Upgrade from Adobe InDesign Server 2020 or earlier

This article only applies to Typefi Server for Workgroup customers on Windows running Adobe InDesign Server 2020 or earlier. If you're running Adobe InDesign Server 2021 or later, please refer to Upgrade to Adobe InDesign Server 2022 or later.

Typefi Server 8.7.2 or later is compatible with Adobe InDesign Server 2021 or later.

The distribution and licensing for InDesign Server 2021 or later differs from previous versions. The system administrator performing the upgrade should have internet access and be familiar configuring software via the Windows Command Prompt. 

Upgrading from Adobe InDesign Server 2020 or earlier is more involved, but future updates and upgrades will be much easier.

In this guide

This documentation provides instructions to download, install, and configure Adobe InDesign Server 2021. Please allow for 1-2 hours to upgrade to InDesign Server 2021.

The information in this guide is organised as follows:

1. Prep: This section describes the preliminary steps and system requirements before starting the upgrade process.
2. Download additional files: This section details how to access additional files needed for the upgrade. 
3. Remove existing components: This section describes the steps for disabling Adobe InDesign Server and uninstalling plug-ins.
4. Install Adobe InDesign Server 2021 or later: This section guides you through running the Creative Cloud installer, licensing Adobe InDesign Server, registering and adding the InDesignServer service, and configuring the installation.
5. Install plug-ins: This section describes how to install and license the plug-ins.
6. Migrate Fonts and Presets: This section details steps to transfer fonts and presets (if present).
7. Verify things are running: This section explains how to verify the installation is successful.
8. Upgrade client machines: This section explains how to install Typefi Designer on client machines using Adobe InDesign Desktop.

1. Prep ↩

All file paths presume a default installation location of InDesign Server. If your setup is customized, please adapt accordingly. #### in file paths should be replaced with the version of Adobe InDesign Server you are upgrading from.

Obtain the Adobe InDesign Server installer and license

If your Adobe InDesign Server license was purchased through Typefi:

Contact your Solutions Consultant to let them know you want to upgrade. Please provide them with the following details:

• The hostname (computer name) of the computer that hosts Adobe InDesign Server
• Does the server have access to the internet, or is offline activation required?
  • If offline activation is required, additional information will be requested
• What is your upgrade timeline?
• Do you expect to need support when performing the upgrade?

We will prepare a custom Adobe Licensing Toolkit—this includes an .exe and .json file—and make that available on the Typefi FTP within the [Organisation]\AdobeLicensing folder.

We will also provide you with a URL to the Adobe InDesign Server installer.

In the end, you should have 2 zip files from us:

1. The license toolkit
2. The Adobe InDesign Server version you will be installing.

If your Adobe InDesign Server license was not purchased through Typefi:

Check with your internal team or external vendor about how to obtain the installer and the Adobe Licensing Toolkit.

2. Download additional files ↩

• Typefi Designer Server, located in the Typefi__Designer Server folder on the Typefi FTP
• Typefi Typefitter Server (if required), located in the Typefi__Typefitter folder on the Typefi FTP
• MathTools (if required)
• Any other plug-ins that you may be using

3. Remove existing components ↩

In this step, you will disable and uninstall Adobe InDesign Server and plug-ins.

3.1 Deprovision InDesign Server

Remove InDesignServerService from the Microsoft Management Console

1. Open Command Line as Administrator.
2. Change directories into the Adobe InDesign Server folder.
3. Type mmc and press Enter to open the Microsoft Management Console.
4. Go to File and Add/Remove Snap-In, and add InDesign Server.
5. Double-click InDesignServerService.
6. Delete (Right-click → Delete) the instances you have here (there may be one or more).
7. Close Microsoft Management Console. There is no need to save any changes.

Remove the InDesignServerService

1. Back in the command line, type regsvr32 indesignservermmc64.dll /u and press Enter to unregister the snap-in.
2. Type indesignserverservice.exe /install -u and press Enter to remove the service.

3.2 Uninstall plug-ins

1. Use Windows search to find the Add or remove programs control panel.
2. Use Search apps to find Typefi Designer Server.
3. Click the … and choose Uninstall.
4. Follow any prompts that might come up.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for any other plug-ins (if required).

Do not uninstall your previous build of Adobe InDesign Server unless your prep confirms that you do not have custom fonts or PDF presets. You can uninstall it later once you are satisfied that the new version is working as expected.

4. Install Adobe InDesign Server 2021 or later ↩

4.1 Run the Creative Cloud installer 

1. Right-click the Adobe InDesign Server .zip file and choose Properties.
   • If needed, under Attributes, click the checkbox to Unblock and click OK.
2. Extract the ZIP.
3. Open the Build folder.
4. Double-click setup which will launch the Creative Cloud Installer.
   • When complete, a dialog will appear stating: Installation successful.
   • Adobe InDesign Server is now installed.
5. Restart the computer.
6. Launch Command Prompt as administrator.
   1. Type cmd in Windows Search. 
   2. In the search results, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as Administrator
7. In Command Prompt, change directories to the Adobe InDesign Server 20## installation folder. For a default installation, the location is C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign Server 20XX.
8. Run indesignserverservice.exe /install.
9. When completed, you should receive a message: The transacted install has completed.
10. Keep the Command Prompt open for the next step.

