How to Recover Deleted or UnSaved INDL Files

This article describes what is INDL file and how to recover deleted or unsaved INDL files step by step. Scroll down to learn more

By @Penny Last Updated February 26, 2025

“Hey, folk! I’ve tried to recover deleted INDL files on my Windows but failed. Anyone who’s been in the same boat and found a trick? Is it possible to recover InDesign files? Any suggestions will be appreciated.”

Since InDesign files are essential to graphic designers and artists, after data loss, they’re working to recover deleted or unsaved INDL files and it's possible to get them back quickly.

Scroll down to learn more about INDL files and how to recover them.

What is an INDL file?

Adobe InDesign, made by Adobe Inc., is a powerful program for creating various types of designs such as brochures, posters, magazines, newspapers, brochures, and ebooks. It’s great for making stuff look good on screens and tablets too.

An INDL file is a handy library formed by InDesign, a tool for crafting polished page layouts. It holds graphics, text, pages, and even items like ruler guides, grids, shapes, and grouped images. These files help users efficiently arrange and recycle frequently used page components collectively.

How to recover deleted INDL files

⚠️After data loss, please avoid loading new files to your device, because they can overwrite your deleted or missing INDL files, thus decreasing its data recovery rate. 

Without regular file backups, losing INDL files can be a nightmare for partial users such as graphical designers and artists. If it happens to be your case, try reliable data recovery software for assistance.

Supported by its advanced scanning methods, AOMEI FastRecovery is good at recovering deleted and missing InDesign files from computer hard drives, external disks, USB drives, etc. Note it supports more than 1000+ data types, from documents to images, audios, videos, compressed files, and more.

AOMEI FastRecovery
Why Choose AOMEI FastRecovery?
  • Combine Quick Scan and Deep Scan technologies to detect deleted or lost files.
  • Search or filter data quickly through file name, extension, data type, etc. 
  • Preview and recover files while scanning.
  • Recover specific files or folders instead of all.
  • Recover data from hard disk without OS
  • Support NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS in Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Server.
  • .....
Now, click the download button to get started. 
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⚠️Notes:
  • Remember to save these retrieved INDL files in a new location as this can prevent data overwriting. 

  • The Trial version of AOMEI FastRecovery can only be demoned. To recover deleted INDL files, please upgrade AOMEI FastRecovery to the Professional or Technician edition. 

Step 1. Scan for INDL files

After launching AOMEI FastRecovery on your Windows, hover the mouse over the drive that saved your desired INDL files previously and click Scan.

Step 2. Select INDL files

AOMEI FastRecovery will automatically run Quick Scan and Deep Scan to scan your selected drive and find all the recoverable files. To locate INDL files quickly, type .indl in the search box and see if there are your InDesign files. If not, click the funnel-shaped button to specify the data type first.

Step 3. Recover deleted InDesign files

Once found, double-click to preview and choose the INDL files you want to retrieve. Then, click Recover x files and select a new location to save the InDesign files.

How to recover unsaved InDesign files

InDesign has an automatic recovery feature that can help you easily recover unsaved InDesign files due to forgetting to save them or app crashes.

You just need to open this app again. It will automatically initialize the automatic file recovery process, locate unsaved InDesign files, and open it (if found). If not, you still can check the recovery folder: C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\Version [#].0\en_US\Caches\InDesign Recovery

How to open an INDL file

When it comes to opening INDL files, you can use Adobe InDesign on both Windows and Mac. Please note that InDesign can smoothly convert the object library to the latest format as you open INDL files from a prior software version.

The simplest method is to double-click the .indl file. If your file associations are set correctly, the .indl file will be open. If not, right-click it and select Open with. Then, pick the Adobe InDesign to open your .indl file. 

How to avoid losing InDesign files 

If you’re unwilling to suffer data loss again, it's recommended to take the following prevention measures.

  • Use a trustworthy and proven antivirus to protect your programs and files.
  • Utilize online storage services, i.e. OneDrive, for an additional layer of file backup.
  • Always make regular file backups. Free Windows backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard offers you more flexible options and easy steps than built-in Windows features.

Now, let's get started to backup files.  

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⚠️Notes:
  • It allows you to backup files, folders, partitions, disks, or systems to internal/external hard drives, USB sticks, network or cloud drives.

  • By scheduling backups, i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly, you can ensure the continuous protection of your valuable data.

  • Implement intelligent backup strategies to create daily incremental backups in a scheduled task, effectively conserving storage space.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Backupper on your Windows PC. Under the Backup tab, select the File Backup option.

Step 2. Click Add Folder/Add File to add the folder or InDesign files you intend to back up.

Step 3. Click Schedule Backup to enable Daily, Weekly, and Monthly based on your needs. Then click the Start Backup button.

Conclusion

What is an INDL file type? How to open an INDL file? How to recover deleted INDL files? You can get a clear answer in this article. It's worth noting that using reliable data recovery software will be one of the best recovery methods.

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Meanwhile, you can't ignore the importance of file backup in data protection. You need a free backup software - AOMEI Backupper Standard. It is much more flexible and easy to use than Windows features.