7 Replies Latest reply: Dec 23, 2010 4:47 AM by BobLevine RSS

    Disable automatic file conversion

    JWH-NIRC Community Member

      I made the mistake of clicking on "Always convert files" and now I cannot find out how to disable this feature. Since I have both CS3 and CS5 on my computer, there are times when I want to keep the CS3 format, but the files get converted and then cannot be converted back. And InDesign has no safety catch, so you are wrecked if this happens automatically without your realizing it!

        • 1. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
          P Spier CommunityMVP

          Color me confused, but I don't think there is such a command or preference in InDesign.

           

          When opening leagcy file, after conversion to the new format,  ID considers it to be a new file, and since CS4 the default save location will be the last directory where you did a save as, which is not necessarily the same directory from which the file was opened. Further, if you attempt to overwrite the old version, the OS should be issuing a warning, so it oought to be darn hard to overwrite your CS3 files unintentionally, at least from ID.

          • 2. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
            BobLevine CommunityMVP

            Huh? Never saw that option in InDesign that I can remember.

             

            Bob

            • 3. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
              Joel Cherney Community Member

              Further, if you attempt to overwrite the old version, the OS should be issuing a warning, so it oought to be darn hard to overwrite your CS3 files unintentionally, at least from ID.

              Sure, but the error is simply "you sure you want to overwrite?" not "Hey, you're about to replace a CS3 file with a CS5 file, are you sure you want to do that?"

               

              Maybe this is another case where the original poster wants Soxy - that way it'd be much harder to accidentally open a CS3 file in CS5.

              • 4. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
                P Spier CommunityMVP

                Hard to know whether this is a case of unintentionally converting by opening in the wrong version (that wasn't the sense I got, though, reading the post), or of unintentionally overwriting after knowing the file has been converted. In either case, though I would characterize it as lack of attention on the part of the user. Double-clicking to open a file hasn't changed behavior and is, without soxy, controlled by the OS, not ID, as is the overwrite warning. At some point the OS has to presume that the user knows what they are doing and simply follow the directions issued.

                • 5. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
                  JWH-NIRC Community Member

                  I guess I wasn't clear enough. First of all, I am talking about CS5, and the problem is not related to Soxy (which has been a great help).

                     The first time I opened a book that was made in CS3 with CS5, a window popped up asking if I wanted to convert the files to CS5 format automatically. I chose not to. I could read the files and, when it came time to save them, I am given the option to save them as CS5.

                     But after having to do this again and again, I just went and clicked on the box in the popup windows that said something like "Do not ask in the future, but convert automatically." Now when any changes are made to the book, all the files are converted to CS5, and when I save, it does not ask if I want to save in CS5.

                     I want to know how to return to the original state (when needed) of being able to decide each time whether I just want to view the files in a Book or whether I want them  converted automatically.

                     Does that clear up the problem?

                  • 6. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
                    P Spier CommunityMVP

                    Quite a bit. Go to the general panel of the preferences and click the "reset all warnings" button. I have to admit it never occured to me that the book panel would overwrite a file without a warning, but then again I don't check those "don't show this warning again" boxes precisely because I'm absent minded and turning off warnings can be a dangerous thing.

                     

                    You cannot reset an individual warning, as far as I know, so to get that one back, you'll have to turn on all of them, and it isn't something you'll be able to toggle (nor should you, I think). Personally, if I'd started a book in CS3, I'd probably finish it there, too, or I'd export each doc to .inx, open that in CS5 and resave as a new .indd and add to a new book in CS5. There are occasional reports of strange behavior with directly converted CS3 files, and ANY converted file is subject to having the text reflow in a story once you start to edit (the text engines are different in each version, so lines may end at different points). In long docs this can lead to unnoticed oversets, or page additons/drops with smart text reflow. The export doesn't eliminate the flow changes, it just makes them happen as soon as you open the file so you can get them out of the way.

                    • 7. Re: Disable automatic file conversion
                      BobLevine CommunityMVP

                      Immensely. So the issue was with a book file.

                       

                      I see Peter has it covered, though.

                       

                      Bob