Illustrator 2020 keeps crashing on macOS Catalina

[Grupet_69]

So, I just got my new 16" Macbook, i9 processor with 64gb Ram.

Only problem is that Ilustrator now keeps crashing. I don't have any issues with my old 2015 Macbook, or my iMac 5K, only with my new 16" Macbook. Only Illustrator crashes, and it happens at least 4-5 times during a day. No pattern. Latest version of Illustrator and lates version of MacOS.

I finally found a solution. It was another user who wrote me a message with a solution that at least worked for me.

I haven't had a crash in 2 days now.

Preference > Performance > uncheck "GPU Performance"

[kilianp29643731]

I have exactly the same problem, Illustrator AND Indesign crashing randomly. New MacBook Pro 16 inch, Illustrator 24.0.2. Both programs even crash when running in the background, e.g. while I watch a film. Had a MacBook Pro 2018, also running on Catalina, had no problems at all. That’s why I think is has something to do with the new MacBook. 

If anyone has any solution, I would be grateful.

[Srishti Bali]

We are extremely sorry that it is still not resolved. I have sent you a DM for some details, please check.

Regards!

[jessem23622717]

Illustrator still crashing. Sometimes it also randomly gives me an error "cannot generate preview" and then puts the document into outline view. If I try to bring it back to over print preview or any other view and it says "cannot geneate preview" and I need to quite and re-open. 

Also, I was just drawing a simple rectangle and I was reciving an errror "the operation cannot complete because there isnt enough memory (RAM) avalible. I have 32gb of ram...should be enough to draw a rectangle. 

Crashes are at complete random, there is no pattern. 

Driving me nuts, have lost A LOT of work. Most files are recovered fine - but some have not been!!!  What in the world is going on? My work flow has significanly downgraded with this new comptuer.

Keep this thread alive as it seems there hasnt been a soultion posted. thanks 

[Grupet_69]

Still crashes 6-7-8 times a day!

Newest issue I have is that Illustrator isn't overwriting excisting PDF's.

So I make changes in Illustrator, save it as a PDF and say yes to overwrite old PDF with same name and then take me through alle the settings and saves.

Go back to look at the new PDF and it's still the old one.

I found this out after sending a bunch of PDF's to a printer in China and apperently he got all the old PDF's instead of the new and changed ones.

What the heck is going on with this now? Adobe, you have no idea how frustrated I am with you right now.....

[Andy Swift]

I have the same issue, but it's inconsistent. I save files and everything appears normal, but I discover later on that both the PDF (I "saved as" and the original file are yesterday's version.

Restarting seems to help, and I have not yet had this problem since granting Illustrator full disk access (see my later post on this page).

[PHOTEXDESIGN]

I also have the same issue, seems every time along with the countless random times when the machine sleeps.

I have also got a 2019 Macbook Pro 16"

Catalina 10.15.2

Adobe Illustrator 24.0.1

Very poor show as its almost unworkable and also loosing alot of unsaved and unrecoverable workings.

Please give some answers or guidance 🙂

[Monika Gause]

Same issues as what? There are countless issues in this thread.

The PDF saving has been addressed in version 23.0.3

The Sleep issues might be caused by Catalina. So you have to check your system as well. And then you can contact Customer Care to have them check your Illustrator installation.

Please contact Customer Care: http://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

[GutoAmorim]

I think the last person meant the frequent crashes with no pattern. I have the same setup, it's a problem since always. Mabcook Pro 16" with Catalina 10.15.2 + Illustrator 24.0.3

Day 1, brandnew system. Adobe Cloud softwares installed and updated. Illustrator crashes randomly (wether active or in the background). There's no cache to be clean, there's no custom changes to be reset, it's just factory settings.

I noticed Adobe Bridge is doing the same thing, but worse. It won't last open for 5 seconds.

I'm contating Customer Care to see what they can do. Thanks.

[Monika Gause]

Did you read the answer by A_C_Swift?

[GutoAmorim]

Yeah, I've just tried it. I'll post a feedback tomorrow with the results for Illustrator.

However, it didn't work for Bridge. It still opening and crashing immediately.

[Monika Gause]

For Bridge please post in the Bridge forum.

There they know the common issues better.

[Grupet_69]

I alredy tried giving Illustrator full disk access a couple of weeks ago, and that has done nothing for me.

Illustrator still crashes all the time, no changes what so ever!

[Monika Gause]

Please contact Customer Care: http://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

They can login to your system to sort this out.

[Andy Swift]

TLDR:

After six weeks' use, granting Illustrator full disk access fixed virtually all of the crashes when I was actually using the program.

It still crashes several times a day when I'm using another program or when I'm not there. I come back to a message that Illustrator crashed.

To grant full disk access, go to System Preferences › Security & Privacy › Privacy › Full Disk Access

• Click the + button to add Adobe Illustrator.
• Restart Illustrator.

Before this change it was crashing more than 30 times a day while I was actively using it.

I can confirm that disabling GPU Performance in the preferences fixes all the crashes, but at the cost of making all the artwork ugly. Not really an option.

