Problem with Layers palette InDesign CC (2017)

[raldred65]

This has literally just occurred today.

Normally, within the Layers palette, items in the document are highlighted by a small coloured square on the relevant layer and by shifting this square between layers the corresponding change to the object's layer is made within the document. However, when using InDesign CC today the coloured squares are not present and the only way to shift tan item in the document(e.g..text box, image box or rule) seems to be by locating the actual item within that layer's listing of objects, and then shifting that line to the new desired layer. This is pretty frustrating considering how easy it was before to alter the layer an item was on.

Is this caused by something that I've inadvertently altered in my settings without realising it, a glitch, or a new feature of the software??

[winterm · Accepted solution]

Most likely your prefs became somewhat damaged.

Troubleshooting 101: Replace, or "trash" your InDesign preferences:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/526990

[Barb Binder]

This comes up from time to time.

Trash your preferences, and come back to let us know if the dots are back:

Trash, Replace, Reset, or Restore the application Preferences

[raldred65]

Thanks both! Tried the manual method of finding the two Preference files, renamed them as 'filename(ORIGINAL)', quit ID, relaunched it and hey presto! the coloured dots/squares are back in the Layers palette!

[winterm]

Okay, go further then!

Preferences you restored are "standard". Most of us make some changes to it here-and-there, and we don't want to loose those custom settings every time InDesign stumbles for whatever reason.

That said, when restored prefs are tuned again to your liking and everything is working just fine, close the app, find 'InDesign Defaults' file and backup it to some safe location. If prefs go wrong whenever again, you can restore your custom and 'working' one.

Few years ago, I even wrote simple vbs to make such a restoring simple one-click action. Since then, prefs never broke

[raldred65]

Thanks for the tip. Will definitely do that when I've tweaked my Preference settings back to how I think they were originally.