[Solved]: How to Recover Adobe Files After a Crash

Adobe Inc. is a well-known software company with various tools for creating and editing digital content. From designing graphics and editing videos to managing documents, Adobe’s products are used by people worldwide.

The files generated with these tools, called Adobe files, are widely used in daily life and work. But sometimes, crashes can happen while you are handling these files, causing you to lose essential data. Don’t worry. This post will show effective ways to recover Adobe files after a crash, whether they were saved or not. Keep reading to find the solution you need!

How to recover Adobe files after a crash if they are unsaved?

When a crash happens, the most common situation is that you don’t have time to save your work properly. So, recovering unsaved Adobe files becomes the primary task. This section provides several practical methods to restore common unsaved Adobe files, including:

• Adobe Acrobat Files: Used for working with PDFs.
• Adobe Illustrator Files: Used for creating graphics and illustrations.
• Adobe Photoshop Files: Used for editing photos and creating designs.
• Adobe InDesign Files: Used for designing layouts like flyers or magazines.

Fix 1. Recover unsaved Adobe Acrobat files after a crash

Adobe Acrobat includes an Autosave feature to save your work at regular intervals automatically. You can enable it by clicking Edit > Preferences > Documents > Save settings. Then set the time interval as needed. If Acrobat or the computer encounters any crash, you can recover unsaved Adobe Acrobat files from the generated temporary files. Follow these steps to recover Adobe Acrobat files after a crash:

Step 1. Go to the following path where the Acrobat temporary files are stored:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\DC.

If you are using Adobe Reader, go to the following path:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\Adobe\Reader\11.0

Step 2. Find the temporary files you lost, then move them to another location.

Step 3. Change the file extensions to .pdf.

Step 4. Try to open the temporary files with Adobe Acrobat.

Fix 2. Recover unsaved Adobe Illustrator files after a crash

Similarly, Adobe Illustrator also offers an Autosave feature to protect your work from unexpected loss. It allows you to recover files—even those that weren’t explicitly saved before the crash or shutdown.

If you experience a sudden crash or system failure, the first step is to restart Illustrator. This will often trigger the auto-recovery process and open any files that were saved automatically, with a Recovered label. Here are the detailed steps to recover Adobe Illustrator files after a crash:

Step 1. Restart Adobe Illustrator on your PC. 

Step 2. A dialog box will show up; then click OK to open your recoverable files.

Step 3. The files you lost will display with the Recovered suffix.

Step 4. Click File > Save as to get the desired files back.

Step 5. If you can’t find the file you want, go to check the autosave files in the following path:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator Settings\en_US\x64\DataRecovery

Step 6. Change the file extensions to .ai and open it with Adobe Illustrator.

Fix 3. Recover unsaved Adobe Photoshop files after a crash

How to recover unsaved files in Adobe Photoshop? Photoshop also includes some features to protect your data against unexpected loss. Its AutoRecover feature can save your project from time to time while you are handling it. Here’s how to recover unsaved Adobe Photoshop files after a crash:

Step 1. Restart the application if you closed it improperly. 

Step 2. Click File on the top menu and select Open Recent.

Step 3. From the drop-down menu, click the file you want to restore. 

Step 4. If you cannot find the desired files, go to check the AutoRecover folder in the following path: 

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop [version]\AutoRecover

Step 5. Find the temporary files you lost, then move them to another location.

Step 6. Change the file extensions to .psd and open the files with Adobe Photoshop.

Fix 4. Recover unsaved Adobe InDesign files after a crash

If you are using Adobe InDesign, its Automatic Recovery feature can also help you recover unsaved files in the event of unexpected crashes or system failures. Adobe InDesign usually starts an automatic file recovery procedure when encountering errors. If a missing or unsaved file is detected, it will display the next time you restart the program. Here’s how to recover an InDesign file after a crash:

Step 1. Restart Adobe InDesign on your computer and click Yes if prompted.

Step 2. Generally, InDesign automatically launches any files that were recovered, displaying them with a Recovered label.

Step 3. Open the file and click File > Save as to save it permanently.

Step 4. If you can’t find the file you want, go to check the automatically recovered files in the following path:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Adobe\InDesign\[Version]\[Language]\InDesign Recovery

Step 5. Change the file extensions to .indd and open it with Adobe InDesign.

How to recover Adobe files after a crash if they are deleted?

In the previous section, we discussed how to recover unsaved Adobe files after a crash. But what if saved Adobe files are deleted or lost? Is it possible to get them back? Sure! The most recommended solution is to use professional recovery software. AOMEI FastRecovery stands out with its advanced recovery technology and excellent user experience, helping you effortlessly retrieve deleted or lost data on Windows PCs (11, 10, 8, 7) and Windows Servers. Whether you're experienced or a beginner, its intuitive interface will guide you through a smooth recovery process.

Key Features:

Fast and Efficient: Delivers high performance, enabling users to quickly locate and recover missing files within the shortest time.

High Success Rate: Effectively restores a wide range of file types across devices with a high success rate.

Secure and Reliable: Ensures your data remains completely safe throughout the process.

Free Download
Windows PCs & Servers

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Let’s use AOMEI FastRecovery to recover Adobe files after a crash:

Step 1. Install AOMEI FastRecovery and launch it; then choose the exact partition or disk where your Adobe files are located.

Step 2. Scan your disk to find the lost files. This tool offers Quick Scan and Deep Scan to thoroughly scan your storage devices.

Step 3. After scanning, all missing files will be displayed. Choose the files you want to restore and click the Recover button.

Step 4. Specify a path for the recovered files and wait for the process to complete.

Effective Tips to Protect Your Adobe Files

Now that you know how to recover Adobe files after a crash. Even though these methods are available, you should still take steps to avoid file loss. These are some tips that you can use:

► Enable the AutoSave feature in Adobe tools to automatically save your files at regular intervals in case of unexpected errors.

► Manually save your Adobe files after making any changes to them, avoiding data loss as mush as possible.

► Back up your important files to cloud services or other reliable storage devices, providing double protection for your data security.

► When working on a large file, consider breaking it into smaller files or creating different versions of it.

► Ensure you are using the latest software version, avoiding crashes caused by bugs or compatibility.

The Bottom Line

When handling various Adobe files, unexpected crashes can often result in file loss, especially for the unsaved projects. Fortunately, recovering these files is possible with the right methods. This post outlines several effective ways to recover Adobe files after a crash, covering popular formats such as Adobe Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign files. By following the steps mentioned in this guide, you can easily restore lost Adobe files, whether they are saved or not.