A crashing Adobe InDesign or large .INDD document that will not open is truly a bummer. First of course you should try the basics, like making sure your general operating system is running fine (no corrupted fonts or other issues; on a Mac try Cocktail for general system maintenance, for example..) and to look at the InDesign application itself. For instance, it could be a corrupted set of preferences within InDesign, try; Restarting (or starting up) InDesign with the cmd+alt+ctrl+shift keys held down – (tip via @rufusd) now this may help you if the problem is a corrupted InDesign preferences file. However, what if it is something bigger and badder?

Fix Bad Adobe InDesign Documents – a service

Markzware, the makers of CS3/CS4 plugins like Q2ID (Quark to InDesign), FlightCheck and the new content search tool for InDesign, PageZephyr,  has a “no fix, no pay” InDesign File Recovery Service it is offering. This method of repair has a high success rate, working about 80% of the time. It costs only 99 USD/EUR and you can email sales AT markzware.com for more details and the location on where you can submit your bad Adobe file. See:
http://www.markzware.com/blogs/bad-corrupted-adobe-indesign-software-docs/2008/09/15/  Read more... (430 words, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)

Tired of getting a message from your layout application such as, “Adobe InDesign may not support the file format a plug-in“? This video may help you fix your .INDD file and make that Adobe InDesign file openable… (With the simple use of a text editor, 0xED.)

The exact error message, is something like this:
“Cannot open the file “Xxxxx.indd”. Adobe InDesign may not support the file format, a plug-in that supports the file format may be missing, or the file may be open in another application.“

Have a bad or corrupt InDesign file. InDesign document not opening, crashing, etc? Check out our no-cure-no-pay InDesign Recovery Service here:
http://www.markzware.com/blogs/bad-corrupted-adobe-indesign-software-docs/2008/09/15/

And do not forget this tip on how to help stop corruption in Adobe In Design files before it becomes a job-halting crash: Export to .INX Format…

Here was an interesting blog article over on Gilbert Consulting’s web page titled, “How to fix a corrupt InDesign file” where we read:

“Clients sometimes call me with tales of woe of misbehaving InDesign files. Sometimes the bad file will open, but crashes every time they turn to page 3. Or the file crashes when they save. Or the text is all scattered willy-nilly across the page. Sometimes a corrupted file won’t even open. When a file goes bad, and you don’t have a recent backup copy, what do you do? Here are two things to try.”
SOURCE: http://blog.gilbertconsulting.com/2009/02/how-to-fix-corrupt-indesign-file.html

Naturally, one of those things to try is Markzware’s no-cure, no-pay service to fix your bad, crashing and un-openable Adobe InDesign documents, as outlined here:
http://www.markzware.com/blogs/indesign_exe-has-encountered-problem/2008/11/18/

There is also of course a great tip for InDesign documents that at least can open, but are acting strangely, which is to simply export to a .INX file type. (under “File” within InDesign)

Later this week I will share a new video on some advanced tips for when InDesign does not even allow you to start-up anymore!