Illustrator - An Unknown error is detected. To help us investigate further... ShareWithAi@adobe.com

[Le Monsieur]

I just want to let everyone (and especially Adobe, obviously) know that this is still an issues in Illustrator v 26.3.1 on Windows. I installed Illustrator v26.3.1 fresh on a recently installed Windows 11 computer, and I encountered the same problem on my first attemt to save an .ai file.

The work-around that worked was unchecking BOTH "save in background" AND "export in background". Unchecking either one on its own still produces the error.

So if Anshul is right and it was fixed in v26.2.1 it has either regressed in v26.3.1 or it was fixed in the Mac branch of the code, but not in the Windows (11) branch of the code.

Either way it's still an active bug in Illustrator v26.3.1 on Windows 11.

P.S. The suggested "go to File and Package" etc message on the error dialog doesn't work. The "Package.." option is greyed out.

Last observation: This is a really bad bug to ship your software with, Adobe. You can't expect your customers, who pay a premium price for a premium product, to hunt down weird work-arounds to do something as basic as saving a file. And from the articles I found on this issues while looking for an answer it has been a bug for quite some time. That is, honestly, unacceptable. I hope you prioritize getting it properly fixed.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Le Monsieur,

We are sorry for the trouble and inconvenience caused by this issue. We haven't received any reports or comments of users reporting this after v26.2.1. I am sorry it is still causing trouble for you. I am afraid this is not replicable at our end. Would it be possible for you to have a remote session with us, and we will further investigate the issue? If yes, please send me your Adobe ID, Country & Timezone, phone number with country code, and at least two preferred days (excluding Saturday & Sunday) and time frames for a call over a private message.
To send a private message, click my profile picture and use the " Send a message" button.

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks & Regards,

Anshul Saini

[Remak Redüktör]

Hello, I am currently having the same problem and I am using version 29.2.1. Can you help?

[Monika Gause]

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@Remak Redüktör  schrieb:

Hello, I am currently having the same problem and I am using version 29.2.1. Can you help?

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Did you already turn off "Save in background" in the preferences?

[Remak Redüktör]

Evet kapattım. Bir sürü çözüm denedim en son bir önceki sürümü geri yükledim ve sorunum çözüldü. Svg kaydedip çalışmalarımı geri kazanabildim.

[terngz]

I have the same problem in 26.3.1 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @terngz,

Sorry to hear about this experience. I would request you try removing and reinstalling Illustrator using the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool and share your observations.

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Geneva310159647rh2]

Same here with 27.6.1

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Geneva310159647rh2,

I apologize for the inconvenience you're experiencing with Illustrator. Would you mind saving the file as Cloud Document and see if that helps?

If it doesn't, to assist you further, could you please provide the following information:

• Can you share the specific file that is causing the "Unknown error" message? This will help us investigate the issue more effectively.
• Please provide details about your system configuration, including the operating system version and any relevant hardware specifications.
• Where are you saving the file (Network Drive/ System HDD/ Shared Folder on System/ External HDD)?

Additionally, it would be helpful to know if this issue is occurring with a specific file or if it happens with all files.

This information will assist our product team in identifying the root cause of the problem.

Thank you for your cooperation, and we'll do our best to help you out.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Paula222857870i7l]

I had the same issue and found my problem.

I was working on my Illustrator project from my PC. The project is saved on my OneDrive. I went to a meeting and opened the project on my Macbook. In that meeting, I typed notes directly onto my project's artboard and saved the file. 

The next day, I opened it back up onto my other PC. (I work from my home, so I have multiple computers). I made some additional changes and hit save. Then that error came up. 

Then I noticed that the notes I had typed up were nowhere to be found. Then by accident, I clicked on a blank space and text box appeared with no text. I deleted them all then hit save again. The document saved. Turns out, I had corrupt text boxes.

[Anshul_Saini]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that you had the same issue with Illustrator as others reported on this post, @Paula222857870i7l.

It sounds like you figured out what caused the problem, which is great! I really appreciate you reaching out and sharing your findings and workaround with others. That's so helpful!

May I ask if it's possible to share a file or screen recording demonstrating the issue? This way, we can share it with the product team, and they can see what's causing the problem. They may be able to create a potential fix for this issue in the future. Thank you for your time and for helping others with their Illustrator problems!

Looking forward to your response.

Thanks,

Anshul Saini

[jaredm17851757]

I would love some help with this also!

[kellybente · Accepted solution]

I had this problem on Sept 15, 2023. I systematically deleted elements until it would save properly. The offending element was legacy text.

[kellybente]

Deleting this group solved the issue.

[dirias]

This is still an ongoing issue. I have latest Adobe software updates via cloud and latest Windows 11 updates installed. The issue is not isolated to legacy type formats either.

[EymenAkbayir]

what the hell this issue is still going on ??????????????
Why we are paying for Adobe and they dont fix the issues all long years 

I still have the same problem until I save as PDF then Open then Save Ai

rather than making randomly updates and only changing the Program intro pictures Do best version and stop making updates

in early years we were using same illustrator version for long years without any issues in these days every week there is update and in every update there is new error

[Monika Gause]

I've never seen this error.

As you might have read in this thread, in this case it has been caused by a corrupt element in a file. That can happen. If it happens regularly, you might want to check your hardware and system.

You can contact Support for help with your system at https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html They can login to your system.

[halak89673974]

yes I have the latest macbook pro and latest illustrator and ive been trying to save my file for a deadline for the past 3 hours and the file is just not saving, exporting nothing  and i keep getting this message 

[John24472726qybf]

Do you happen to be using Extensis Connect as a font Manager? 

[Anubhav M]

Hello @halak89673974,

I hope John24472726qybf's suggestions helped resolve the problem. If not, kindly check if your document has any object/layer that might be causing this problem, temporarily disabling it, and then saving to see if it helps.

Alternatively, try saving the file as a PDF with the option for "Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities" checked or saving the file as a Cloud Document (https://adobe.ly/3Tov6Tb) to see if it helps.

Looking forward to hearing from you.
Anubhav

[neelk43188084]

To solve this I just ungroup everything and save the file again. EUREKA! it works.
I am not sure it will work for everyone, but it works for me at least. So just sharing my way.

[Casamia]

This is STILL an issue in Illustrator 2025. It's working fine in the 2023 version. It's not problem text or legacy whatever. It's your problem Adobe. I pay you for this software. Stop blaming it on me. Never mind trying to get all your AI crap into the software - fix it so it works for the people who actually use it every day. If I'm risking losing all my hard work, it's NOT worth it.

[Moeez85]

I’ve tried all the methods, but nothing seems to work. However, I’ve discovered the right solution that will always work. If nothing else helps, the best approach is to identify the specific object in the document causing the issue. Sometimes, it can be as small as a dot.

For example, if you have five artboards:

1. Select the first artboard (objects+text) and press Ctrl + X to cut it.
2. Then, press Ctrl + S to save the document.
3. If an error appears, press Ctrl + Z to undo the action and move to the next artboard.
4. Repeat this process for all the artboards until you find the one causing the issue.
   
   

Once you’ve identified the problematic artboard, gradually select objects or text within it and repeat the same procedure. This method will help you pinpoint the exact object causing the problem.

[Yolanda34282227tkla]

Hi, same here using version 29.2.1 and still experiencing this issue. I cannot open my file. Cannot get past this warning. Illustrator just quit itself once I clicked OK. 

[Ihdaa37445190jayf]

Hello, I still suffer from this issue and I tried all the solutions above and nothing worked. This is super annoying