Skip to main content
yash-lucid
yash-lucid
Inspiring
September 17, 2023
Question

Illustrator updated and all my settings and workspaces and keyboard shortcuts are gone

  • September 17, 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 5006 views

I would love to have these settings back. Latest update win 10

    2 replies

    Anshul_Saini
    Community Manager
    Anshul_SainiCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    September 20, 2023

    Hello @yash-lucid,

     

    I understand your frustration with losing your Illustrator settings, workspaces, and keyboard shortcuts after a recent update.
    Unfortunately, if you didn't have backups or older settings folders and you didn't select the "Import previous settings and preferences" option during the update, it might not be possible to recover your lost settings.

     

    To prevent such issues in the future. I recommend enabling the "Import previous settings and preferences" option in the Creative Cloud app. This way, your settings will be preserved during updates.


    As Monika suggested, going forward, it's a good practice to periodically export your settings, workspaces, and keyboard shortcuts. To do this, go to "Edit" > "My settings" > "Export." Save the exported settings file in a safe location.

    I hope this information helps in preventing similar issues in the future. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please feel free to ask.

     

    Best,

    Anshul Saini

    yash-lucid
    yash-lucidAuthor
    Inspiring
    September 20, 2023

    Hi Anshul,

     

    Thanks, it is selected. I think the reason why this happened is because the Windows user directory name had to change.

    Is it still possible to migrate settings?
    If not, how can I grab the settings from a separate machine that has Illustrator installed.

    Anshul_Saini
    Community Manager
    Anshul_SainiCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    September 21, 2023

    Certainly @yash-lucid, you can transfer your Illustrator settings from one computer to another. Here's how you can do it:

    • Export Settings from the Source Computer:

      On the source computer where you have your preferred Illustrator settings, workspaces, and keyboard shortcuts configured, follow these steps:

      • Open Illustrator.
      • Go to "Edit" > "My settings" > "Export."
      • Save the exported settings file in a location that you can easily access, such as a USB drive or a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive.

    • Transfer Settings to the Destination Computer:

      On the computer where you want to import these settings, follow these steps:

      • Copy the settings file you exported from the source computer to this computer. You can use a USB drive or cloud storage for this.
      • Open Illustrator on the destination computer.
      • Go to "Edit" > "My settings" > "Import."
      • Locate and select the settings file you copied in the previous step.
      • Illustrator will import the settings, workspaces, and keyboard shortcuts from the file.

     

    By following these steps, you can effectively migrate your Illustrator settings from one computer to another, even if the Windows user directory name has changed.

     

    I hope this helps! If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please feel free to ask.

     

    Best,

    Anshul Saini

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 17, 2023

    If you do not have a backup, then they are probably gone.

    Here's a list of the locations: https://www.vektorgarten.de/illustrator-settings.html you could check if there are still older folders.

    Next time after you have set them all up, quit Illustrator, launch it again and then Edit > My settings > Export

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices