Error: "The operation cannot complete because of an unknown error [NOKY]" in Illustrator

[Oxidozer]

That is the message I get when I try to scale an object in Illustrator 25.3.1 when I try to scale an object.

Mac OS 11.4.

What is the fix for this? I use Illustrator professionally, and can't afford for it to simply refuse to perform straightforward tasks.

{Renamed by MOD}

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi there,

Sorry about the trouble. I would request you to please share the details as asked above. It would help us investigate the issue and assist you all accordingly.

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[defaultu7y7nwsd82y8]

Same issue here, very frustrating as slowing down my design work, need to fix "NOKY" 😞

[Smakulski · Accepted solution]

I ended up uninstalling and reverting back to 2020 versions and I havent
had problems! Both in photoshop and illustrator!

[philt1955628 · Accepted solution]

I selected the object I was having trouble with and hit the Object: Expand Appearance and it solved the problem. Might help.

[annb49847561]

Expanding the appearance totally loses the path though.

[Tpierce]

Hello Anshuk, I want to take a second and let you know while trouble shooting this NOKY error everyone has started haveing with the latest updates it that it appears to be a "Legacy Gaussian Blur issue. 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Tpierce,

Thanks for letting us know that. I would request you share the file with legacy gaussian blur with me. So, I can forward it to the product team, and they can properly investigate the issue.

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[AWPresley]

I am having the same issue in Illustrator 26.0.2 on Mac Big Sur 11.5.2 (both fresh installs)

That error pops-up when scaling items.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @AWPresley,

Sorry to hear about this. Could you please share a few more details like:

• Does this happen while working on a specific file?
• Does this error occur while working on an old file or a new one?
• Does this happen while scaling/ moving a particular object/ layer?
• Would it be possible for you to share this file with us here or via DM?

Looking forward to your response.

Regards,

Anshul Saini

[SpeedPro44310]

Hi there!  I also ran into this issue today when a customer sent over their logo.  Its definitely that legacy effect for me thats causing the issue as well.  The way I got around it was to place the logo into my design file but have it embedded, not linked.  Hopefully that helps. 

[kimberwidmer137]

SAME!!

If there's a workaround to this issue, sure would appreciate someone sharing it. 

I'm sure there are many more experiencing this that aren't commenting here and Illustrator help people are giving us the Comcast Customer Service cut and paste response. Is anyone over there at Adobe interested in fixing this??

[ABG-ennis]

Continuing this conversation in hopes of a solution. It's March 2022 and we're on Illustrator 26.1. 

I'm adding myself to the list of users that is having this unknown error [NOKY] issue. The same as others here, it happens when trying to scale a object that has a legacy effect gaussian blur. 

The only work arounds to date are to:

• Revert back to a earlier version of Illustrator, be sure to save all of your projects back to the earlier version beforehand. 

• Expand the object, rendering the effect uneditable.

• Deleting the Legacy effect from the object and applying the current version of gaussian blur. Sadly, If you have a project which has legacy effects used extensively then your in for a long night updating them.

Until this issue is fixed could there be a script made that globally updates all objects in your project file using legacy effect gausian blur to the current gaussian blur effect?

[Monika Gause]

Please post bugs & feature requests to http://illustrator.uservoice.com

[emmac79103160]

I had the NOKY scaling issue today in Illustrator 26.1.

Luckily it was quite a simple object that I was working with.

I narrowed it down to examining the "Appearance" of one particular object in the "Appearance" window. There was an effect called "3D and Materials" that was listing although it wasn't visible (didn't have eye next to it). I clicked on this and then the bin icon (in this pane) and then all was good!

[Kristin227767321fip · Accepted solution]

I figured it out for my project. (Someone suggested it earlier in the discussion.)

I'm using: iMac-M1chip, macOS Monterey 12.3.1/illustrator 26.2.1

>Window>Transform> uncheck 'Scale Strokes & Effects'

Now I can Shift + drag to scale my grouped objects.

[DeZnas]

thank you!

[Jiraroter]

It's Works!!!! THANK YOU:)

[Nicci23261462p5xl]

i am having this same issue too, its not even a complicated document - literally only just started working on it its such a pain

[matias23962066o4wt]

Me esta pasando lo mismo! Ai 26.1 + mac os 11.6 

[jimtealiii]

Also having this issue, scaling a logo with a legacy gaussian blur applied. Not sure why this is an "unknown error" as it has a very clear known cause.

[AWPresley · Accepted solution]

I found that only *some* objects / layers of illustrator art files were (no other word I can come up with other than "corrupted").  I ended up recreating thoses objects / layers from scratch and the entire art is now scalable with no issues.

FYI: I did not upgrade or downgrade software, just tested until I found the objects that would not scale dues to the noky error.

[annb49847561]

This is sad. Adobe should be fixing this so that people do not have to recreate their work from scratch. 😞

[gm@ankprintnow.com]

The problem is in the newest version, if you uninstall and go back to 27.3.1 and that will solve your Select all problem.

[annb49847561]

So sad for everyone to have to deal with these issues, going back to old software to resolve problems that Adobe does not fix. 😞

[bartenational@thinkkal · Accepted solution]

My solve was to rasterize the layer I needed to scale, I don't need to edit this art so this work around worked.