While using Adobe Illustrator, you may meet up with some errors like The file could not be opened or An unknown error detected while reading a file. These may not be very prevalent; however, you need to know how to identify and resolve such file issues in Illustrator.
Fix Illustrator cannot open or read files
There are a few common file issues that you may encounter in Illustrator. Below is a list of common file issues in Illustrator, and how to diagnose and fix them. Note that these file issues can be caused by hardware or software other than Illustrator itself.
- Insufficient memory
- Access denied
- File already open
- Device issues
- Corrupt or damaged file
- Unexpected issues
How to identify and fix file issues in Illustrator
1] Insufficient memory in Illustrator
One of the major causes of file issues in Illustrator is insufficient memory. Illustrator is a resource-intensive software, which means it will use up a lot of your RAM especially if you do not have a good dedicated graphics card. If your files are not opening properly or Illustrator is slow, you may have insufficient RAM.
Solutions
You should always try to meet or exceed the specified system requirements for running Illustrator.
You should keep a minimum amount of programs open when you are using Illustrator. Some browsers can be quite taxing on your memory even though you may not realize it. If you feel that your RAM is insufficient, you can upgrade your device’s physical memory or you may need to upgrade your graphics card if possible.
2] Access denied in Illustrator
You may be trying to open a file and it is refusing to open. You may have used it recently or sometime in the past but now it is not opening. This may be due to a file access issue.
Solutions
You may not be authorized to open the file and you require access permission, in this case, you will need to get authorization from the person who has permission to open the file. If the file is shared, you may need to make a local copy before you start working if possible.
The access denied issue may be due t the fact that the file is locked because it is opened or being used by someone else. In this case, you will need to close the file or you may need to use profiles.
Th access denied issue could also be because the file is password protected and the incorrect password or login is used. You will need to check that you are using the correct credentials when accessing the file.
You may have access problems with the file if the file is placed on a network and the network is off or there is a connection issue. Before working on a file that is on a network, you may need to create a local copy if possible. If you are having an access issue, check to see that the network device is on and the connection is working properly.
3] File already open in Illustrator
If you are attempting to open a file that is already open in another version of Illustrator, you may get an error.
Solutions
Save and close the file that is opened in another version of Illustrator. If you are having problems doing so, you may have to force close all versions of Illustrator and restart your computer. If you are having problems when saving the file, you should try changing the file’s name and save location.
4] Device issues in Illustrator
Some of your file issues in Illustrator may be caused by your device. If your file is on an external device such as a flash drive or other external drive, the file may have issues because the connection to the device or the device itself is damaged. The file you are trying to open may be on a network device and it may have an issue.
Solutions
The external device may have an issue, you may have to check if the connection to it r the device itself is not damaged. Try plugging in another device and see if it works. Try plugging or unplugging the device, you can try it on another computer.
If your file is on a network device. Check to see if the network device is on and connected.
5] Corrupt or damaged file in Illustrator
If your file refuses to open then it may be corrupt. Corruption could be because of a file being disrupted before it is closed, a device losing power before the file is saved or a file extension being misspelled.
Solutions
If you suspect that your device was powered off before the file is properly saved, you may have to redo the file or find another copy of it. if you have the option where the file extension/file format is visible and editable. You may have to change the file extension and then try to open it again. The file extension may have accidentally been changed.
If your Illustrator .ai file is corrupted, you can try the following steps to try and recover it.
- Open the .ai file with Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Save the file as a .PDF
- Open the .PDF file in Illustrator and then save it as a .ai file
- Close the file and then attempt to open it again.
6] Unexpected file issues in Illustrator
There may be cases where the file is corrupted and beyond repair. This could be caused by hardware or software issues. Hardware issues such as a damaged storage device can cause the file to be saved improperly so it is damaged beyond recovery. A problem with infected software could also cause the file to be damaged beyond repair.
Solutions
In cases where the hardware or software caused the file to be damaged beyond repair, you may have to redo the file or get it from another clean source. This makes it important to have backups of your important files.
Read: Illustrator can’t finish previewing, There isn’t enough memory
What is the correct file format that is used by Illustrator to save its editable file?
The .ai file format is the format used by Illustrator whenever it saves its editable file. This file format should be used first to save if you intend to edit the file at a later date. You can then save the file in another format such as .jpg if you intend to share the file or use it digitally.
How do you check an Illustrator document for errors?
You can check an Illustrator file for spelling errors. You do so by opening the file then going to the top menu and pressing Edit then Check spelling. Illustrator will run through the file and show the words that it thinks are misspelled and give suggestions, you can choose to change or ignore the suggestions.
How do I make Illustrator perform faster?
If your Illustrator is running slowly, this could be because your computer does not meet the requirements for it to run Illustrator properly. If possible, you will need to upgrade your graphics card and RAM, you can also use SSD for storage.
