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jessicar67402057
Participant
November 10, 2016
Answered

Illustrator error "An unknown error has occurred"

  • November 10, 2016
  • 45 replies
  • 190420 views

I am working in an .ai file that I have saved frequently before. Suddenly when I try to save the file, I get an error that reads "an unknown error has occurred" and the file won't save at all, anywhere. I have not seen this error message before and have had no issues opening or saving the file up until this point.

I need to have the file as an .ai file (not .eps or any other format). I am working in Illustrator CC (2015.3) and using macOS Sierra.

    Correct answer Ashutosh_Mishra

    Hi All,

     

    Sorry to hear about this experience. In addition to the suggestions given in earlier responses, we'd recommend you to update the app to the latest version. Steps are shared here.

     

    If the issue still persist, you could check a few more things:

    1. Is the file being saved on network drive/shared folder/external HDD? If yes, try saving it locally & see if it helps.
    2. Is the issue related to a specific file? If yes, please follow the steps shared in this help article (https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/troubleshoot-file-issues.html) to troubleshoot file related issues. You may also try copy-pasting the content to a new file & see if that works.

     

    If nothing works, please try the suggestions given in this community post (https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/resolve-slow-performance-and-unexpected-behaviors-in-illustrator/td-p/11561981) & let us know how it goes.

     

    Regards,

    Ashutosh

    45 replies

    Show previous replies
    Graphics_Dimensione
    Graphics_Dimensione
    Participant
    January 20, 2021

    This post is mostly informative to both the adobe community and developers.

    Since the release of Illustrator 25.1 I've been unable to save in .ai and/or .eps on my local disk (HDD/SDD), so I've been forced to save everything in Adobve ccloud (.aic).

    However, I recently seemed to find the issue: when choosing .ai/.eps as saving formats, I am forced to unlock and make ALL layers visible in order to be able to save on ANY local disk. Otherwise, it will throw the famous "An unknown error has occurred".

     

    Hope this helps.

    S
    StephanieWurm
    Participant
    February 1, 2021

    Hi! Same thing happens to me!

     

    Some files I have been working on and saving for days without problem and suddenly the "an unknown error message has ocurred" pops up (maybe 10 minutes after successfully saving the file) and from there on I'm unable to save/save as the file. I have to take everything to Photoshop, paste as intelligent object, close & open illustrator, open the intelligent object, take it to a new file and then save it. This is a real pain and unacceptable, as it renders the working process unefficient and makes me lose work constantly. Sometimes the same problem file later on will open and save without issues again, sometimes the error persists, it's a real lottery.

    Illustrator 25.1

    Mac Os 10.15.7

    No hidden/blocked layers or objects (sometimes it's the simplest vector file with only 1 layer)

    Ocurrs with local disks and external hard drives

     

    I really hope somebody at Adobe takes this issue seriously - as I can see looking at the forum there are posts from as far back as 2014 without viable solutions given.

     

    R
    rami shabarek
    Participant
    January 14, 2021

    Hi... I tried everything I still have the same problem

    Marunus
    Marunus
    Participant
    February 3, 2021

    Me too... I'm using AI version 25.1 and I've tried everything as well - but the error still occurs when I try to save the file.

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 3, 2021

    This thread has 7 pages. Did you read everything and tried out all the tipps?

    D
    donna_shultz
    Participant
    June 28, 2020

    I have had the same problem multiple times, including work that I about to lose today, in multiple versions of Illustrator ... and yes, restarting the program clears whatever the probem is, but you lose what you were working on as only the last saved version remains. I am on Windows 10, I update religiously. I can save my file as an SVG and PDF, but NOT an ai or eps file. I do save to a remote hard drive, but also tried to my dektop and no difference.

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 29, 2020

    This thread is 7 pages long. I assume all kinds of possible solutions have been given. Did you read all pages and tried everything?

    Y
    yuszadnan
    Participant
    August 25, 2020

    i found the solution accidently.

    just embedd all the pic in the document and....save!

     

    solved.

    J
    JennX
    Participant
    June 20, 2020

    I had the same issue and I solved it by turning off all the layers except one simple layer without any transparency set etc. and then I saved it. It went without trouble. Then I was able to save again right after that, even with other layers turned on

    K
    KateyBut
    Participating Frequently
    September 20, 2019

    Hi...I was having the same issue in CC2019...It turns out 2 linked files disappeared (??) from the layers. They were showing there via bounding boxes but were not visible. I deleted both and reapplied them. Then the entire file saved without issue...

    C
    christosp7254065
    Participant
    August 5, 2019

    I had the same issue in win10 and noticed that when I changed all text to arial font, the file was saved. Then I changed again to the previous font (myriad pro in my case) and noticed some mullfunctioning in presenting text. So I completely removed the font, restarted the computer, started illustrator to load fonts (while the specific was missing). Then closed illustrator, installed again the font and the problem disapeared. (Note: The problem had started after I installed a 64bit version of illustrator.) Hope it helps.

    Carol McEwan designer
    Carol McEwan designer
    Participant
    July 25, 2019

    The ('correct' answer) unlock layers thing didn't work for me but hiding all layers and then saving did.

    Then by process of elimination by making each group visible and then saving as suggested already, I managed to whittle it down to a pattern fill in some simple objects (a newbie had created a colour swatch by dragging in a red box to the swatches panel). Once I selected all the objects filled with this 'pattern' swatch and changed it to a normal global colour swatch it saved no problem.

    Of course this all took me hours to figure out but at least now I know how to fix it when it happens again. And it WILL happen again.

    PS This was an issue on CC (mac and PC) and also CS6 (mac and PC). Original file was created by a client in CC using Windows.

    T
    tracymoon
    Participating Frequently
    May 4, 2018

    I am running El Cap 10.11.6 and have just started having the "unknown error" issue as well. However. I have NO locked or hidden layers. The only thing I can do is go to the Finder level, duplicate the file, then rename it. "Save as" results in the error. All of the posts I can find are from 2017 - it's well into 2018, has this not been fixed yet?

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    May 4, 2018

    When saving causes issues:

    - install a printer and turn it on

    - check your harddrive

    - check your permissions

    - save somewhere else to see if it helps

    emilyh97
    emilyh97
    Participant
    April 26, 2018

    I had the same problem and what helped me was putting an extra inch of space between my art boards. Apparently a part of a photo that wasn't visible due to a clipping mask was overlapping the other art board and preventing it from saving, printing, and exporting.

    T
    tracymoon
    Participating Frequently
    May 4, 2018

    Ahh, this I haven't looked at or tried - thanks, I will see if it makes any difference.

    H
    hqhempen
    Known Participant
    March 28, 2018

    Hi All, This problem still persists in CC2018 even though I've NEVER EVER run into an issue where I couldn't save an AI file literally anywhere on my computer. Ruled out linked PDFs, JPEGs, Gaussian blur effects, opacity, other imported AI files, strokes, "convert to text outline", was absolutely NONE of those. Thing that worked for me was deleting all of my text. Once the text was gone, it would save anywhere just like before. Reason #4,955,226 I never ever upgrade to the newest release from Adobe, because 90% of the time it's pure coding garbage. It's also very telling that a problem that was "solved!" and patched in CC2017 pops up yet again in the next version. AKA, Adobe didn't bother fixing the actual, root cause of the bug. Sometimes it's a real damn shame Apple didn't step up and annihilate 50% of Adobe's marketshare, at the very least we'd have some bug variety.

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