How to Recover Illustrator File After Crash on Windows

How to recover Illustrator files after a crash?

Sometimes, crashes in Adobe Illustrator can result in files loss, often making us feel frustrated and disheartened, especially after investing significant time and effort into them. We may lose some crucial files accidentally because they are not saved in time. Can I recover an unsaved Illustrator file on Windows?

Absolutely! There are three solutions to recover Illustrator files after a crash. You can choose the one that meets your needs.

Method 1: Recover unsaved Illustrator files using Autosave

An unexpected system shutdown or crash may prevent you from saving your files while working. Fortunately, there is an Autosave feature in Adobe Illustrator that supports recovering unsaved files by saving them at regular intervals. This feature helps you protect your work from loss in case of unexpected crashes or system failures.

To recover the unsaved files, it is advised to restart the application first. Generally, it will trigger the auto-recovery process and open all the saved files with the Recovered suffix. Note that this feature needs to be enabled manually in Adobe Illustrator. And you can customize the saving frequency according to your needs.

Here are the detailed steps to recover Illustrator files after a crash using Autosave:

Step 1. Restart the Illustrator on your PC. You will see a dialogue box below. Click OK to open your recoverable files.

Step 2. The files you were working on while the application crashed will display with the Recovered suffix in Adobe Illustrator. Click File > Save as to get the desired files back.

Method 2: Restore lost files from Adobe Illustrator backups

Adobe also helps you recover lost data from backup files on your computer in case of data loss due to an application crash. By manually enabling and configuring the backup feature, you can protect your files from loss and ensure recovery when needed. However, this feature is not automatically enabled during installation. You have to manually activate it within Illustrator's Preferences settings.

To restore lost files from Adobe Illustrator backups, follow the steps below:

Step 1. Go to the specified location where the Illustrator backup files are stored or directly follow the default location.

Step 2. Search for the file with the name recovery. Then select the desired file and rename it.

Step 3. Open the file using Illustrator and click File > Save As to save it to your preferred location.

Method 3: Recover Illustrator files from Temp folder

Additionally, you are also allowed to recover Illustrate files from the Temp folder after a crash. This is because the system creates temporary files as a safeguard when the application crashes suddenly. You can access these files by checking the Temp folder.

Here are the steps to recover Illustrate files from the Temp folder:

Step 1: Go to the Temp folder through the following path: C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Temp

Step 2: Find your desired file here, rename it by changing its extension from .tmp to .ai.  and open it with Adobe Illustrator.

Step 3: Click File > Save or Save as to recover it for further processing.

How to recover deleted Illustrator files?

If you still cannot find your Illustrate files using these methods, they might have been deleted. Is it possible to recover deleted Illustrator files on Windows? In this section, three common and useful methods to recover Adobe Illustrator files after a crash are introduced.

Method 1: Recover deleted Illustrator files with a Recovery Tool

One of the most straightforward solutions for recovering deleted Illustrator files is to use reliable third-party recovery software. This method can not only address various loss scenarios but also maximize the recovery effects.

While there are many recovery products available on the market, I strongly recommend AOMEI FastRecovery to you. This professional recovery software allows users to retrieve multiple types of deleted or corrupted files from different storage devices on Windows PCs and servers. Whether you're experienced or a newcomer, its intuitive interface will guide you through a smooth recovery process.

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Here is how to recover deleted Illustrator files using AOMEI FastRecovery:

Step 1: Download and install AOMEI FastRecovery, and then choose the exact partition or disk where your files are located.

Step 2: Scan your disk to find the deleted files. It offers two modes, Quick Scan and Deep Scan, supporting thoroughly scanning your storage devices for finding lost data.

Step 3: After scanning, all missing files will be displayed. Kindly choose the specific files and then click Recover.

Step 4: Specify a path for the file and wait for the process to complete.

Method 2: Recover Illustrator files from Recycle Bin

In addition to using recovery software, recovering deleted files from Recycle Bin also works in most situations. If your Illustrator files are deleted unexpectedly on your PC, check the Recycle Bin. Generally, deleted files are stored temporarily there and can be restored easily with a few simple steps.

Follow these steps to recover deleted Illustrator files from Recycle Bin on Windows:

Step 1: Open the Recycle Bin.

Step 2: Select the files you want to recover. 

Step 3: Right-click on the files and click the Restore option. Just wait until the desired files are restored to their original locations.

Method 3: Restore lost Illustrator files through File History

In addition to the methods above, recovering deleted Illustrator files via File History is also a viable way. File History (available in Windows 8 and later versions) is a practical feature on Windows that aims to help users back up files regularly and offer recovery service when the files are deleted by accident. It allows you to store multiple versions of files with just a few setup steps, offering a flexible recovery option. If you have enabled File History in advance, try to recover Adobe Illustrator files after a crash:

The detailed steps are as follows:

Step 1: Go to the Control Panel, and select System and Security > File History in turn.

Step 2: Click Restore personal files.

Step 3: Choose the files you want to recover, and then click the Recover button.

What causes Illustrator to crash?

Now that we have known how to recover Illustrator files after crash, it is equally crucial to figure out the underlying causes of these crashes to help us prevent future data loss. There are a variety of reasons that may cause Illustrator to crash, including:

Hardware Failures: Faulty hardware components, such as RAM, hard drives, or graphics cards, can lead to crashes in Illustrator.

Software Bugs: Like any sophisticated application, Illustrator can suffer from bugs or glitches leading to instability. It’s better to ensure that you are using the latest version.

Operating System Problems: Problems with the operating system, such as conflicts with other software or system updates, can contribute to crashes as well. Therefore, it is important to make sure your operating system is up to date.

Third-Party Plugins: Incompatible or outdated plugins may cause Illustrator to malfunction. Disabling or updating these plugins can resolve such problems.

FAQs

Q1: What is an Illustrator file?

Adobe Illustrator, a vector graphics editor provided by Adobe, is widely used by designers, artists, and illustrators to create and manipulate vector-based artwork. A file created with Illustrator is a digital document with the .ai extension, mainly used to design and store scalable graphics, such as logos, illustrations, and typography.

Q2: Why are my Illustrator files disappearing even after saving?

Sometimes, a technical glitch in Illustrator may cause files to vanish despite saving. You can refer to the methods recommended above to resolve this issue. What’ more, it is also suggested to activate the Autosave feature and establish a robust backup strategy for your essential files to prevent data loss.

Q3: How can I prevent Illustrator from crashing?

To prevent Adobe Illustrator from crashing, it is important to ensure that the software and your operating system stay in good condition and are up-to-date. Additionally, clear your temporary files and caches regularly to avoid potential conflicts.

Summary

Sometimes, you may inevitably lose your important files following an Illustrator crash. How to recover these files? This post offers several effective solutions to recover Illustrator files after a crash. If you are still confused about this problem, read this post to find appropriate strategies for resolving it.