Cannot Open AI file! "Expected dict object"

[addleyw23601085]

Hi I've been working on making fliers in Adobe Illustrator, but the last time I was working it I accidentally reset my computer before or while saving. Since then I can't open it again. I get two errors:

1) Illustrator could partially read the file. We recovered as much as possible....(etc)
2) Acrobat PDF File Format is having difficulties. Expected a dict object.

I'm confused by this since I didn't do anything regarding making or importing a pdf..... is there any way to rescue my art and text for this corrupted file??

[defaultahy79m99y1am]

@Anshul_Saini 

Hello! Can you work your magic and see if you're able to recover my file as well? I have two in this folder - the one named Chalkboard_Bookmarks_old.ai was the original file I recently opened (last edited in September with no issues) and started working on, thus saving the most recent file: Chalkboard_bookmarks.ai, edited December 28. I never had an issue with that first one, and now both are receiving the same errors as above. 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IbMmU4C7LRYHweH1h1B70Fc5aqHTmNCo?usp=share_link

Thanks for your help!

[Anshul_Saini]

Hello @defaultahy79m99y1am,

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing issues with your Illustrator files. I understand how frustrating and concerning it can be to encounter file corruption.

After reviewing the provided link, it appears that the files are indeed corrupted, and significant data loss has occurred. Unfortunately, recovering the files in their entirety may not be possible due to the extent of the corruption.

I noticed that the last artboard seems to have some content.

Would you mind providing some details about the circumstances under which these files were saved or edited and the location of the files where they were stored? For example, were there any unexpected Illustrator crashes, sudden app closures, system shutdowns, or power cuts during the editing process?

Understanding the context might help in determining potential causes.

Best,

Anshul

[defaultahy79m99y1am]

Thanks for trying! On the oldest file: Chalkboard_Bookmarks_old.ai, it was created on my iMac and saved in two different places - on a portable USB drive and also saved on my employer's job server. When I created the most recent file, Chalkboard_bookmarks.ai, I opened up the old file from my hard drive and resaved it in a different folder on that portable hard drive. I haven't touched the old file on my job's server, which is what really confuses me as they're now both corrupt but saved in completely different locations. I only worked on that newest file for a day and don't recall any power outages, system shutdowns, crashes or closures, but can't remember 100%.

I appreciate your time! 

[Anshul_Saini]

I appreciate the additional information, @defaultahy79m99y1am. Working locally and then saving files on a server or USB drive for backup is a good practice to avoid potential file corruption issues. Additionally, transferring files across a network or from removable media can sometimes impact Illustrator performance, as mentioned in this Adobe help article: Illustrator Support for Networks and Removable Media.

If you have any more questions or encounter further issues, please feel free to reach out. I'm here to help!

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Christine320576686yi9]

Could you please help me recover my file @Anshul_Saini ? https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_V2Emi0_-Xv83Ral2ZWbnLzLgFkmpXv_/view?usp=sharing

[Nguyệt38867524ikqi]

Hello, I have the same problem.
Could you please help me recover my file? 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RlvPaMsqmDpa4Kv_Y-Ywf1nhxKoAgDh7/view?usp=sharing

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Christine320576686yi9,

Thanks for sharing the details. It seems the link is not public. Kindly reshare the file, so we can check it on our end.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Nguyệt38867524ikqi,

Thanks for sharing the details. It seems the file has been removed. Would you mind resharing a public link to the file again so we can check it on our end?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[emad mansor]

hello

I have the same problem can you help me
Here is the file link:
https://www.mediafire.com/file/4lchs59mkdeyh30/تصميم+ديكومينت+المشروع.zip/file

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @emad mansor,

I understand how frustrating it is to deal with a corrupted file, especially after putting in so much work. I was able to recover part of your file, and you can download the recovered version using the link below: https://adobe.ly/4dtd5dV

Please let me know if you need any further assistance or if there’s anything else I can help you with!

Best regards,

Anshul Saini

[Mery_Bonjour8363]

hello @Anshul_Saini . How are you? I have exactly the same problem addleyw is having. Maybe something got corrupted when I saved it. I dont mind if is just partially recovered, but I will like to at least have something of my project. Is a shame that i lost literally all my file. I will like to at least recover something because aparently ilustrator can partially read it. Can you help me? I send my file to  file@adobe.com  but I didnt get an answer and its been so long.
Here is the file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14J8Hh7aqVKWkX-WiwXWYeZ0-RhT1ZGYQ/view?usp=sharing

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Mery_Bonjour8363,

Thank you for sharing the file with us. We tried to recover as much as possible, but the file was corrupted. Kindly use this link to the repaired AI file (https://adobe.ly/3YbIcF4) to see if it helps.

Could you confirm if the file was saved on a network, removable drive, or a cloud-synced folder like Google Drive or Dropbox? Storing files in such locations can sometimes lead to corruption issues. To prevent this from happening in the future, we recommend saving your work locally first and then manually copying it to your desired backup location.

To avoid similar situations in the future, we advise saving multiple copies of your active work locally or saving them as cloud documents.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or need assistance. We're here to help.

Anubhav

[Mery_Bonjour8363]

Hi Anubhav,

Thank you for trying to recover the file. Unfortunately, the repaired file
still doesn’t work.

The file wasn’t saved on a network or cloud folder; it was stored locally
on my computer. My computer shut down unexpectedly, which likely caused the
issue. Although I had saved the file before, it seems the autosave feature
might have overwritten it with a corrupted version.

Thanks for trying and for your quick response.

Best regards,

Mery B.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Mery_Bonjour8363,

Sorry to hear that. Could you kindly confirm if this is what you are getting?


Anubhav

[Mery_Bonjour8363]

Yes. That is what I´m getting. Is a jpg of the sketch I did at procreate which I then exported to AI to vectorize.

[Mery_Bonjour8363]

It would be great if I could have the image that appears in the miniature, this one:

But with full quality. That way at least Id be able to retrace my work.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Mery_Bonjour8363,

Thank you for confirming. This is everything I could retrieve from the file. I understand it’s not ideal, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. To prevent this in the future, I recommend saving multiple copies of your active project for added security.

If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We're always here to help.

Anubhav

[Mery_Bonjour8363]

Thank you so much for the time that you dedicated trying to solve my
problem. I will definitely save multiple versions of my file from now on.
Is a pity I could not recover it, but I appreciate that you answer my
question and put the time to hear me out.
Thanks again and have a nice day

[carlitam7404224]

HI @Anshul_Saini ,  Could you also help me with my file, please?

I would really appreciate it.

Link: https://we.tl/t-Z32Pgdvt1m