.ai file that won't open anymore

[nb86]

Hello there,

I have a huge problem... I've been using illustrator quite often and it is the FIRST time I experienced something like that... I have done my website design on a .ai file, I've saved it in .ai and thank God also exported it as a .png file before closing illustrator CC. The next morning when I wanted to open it I had this error message :

The file is not empty though because when I click on "see informations" it says 300Mo, big file then... maybe it's the problem... but it's not the first time I work with such big .ai files, and it alwas worked...

Can you help please ? I've been working on this design for more than 30 hours...

Thanks

[Ton Frederiks]

You may be able to place this file in a new document and embed it.

Do you have a backup?

Always make backups of your files and in addition you could use the versioning system by saving them in the CC files folder. 

[Monika Gause]

Does it still open in Acrobat?

In that case you could try and create a new file in Illustrator and place that corrupt file in it. You will lose everything outside artboards, all effects, brushes and stuff will be expanded and let's better not talk about what happens to text. And then: clipping masks all around the place.

Are you sure you don't hape a backup? Obviously that is a Mac - you don't have Time Machine running?

Edit: hello Ton! Sorry I didn't see you already replied.

[Ton Frederiks]

Hi Monika, replying when you are already replying happens to me all the time 🙂

[Monika Gause]

😄

[nb86]

Hello there,

Thank you a lot for your kind answers.

Unfortunately, I tried your "solutions", but did not work. When I tried to import it in a new document, I had a just a white rectangle....

And yes I did save 2 older versions but they won't open neither. But all of the other files open as usual, I really do not understand :(.

[Monika Gause]

Where do you save your files?

Where are the linked files saved?

Did you already restart the computer? And if you do, does that help?

[nb86]

I did everything I could...  I save my files on an external harddrive.

Now I'm reinstalling all the system on my mac in order to be able to get updates for illustrator

[Monika Gause]

Files might get corrupted.

If all the corrupt files were saved on that external drive I would b careful with it. With Illustrator it's best to work on the internal drive.

https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/illustrator-support-networks-removable-media.html