How do I recover files after a crash that simply didn't open?

[vincentd6087485]

i was working in illustrator (beta) 29.3.0 when it crashed. upon reopening it, i got a popup that it recovered the two opened files. i hit 'confirm' to open the recovered files, then nothing happened. can i recover them manually somehome?

[blick847]

This is absolutely not an acceptable response for a program that we pay $60/month to use where a feature that WE PAY FOR doesn't work. This is 2025, literally every program auto saves. Stop suggesting this

[Rum27]

I am using a Mac system and have encountered the same issue in both AI 2024 and AI 2025. I have already enabled the auto-recovery feature. When Illustrator crashes suddenly and I reopen the software, a pop-up window appears saying that the files have been recovered. However, the recovered files are not in the state they were before the crash—they are reverted to the last manually saved version.

I later checked the auto-recovery folder and found some files saved today, but I couldn’t open them and am unsure if they are functioning properly.

When I used AI 2022/2023, the auto-recovery feature worked perfectly. Additionally, my colleagues working on the same network are experiencing the same issue with AI 2025—the auto-recovery function is no longer working, even though it used to function normally in previous versions.

Moreover, some very simple files are causing the software to crash frequently. After one crash, the same file will continue to crash multiple times within a single day. I’m not sure if this is an issue with the software itself or something else, but all I want is for the auto-recovery feature to work again.

[Monika Gause]

Donot rely on the Auto recovery function alone ever.

Save your files.

Also: you mention a network - are you saving to a server? That is generally a risky workflow that I would avoid. And it prevents Time Machine from backing up your files. 

[Rum27]

Thanks for the reminder! I’m using Autosaviour to help with my work for now, but I really hope the auto-recovery feature can work properly again—it used to be fine.

Also, I think I might not have explained clearly. The files weren’t saved to a server, but my colleagues in the same office, using the same version of Illustrator, are all having the same issue. I’m wondering if it could be something like shared settings causing this, maybe something network-related (though that seems unlikely). Anyway, thanks again for your reply!

[jonahl34009115]

Cool tip! Anyway the feature still isn't working as intended, can we focus on that aspect?

[Monika Gause]

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@jonahl34009115  schrieb:

Cool tip! Anyway the feature still isn't working as intended, can we focus on that aspect?

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As far as I can tell it from the very rare incidents when Illustrator is crashing at all: it works. And it works for a lot of people. But even if it has never let you down, a professional workflow means that you are always prepared for the worst. 

[volnoriz]

I confirm. Autosave is not working properly. I set "auto-save efery 5 minutes" (for complex docs too) but after crash Illustrator opens documents with in a state they were saved few hours before. 

v.29.3.1

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi Rum27,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We understand how frustrating it can be to lose work due to crashes, and we truly appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

We’ve captured your feedback and shared it with our product team, who are actively working on improving the auto-recovery function in Illustrator. Please stay tuned for updates as we continue refining this feature.

That being said, auto-recovery is not always guaranteed, especially for complex or large files. As Monika often advises, regularly saving backups is the best way to prevent data loss—making it a habit can save you a lot of time and frustration.

Additionally, we highly recommend submitting crash reports whenever Illustrator crashes. These reports provide valuable insights that help our team diagnose and fix issues more efficiently.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[LisaAnnW]

“When Illustrator crashes suddenly and I reopen the software, a pop-up window appears saying that the files have been recovered. However, the recovered files are not in the state they were before the crash—they are reverted to the last manually saved version.”

YES, me too. I spent two hours trying to find the dang “recovered” files.

[LisaAnnW]

I am on Mac OS 14.7. Mine crashed unexpectedley having a few untitled sketch fies open. When I reopened Ilustrator (29.3.1) it said the files were successfully recovered but did not open them, nor can I find them.  So where the heck are they? They are not in my document recovery folder, downloads, desktop, Creative Cloud, iCloud. Where??? Attached the screen capture. 

 

 

[Monika Gause]

Do not rely on the Recovery function for backup or file saving.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @lwandrei2,

If the files are not automatically recovered, and they are not available in the recovery folder, chances are it is lost. I understand this may not be the ideal outcome, and I apologize for any inconvenience caused.

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, I would recommend saving your work locally first and then manually copying it to your desired backup location.

Additionally, kindly try the suggestions in this help article (https://adobe.ly/3FFpQXK) for help with crashes and share your observations.