4.2 License Adobe InDesign Server

1. Right-click the .zip file containing your IDS license to verify it is not blocked after downloading. Un-block if needed.
2. Extract the .zip to a convenient location.
3. Use the Command Prompt, running as administrator, to change directories to the location you extracted the IDS license to in step 4.2.2.
   • If you closed the Command Prompt between steps, make sure to launch it as administrator as described in step 4.1.6
4. Run the following command:
   

   adobe-licensing-toolkit.exe --precondition --install --filePath ngl-preconditioning-data.json

5. When completed, you should receive a message: Operation Successfully Completed
6. Keep the Command Prompt open for the next step.

4.3 Register the InDesignServerMMC service

1. Use the Command Prompt to change directories to the Adobe InDesign Server 20## installation folder.
   • If you closed the Command Prompt between steps, make sure to launch it as administrator as described in step 4.1.6
2. Run this command: regsvr32 InDesignServerMMC64.dll
   A Windows dialog should open that states: mmc DllRegisterServer in InDesignServerMMC64.dll succeeded.
3. Keep the Command Prompt open for the next step.

4.4 Add InDesignServerService to the Management Console

1. Type mmc in the Command Prompt to launch the Windows Management Console.
   • If you closed the Command Prompt between steps, make sure to launch it as administrator as described in step 4.1.6
2. Click File → Add/Remove Snap-In.
3. Locate the InDesignServerService snap-in from the Available snap-ins column.
4. Select it and click Add, then OK.
5. Richt-click InDesignServerService under Console Root in the left column and choose New → New IndesignServer instance.The instance will appear immediately, but will have no port defined.
6. Double-click InDesignServerService in the middle column where it says no port to edit the properties and assign a port to the service; the default port is 8470.
   Use the same port(s) you noted in your prep steps.
7. Click OK.
8. If you are running a multi-instance version of InDesign, InDesignServerService will be running on multiple ports. Repeat steps 5–7 for every instance you are entitled to. Once the first instance has a port defined, every new instance you create will automatically increment the port number for that instance.
9. Once the InDesignServerService ports have been defined, you can close the Management Console. You do not need to save anything when asked.

If you cannot find the InDesignServerService snap-in in the list, you did not run the Command Prompt as administrator for step 4.3 Register the InDesignServerMMC service.

1. Close the Management console and don't save anything.
2. In the command line, type regsvr32 indesignservermmc64.dll /u to unregister the snap-in.
3. Quit the command line, then re-open it, making sure to right-click and choose Run as administrator.
4. Run this command again: regsvr32 InDesignServerMMC64.dll.
5. Try steps 4.1.1-4.4.4 again.

4.5 Verify Adobe InDesign Server installation

1. Use the Command Prompt to type InDesignServer.com and press Enter.
2. This step requires internet connectivity.
   
   • If you closed the Command Prompt between steps, make sure to launch it as administrator as described in step 4.1.6 and navigate to the Adobe InDesign Server 20## installation folder.
3. It will start InDesign Server; if successful, you'll see a Server Running message, above two Javascript Info messages.
4. If this happens, and there are no errors, press Ctrl + C to quit InDesign Server.

Errors at this stage typically occur due to the commands in the Command Prompt not being not run with  administrator privileges.

4.6 Configure as a local account or as a service

During Prep, you determined how your previous Adobe InDesign Server was set up. You can now match that setup.

Configure as a Local account

1. Use Windows search to launch the Services app.
2. Locate InDesignServerService and edit properties.
3. Make sure Allow service to interact with desktop is checked.
4. Click OK.
5. Change the startup from Manual to Automatic.

Configure as a Service

1. Use Windows search to launch the Services app.
2. Locate InDesignServerService x64 and click Properties.
3. Switch to the Log On tab.
4. Change the setting from Local System account to This account.
5. Click Browse to find the account that you made note of in your Prep.
6. Enter the password for this account that you made note of in your Prep.
7. Click OK.
8. Change the startup from Manual to Automatic.

Do not start the service yet.

5. Install plug-ins ↩

1. Run the Typefi Designer Server installer, making sure to update the path to the installation if Adobe InDesign Server was installed somewhere other than the default location.
   1. Upon completion, open a File Explorer window and navigate to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign Server 20XX (if you chose the default installation location earlier).
   2. Open the \Plug-Ins folder.
   3. Verify that a folder named Typefi was created and contains a folder named Designer Server.
   4. Close the File Explorer window.
2. Install and license Typefitter Server (if required).
3. Install and license any other third-party plug-ins like MathTools (if required).

6. Migrate fonts and presets (if present)

If your prep confirms there were Fonts or PDF presets in your previous Adobe InDesign Server version, complete the following steps:

1. Copy the content of C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign Server ####\Fonts from your old to your new instance.
2. Copy any .joboption files from C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe InDesign Server ####\Resources\Adobe PDF\settings\mul from your old to your new instance.

7. Verify things are running↩

1. Reboot the computer.
2. Use Windows search to launch the Services app.
3. Verify InDesignServerService x64 is shown as Running.
4. Close Services.
5. Use Windows search to launch the Task Manager. You may need to set it to Advanced.
6. There should be two processes running:
   1. One or more variations of InDesignServer if you are running multi-instance InDesign.
      
   2. InDesignServerService.

8. Upgrade client machines ↩

On each machine that uses standard InDesign, ensure that you install the compatible version of Typefi  Designer.

1. Download the installer from theTypefi__Designerfolder on the Typefi FTP.
2. Run the installer on each machine, or follow the instructions for unattended installation.

If you are run into issues upgrading to Adobe InDesign Server 2020 or earlier, please contact us. We're here to help.

Otherwise, congratulations, you are all done! 

See also

• Upgrading Typefi Workgroup