Book window disappears after loading a document

[BeBe2913]

Hi, I've upgraded to the latest InDesign version, 2017.0, a couple weeks ago. Now that I've upgraded, I've been having problems keeping the Book window open after I open an .indb file. Typically, I'll open the .indb file and the Book window will open and I can see all the documents included in the Book. So I'll move that window over to the right-hand panel so I can access it at any time without the window being in the way. Now that I've upgraded, whenever I open another document (doesn't matter if it is an existing document or new document), that Book window disappears from the right-hand panel. I don't understand why. It's not that it closes completely because I try to reopen the .indb file again but nothing happens. And when I go to close the InDesign program, it asks me if I want to save the Book. It's really irritating to have this problem since I always work with book documents and need to have access to adding/removing documents from the book, or adjusting where each file exists within the book, etc. I'm running on Windows 10. Any help would be appreciated!

[Barb Binder]

Are you actually docking it in the panel group on the right, or just moving it right? Docking will show blue (bar or border) before you release the mouse. I have seen other files block my book file, but not when docked when using the tabbed interface (and not floating windows).

Do you know that you can always access open files (even when they slip behind other files) by clicking their name at the very bottom of the Window menu?

[BeBe2913]

Ah, thanks for finding the right way to describe that. I'm docking the book window to the panel group so I don't have floating windows around all the time. I did not know that about the Window menu, though! I never look at that menu much anymore because most of the windows I use on a regular basis are docked in that right panel. That could be a good workaround if this problem continues to happen. But, I still don't understand why the Book window is disappearing after I dock it.

[Barb Binder]

But, I still don't understand why the Book window is disappearing after I dock it.

I don't know either, but let's start here: next time it goes missing, open the Window menu and look at the very bottom—did it actually close (in which case it will not be listed) or did it just disappear from view (in which case, click it and see where it reappears). Take a screen shot and come back and show us.

And if you aren't 100% sure it is docked now (and I say that because I watch my students drag panels over the dock, but they are still floating and they don't recognize the difference), sharing that would be helpful, as well. Use the button outlined in orange to share images in your response.

[BeBe2913]

So the book file is being docked to the right panel. I took a couple screenshots to show you. It seems this only happens intermittently. After our discussion yesterday, the book file was able to remain docked the entire time I used InDesign without any issues when I opened another document. But this morning, it started to happen again. I did what you suggested and went to the Window menu and did see that the .indb file was still there in the list of open files. I clicked it and this made the book window pop open in the top left corner of the InDesign screen. This seems like a bug in the software to me... docking a window shouldn't cause it to disappear when opening other documents.

[Barb Binder · Accepted solution]

I clicked it and this made the book window pop open in the top left corner of the InDesign screen.

I think this is clarifying. Your screenshots show that you do know what docking is, and you've determined that the book window is not closing itself, but it is undocking itself when you open a file and then hiding behind the document window.

I'd go ahead and report this to Adobe, if it were me:

Wishform - Adobe InDesign

[BeBe2913]

Thank you very much for your help! I just reported the bug and hopefully it'll get fixed. Thanks again!