I have also tried disabling Automatic Graphics Switching in my system preferences but it didn't change anything.

Original post:

Yesterday I was using Illustrator all day and it crashed at least 30 times.

I have a Macbook Pro 16" (fall 2019) with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Everything is up todate: Catalina 10.15.2 and Illustrator 24.0.3

· · ·

Based on this thread, here are all the things I tried:

• verified that dictation Service is off in keyboard prefs
• left my wifi-connected printer turned on
• verified that no external disks or monitors were connected
• turned off data recovery in Illustrator
• turned off "optimize file open and save on slow networks"
• changed "update links automatically" to "ask when modified"
• hid the rulers
• changed update links to "manual"
• gave all permissions on my working folder:

$ chmod -R 777 /Users/Username/Documents/Working\ Folder

None of that helped. Illustrator still crashed constantly.

Here are a few crash instances:

• resizing a rectangle over a placed image
• moving three separate lines of text
• opening about 12 documents at once
• while saving one of the 12 documents when they were all open
• when I wasn't doing anything
• when I wasn't there

I assume that these crashes happen because Illustrator is trying to access files that are now protected because of changes in Catalina.

Many files that used to be accessible by default now require disk access to be explicitly granted by the user.

However, my previous (2018) Macbook was running up-to-date versions of Catalina and Illustrator and I never had this problem.

I believe that the default permissions on a new computer sold with Catalina are different than those of an older Mac that is updated to Catalina.

So it wouldn't be surprising if a new buyer of a different model had the same issues.

· · ·

Finally, I tried granting Illustrator full disk access (see the top of this post), and it seems to have fixed the problem.

[dgotschall1]

Thanks man. I'm gonna try this and PRAY it helps. I'm also having this same issue occasionally in Acrobat (and more rarely in Indesign, not Photoshop tho...I don't believe). Do we think granting full disk access to those programs would help that as well? Suppose it can't hurt....   

I loved one of their other suggestions: "Turn off rulers". Hahahaha, yeah, I kinda need those...on occasion. 😛

Thanks and lets hope this works! 

[Monika Gause]

"I loved one of their other suggestions: "Turn off rulers". Hahahaha, yeah, I kinda need those...on occasion. 😛"

You don't understand debugging.

If there are issues, the first thing is to try and locate where it is. Trying out a lot of different (sometimes stupid things) is necessary to do that, because the cause of the issue is not the same for everyone and even if you and your coworkers all experience the issue, that doesn't mean everyone else has it too.

Turning off important functionality is not meant for solving the issue permanently. It only help with debugging and in case some time is needed to fix an issue, it might help you to get the application to work at all. I assume you would always prefer a partly working app to one that doesn't even launch, won't you?

[dgotschall1]

Hmmm...

Your right, I guess I dont' understand debugging. What I DO understand is that, like SO MANY OTHERS here the program crashes constantly now, when it didn't previously. And when asked to turn off a key feature of the program (like GPU Perfromance or the ability to use RULERS), in a way, that actually DOES solve the crashing problem, because it quickly becomes a program I no longer use and transition to a competitor. Cant' crash if it's not running at all.

Thanks for insight on debugging tho.

[TheRedScribbler]

I fee your frustration but what you seem to have not figured out is DO NOT UPDATE ADOBE until they've released the third round of debugging. 

unless you don't mind being what is essentially a beta tester. Ever since the general adoption of iterative releases of software, we get to try out new features while they sort out unexpected bugs. With Apple doing the same thing, software has to scramble to keep up. It's that or you wait a year or more for cool features. I prefer the new approach. 

This is also the reason they have steps to install older version of their software which allows you to do critical workflow on the older version while trying out new tools and finding bugs in the new system. 

maybe change your workflow to allow for this iterative process so you don't lose work time?

[HosoTran]

Older versions are also crashing on the Macbook Pro 16" 2019.

They clearly can't configure the application for the new GPUs Apple are using.

[HosoTran]

Glad I'm not alone with this problem.

The worst part is that they always do the same diagnostic over and over and try to say a third-party application is the problem.

What are the specs of your MacBook Pro ? Here are mine :

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

Catalina 10.15.2 (19C57)

2.6 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7

64 GB 2667 MHz DDR4

AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 4 GB

Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

[Monika Gause]

Please contact Customer Care: http://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

[HosoTran]

I'm already with them. As of now, A_C__Swift solution seems to help. Will be updating after working more with that solution. And I already gave Customer Cares the control to my computer several times and it is always the same steps and it is going nowhere.

[Grupet_69]

Excatly, having someone from customer care take over your computer doesn't do anything. I tried that with other issues, and it never goes anywhere, so that's actually why i hasn't even contacted customer care with this issue.

[Grupet_69]

My setup is:

Macbook Pro (16", 2019)

Catalina 10.15.2

2.3 GHz 8-core Intel Core i9

64 GB 2667 MHz DDR4

AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8 GB

Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

[ricardomedici@me.com]

I'm also having the same problem related here by other users and my configuration is pretty much the same...