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

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

Anubhav

[warm_friend5E3C]

For my part, I redid the file, but generally the file is stored in the temp folder in Windows, could be something similar in MacOS?

[Monika Gause]

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@warm_friend5E3C  schrieb:

stored in the temp folder in Windows, could be something similar in MacOS?

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Nope.

[Fiamma127]

Hola, tengo un problema con Adobe Illustrator, no funciona el autosave/autoguardado.

Cada vez que el programa se cierra por un fallo o error y no llegue a guardar los ultimos progresos de mi trabajo Illustrator me muestra un cartel que avisa de que hay archivos recuperados, cuando le doy a "aceptar" el archivo no se abre ni siquiera cuando lo busco en su carpeta predeterminada de autosave, lo unico que me aparecen son archivos con la terminación ".AISHM" que no se pueden abrir ni hacer nada.
He perdido un monton de trabajos por no poder recuperar los autoguardados de illustrator.

¿Que puedo hacer? ¿A alguien le sucede lo mismo? ¿Hay solución?

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

<"moved from cc desktop bugs">

[Monika Gause]

THis new format for the recovery data has caused issues for other people as well.

It is not an autosave function. It is just meant as the icing on the cake when you have your own file safety measures in place. Do not ever rely on this function as your only backup.

As a professional you and you alone are in charge of your files. Save your files regularly. Make backups regularly. Save different versions regularly. Have Time Machine (or something similar) running on your computer. And save to external disks. Everything in your computer can go corrupt (and this includes the computer itself), so you want to be prepared. Saving your file itself is one of the most vulnerable things you can do, because when the power turns off or anything else breaks while saving, then your file is gone.

If you have regular power outages in your area, get a UPS (uniterruptable power supply).

[Fiamma127]

Hago un guardado manual demis archivos cada 15 o 20 minutos, siempre estoy al pendiente de eso debido a los fallos. Mi problema es que el archivo se pierde por completo a pesar de estar guardando de forma manual durante el proyecto, ¡pierdo todo lo haya guardado o no!

Quiero saber que es este problema y como solucionarlo. ¿Que son los archivos AISHM y por qué no puedo abrirlos?

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Fiamma127,

Our team has made some improvements to file saving, which should also help with recovering files after a crash in the latest Illustrator (beta) release. Please try out the latest Illustrator (beta) (https://adobe.ly/4kH3nII) and share your feedback.

Anubhav

[Monika Gause]

That's why I wrote about making backup copies. If a crash happens while saving, then likely all is gone.

But what you should address are the regular crashes. Illustrator should not do that. 

[Tommy St]

Continually telling people to just save your file does not actually address the problem we have. Specifically, the issue is that the "auto recovery" functionality often does not automatically recover anything, even though it pops up a window saying it has.

[Fiamma127]

Hola, tengo un problema con Adobe Illustrator, no funciona el autosave/autoguardado.

Cada vez que el programa se cierra por un fallo o error y no llegue a guardar los ultimos progresos de mi trabajo Illustrator me muestra un cartel que avisa de que hay archivos recuperados, cuando le doy a "aceptar" el archivo no se abre ni siquiera cuando lo busco en su carpeta predeterminada de autosave, lo unico que me aparecen son archivos con la terminación ".AISHM" que no se pueden abrir ni hacer nada.
He perdido un monton de trabajos por no poder recuperar los autoguardados de illustrator.

¿Que puedo hacer? ¿A alguien le sucede lo mismo? ¿Hay solución?

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Fiamma127,

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Currently, it's not possible to recover from *.aishm files. We understand this may not be the ideal outcome, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.

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

[Tommy St]

I would appreciate some kind of confirmation from Adobe regarding the erronious pop up stating your file has been recovered when no file has actually been recovered, along with an acknowledgement that the current functionality of the auto "recovery" feature is prone to failure. If possible, I would like to request that the auto recovery feature be changed so that it actually backs up a copy of your current file, and not just save impractical aishm files.

[SteveClayton]

Hi @Anubhav M 

Just a friendly note to ask if you / Adobe could please refrain from posting the phrase "We understand this may not be the ideal outcome" on every one of these many threads.

A broken recovery functionality (that previously worked fine), that shows no signs of being fixed, is never going to be anything other than a massive inconvenience for every single user. To imply otherwise is at best disingenuous, and merely server to further irritate an already very frustrated user base.