it.