Illustrator application window moves behind everything when I try to move it (mac)

[charlesc41889467]

It's a little difficult to explain this properly, but whenever I try to move the Illustrator program window to another part of my screen, it instantly moves behind every other program window I have open. Even if I just move it a teeny tiny bit...boom... now it's behind all the programs I have open. It is very annoying and I can't find a solution anywhere. I dropped in "before and after" screenshots if they help at all. You can see the "Pathfinder" toolbar is still in front of the Chrome window so it's definitely a weird glitch. The issue doesn't happen with any other Adobe program either. I have updated to the latest vesion of AI a few times and still no luck. I have a 2021 Macbook Pro. Anyone have a solution? Thank you.

[Ron Brancato]

I'm a professional illustrator and it continually happens to me and is extremely frustrating! I expect better out of Adobe.

[Jamie ReadsDirect]

This problem it's been for months Ron, sorry for you because seems you might use Illustrator quite often.

[andyp85260690]

It's actually been well over a year. The answer labelled 'correct' is anything but so. It requires resetting your workspace so that all you custom, regularly used tools and menus are hidden, which is more of a pain and disruption than this ongoing fault. 

Does anyone know if Adobe are still actively working on it, let alone viewing this thread? 

[meh67]

Im in the same boat as you andyp - although I did succumb and change my workspace. which worked for a bit, then it seems the problem now is sporadic. As a Graphic Designer who uses Adobe Illustrator, Indesign and Photoshop all at the same time on a daily basis - this is quite annoying. Luckily I have two screens so I can keep the overlap issues to a minumum. I have also rebuilt my workspace back to exactly how it was before and I will go days without having a problem - then all of  a sudden - the problem prairie-dogs its stupid head for me to deal with again. The frustration is real, my friend!

[Randy_111]

I agree with you all, Adobe should fix this issue! At the same time I finally just bit the bullet and  redid my workspace, I just don't think this is the top of their priorities. The other thing I though about was, everytime either Ai or PS goes bad and I have to redue my Prefs, it's usually something to do with my workspace. I don't think they carry though from verion to version that well. Again an Adobe problem that we all suffer for.

[Mike-PandaV]

It has been a LOOONG year issue for sure and I must say they are trying,  just don't understand why they can't find bad code by date of issue but I'm not a programmer. I have tried all the Beta's and other so called fixes and don't even want to count the lost billable hours BUT my go to now is; Double click the Adobe app bar at top to minimize the window to the dock then click the desktop and another program window and then go back to your Adobe app, because Photoshop and Illustrator both do it, and it works until you click another program window out of Adobe.  

[Randy_111]

Knock on wood, I have not had happen again since I redid my workspace. I used the new Essentials as the starting  point for my new custom workspace in Ai.

[Mike-PandaV]

Murphy's Law, right after i posted... now when I click on Photoshop from Illustrator it does it... even to the other Adobe  window makes it happen again. So that said if it's a backgraound to forground issue then I believe it's more of an IOS issue which means Apple probably is in a "not our problem it's yours" stance... Just saying

[Jesper Storm Bache]

FYI: This happens when you have a drawer open. If you close the drawer, this issue does not occur.

[katherine83599283]

Mine has now started in Photoshop too! It is so frustrating, and makes it hard to work. I just recently bought a new macbook pro, that is when this started happening. Adobe HELP!

[jeremyc83162335]

This issue is incredibly frustrating because when you're in the middle of working, your window suddenly gets minimized behind all the other open windows. Despite several updates, this problem still persists. Adobe, could you please address this bug sometime soon? It would be insanely appreciated. 

[brianw98955622]

How has this not been fixed?!

It's 02/12/24 and I'm still having this issue. We shouldn't need workarounds for this issue. We pay a lot of $$ for these apps. And have since 2000. C'mon.

[Ron Brancato]

As a professional illustrator, I've been an Adobe user since the early 90s and I'm very frustrated with this as well. Are you really going to hold this over us with your monopoly of software that we depend on? Your attitude with this lingering problem is insulting and quite unprofessional. Pour some of the megabucks you rake in for our subscriptions and fix this immediately!

[akwong]

This is still an issue for me. But I found the cause of it (at least for me). I setup my workspace to have some of my panels open up as tabs (or whatever they're actually called). If I have a panel opened and try to move the Illustrator window then it  moves behind everything. But closing the panel before moving Illustrator will have no problem. I'm guessing it has to do with the way the App was developed to display those panels over everything. And instead of making it go above the  everything, it's set to push everything else back.

[Mike-PandaV]

Akong, I found the same to work for me as well as a temporary fix and it's called Stage Dock, also figured out if you hold shift you can have the two windowos open at the same time to tranfer art like from AI to PS or InD. Still a pian in the butt to have to do it this way especially if you have a big Monitor and you like being able to click back and forth. I have also noticed a new glitch with the curser going from percise and back or from text to something back it gets stuck and you have to click out of the window or even close the page and open it back up... Crazy stuff going on.

[adrianh70193946]

Utter nightmare! Everytime I update Illustrator it happens ... I click on the top header bar and all other OS windows jump to the front. This is just not good enough from Adobe. I'm working on a 2019 iMac.

This is also happening on my newly updated Photoshop too.

Apple/Adobe sort it out!

[analytical_fantasy5C57]

This issue has now spread to the latest version of Photoshop as well!!

[adrianh70193946]

Yes agreed! I have exactly the same issue in new version of Photoshop.

All suggestions that have been made on this issue have been for me,
temporary fixes, that last no more than 10 mins!

There seems no permanent fix that I can see that stops the issue.

[Mike-PandaV]

Hi, there is a little work around for it by using the new function in system settingd under something called Stage Dock. It docs all windows to the left side of your desk top. Easch window docs so you have open space then just hold shift and click on the extra windo you want open to work with Illustrator or Photoshop. to close the extra window just click hide or double click the top bar like usual. It's not favorable but works a little bit. Hope that eases some of the frustration for you all.

[Ron Brancato]

Excuse me, but as a fellow sufferer of this hidden-window syndrome I wish to pipe in about another issue with these complaints. Spelling. Assuming you are in some sort of graphic design role or another type of artistic endeavor, can you please read what you wrote and check your spelling as it must reflect your work ethic? The problem is frustrating enough with this Adobe guffaw without trying to navigate poorly spelled commentaries. Fair enough?

[meh67]

Dude, seriously. Who cares? He was trying to provide some assistance here. I understood what he meant even with some typos - did you not?. C'mon! I got an email notification because the spelling police showed up... on a community forum?? (rolls eyes).

[Jill357561613e00]

A dash after 'complaints' would be the correct form punctuation to create the emphasis you desired, not a full stop. So, '...as a fellow sufferer of this hidden-window syndrome I wish to pipe in about another issue with these complaints–spelling.'

Fair enough?

[jeremyc83162335]

The person who checks grammar on a message board does not contribute anything significant to the problem. 

[Ron Brancato]

Good catch! An em dash to be precise. BTW: Grammar and punctuation are essential for good communication. That's my point. Some people care.

[meh67]

Any insight into the problem from the OP? Any at all? Otherwise your comments could be on any post on any message board, anywhere in the world.  You could literally do that a thousand times a day. It would be more appropriate (and actually useful) on a grammar message board. Maybe ill go find one and ask THEM if they know how to fix this Adobe Illustrator problem - im sure they will be scratching their heads as much as we are about your spelling issues here.