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b_stokes
Participant
March 19, 2018
Answered

Open File - Can't see document, window/tab missing

  • March 19, 2018
  • 27 replies
  • 54105 views

Latest version of Illustrator (Mac)

I am a long time user of Illustrator but i have never had this issue before.

When i open a file I can see the layers window, etc but not the actual file.
There is no window or tab for the file, just the recent files window. I can actually double click the screen and i get an isolated view but can't see anything change but the layers window.If i close Illustrator and reopen the file it shows up fine.
Not a huge issue at all but just wanted to see if someone else had this problem and whether it was related to the recent files window or something else.
Since updating to 22.1 last week i have all kinds of graphics card and/or display issues. The beta 22.0.2 worked great and i should have stuck with it.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer RepulseMonkey

    I have something similar, when I open AI first time, and click on a recent document to open – sometimes I don't see any tabs or the actual documents.  I have to go to 'Window', 'Arrange' and chnage the mode to 'Flaot in windows' to see the documents.  Then I have to 'Consilidate all in windows' to get back to a tabbed arrangement.  Never had it before.

    27 replies

    Show previous replies
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    betty-t
    Participating Frequently
    July 19, 2018

    On the off chance an Adobe person on the Illustrator team sees this, I have the same problem.

    When I finally remember to use Window>>Arrange>>Float in Window, I can see the document but the display is messed up. There are no tabs visible (but they must be there, because I can click where they should be and change documents). Instead of tabs, I see the top half of the bar on the start screen with the AI icon on the left and my avatar on the right.

    D
    darrenb37773043
    Participant
    June 17, 2018

    Easy 1-step fix (on a Mac) to this "invisible window" issue:  SHIFT+COMMAND+J (Window>Cascade function)

    I have experienced this issue many times in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC running on a MacBook on macOS High Sierra (10.13.4) and experience this issue most when connected to an LG ultrawide curved monitor (USB C) at home. Easy fix from within Acrobat is to "Cascade" windows, which can be found in the "Window" drop down from the menu bar at the top of the screen.

    Hope that helps everyone (on a mac, at least)

    D
    ddmcclurkin
    Participant
    June 11, 2018

    'Float in Window' appears to be a workaround.

    This is so happening to me in InDesign. No document windows in the workspace. By going to Window/Arrange/Float in Window the document window "unminimized" or expanded out of nowhere to a document window about the size of a postage stamp, which I was able to enlarge manually.

    I am on a Mac laptop using multiple monitors--including a target display, and Spaces. In my experience Spaces has not playedwell with Adobe products from time to time, particularly InDesign, but this 'no document window' issue is new for me. I recently upgraded to Mac OS 10.13.5.

    T
    torie27
    Participant
    June 8, 2018

    I've got the same issue. Have to hit 'close' and then re-open. It happens from recent documents or double clicking on a document in the finder and first launching Illustrator. Very irritating, but RepulseMonkey​'s suggestion to 'float in window' works!

    Still seems sloppy work from Adobe though!

      S
      shockabout
      Participant
      April 11, 2018

      I have exactly the same problem, really annoying. This is not a spaces, sleep or restart issue, it is definetely an Adobe issue. My file tabs never appear, but they are there despite being invisible. I can click on them and switch between open files.

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        b_stokesAuthor
        Participant
        April 11, 2018

        In my post above with the screenshot, i can see layers but i don't have the window tab.

        So i am not able to switch between the tabs because they aren't there.

          R
          RepulseMonkeyCorrect answer
          Participating Frequently
          April 9, 2018

          I have something similar, when I open AI first time, and click on a recent document to open – sometimes I don't see any tabs or the actual documents.  I have to go to 'Window', 'Arrange' and chnage the mode to 'Flaot in windows' to see the documents.  Then I have to 'Consilidate all in windows' to get back to a tabbed arrangement.  Never had it before.

            B
            b_stokesAuthor
            Participant
            April 9, 2018

            I can't remember what i did to fix this problem.
            I believe I just turned off the window to display recent documents. I never used that anyways.
            I am not sure if that is the same problem you have though.

            Monika Gause
            Community Expert
            Monika GauseCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            March 19, 2018

            When did you last restart the computer?

            Which system is it?

            Where are the files located?

            Is there more than one monitor attached?

            Could you show a screenshot?

            B
            b_stokesAuthor
            Participant
            March 19, 2018

            Last restart might be 4 days ago.

            Sierra, 10.12.6

            Network drive, but this has happened locally as well.

            3 monitor setup. Two 4k (Mini Display), and a 1080HDTV (Mini Display to HDMI)

            I have had various display issues where after a sleep or screensaver, the displays will be switched to one of the other displays.
            I have 5 "desktops" as well that i switch between.

            Desktop 1 - Email, etc

            Desktop 2 - Photoshop (left display), Illustrator (right display)

            Desktop 3 - Premiere

            Desktop 4 - After Effects

            and so forth

            Sometimes after a sleep or screensaver, Desktop 2 with PS and IL will have their workspaces about halfway down both left and right displays. Weird issues. Not sure if its our MacPro Nvidia card or what. New cables were bought and same issue.


            Anyways..I can't replicate it because i already reopened the file and now it shows correctly, but i did do a quick photoshop file to show somewhat what it looks like...

            Layers open on the right, nothing in my main workspace. No tab or window either like the file is open.

            If i double click in this gray area then it will go into isolation mode on whatever layer my mouse clicked.

            Like i said, not too big of a deal, but just random. This has been across the last 6 months or so of updates with Illustrator.

            And this might be a display or computer thing as well. Just trying to narrow it down if i can.

            Monika Gause
            Community Expert
            Monika GauseCommunity Expert
            Community Expert
            March 19, 2018

            You're asking for trouble.

            There are some issues with Mac OS waking up from sleep. Especially when you have Spaces set up.

            There are also issues with multiple desktops when you combine that with multiple monitors.

            Mac OS can't even correctly put things on multiple monitors when you have neither Spaces nor anything else of this fancy stuff (this is happening to me all the time).

            Restarting every few days may cause issues as well. Systems just hang up after running for a couple days.

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