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Julia31481531lbew
Participant
August 3, 2023
Question

Illustrator could partially read this file > Acrobat PDF File Format is having difficulties

  • August 3, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 8487 views

I've encountered a serious problem with an Illustrator file containing a large amount of work that I cannot afford to lose. After my most recent save of the file, I'm no longer able to open it.

 

When I try to open the file, I get a message that  

"Illustrator could partially open this file. We recovered as much of the file as possible, but some content might be missing. Open to view the recovered file."

 

When I click "Open," I get a second message that says

"Acrobat PDF File Format is having difficulties. Object label badly formatted. Learn more"

 

I have tried the following solutions without success:

  • Updating Illustrator (to Illustrator 27.7)
  • Opening the file on both a Mac (MBP 2021, Apple M1 Pro Chip, 32 GB RAM) and a PC (ConceptD, i7 Intel Core processor, 16 GB RAM)
  • Opening the .ai file in Acrobat (I get a message that "There was an error opening this document. There was a problem reading this document (109).")
  • Changing the file extension to .pdf to try to open it in Acrobat
  • Placing the problematic .ai file in a new .ai file
  • Opening the .ai file in Affinity Designer 2

 

I emailed the affected file (~8.2MB) to file@adobe.com about two weeks ago but didn't receive a response... 😞

 

Is there anyone here that has encountered a similar issue and been able to get their file to open? Or are there any Adobe folks that can help?

 

Thanks in advance.

    4 replies

    C
    Colorful_master8718
    Participant
    April 22, 2025

    I need help I have same issue with the file on google drive

    B
    Community Expert
    Bobby HendersonCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    April 22, 2025

    Which version of Illustrator was the document saved? Or is it a file exported from a rival graphics application?

    D
    defaultmnsfvhexxz1e
    Participant
    December 27, 2024

    Hi, I have the same issue except when I press "open" after 
    "Illustrator could partially open this file. We recovered as much of the file as possible, but some content might be missing. Open to view the recovered file." 

     

    The file opens with one artboard with this message posted a bunch
    "This is an Adobe® Illustrator® File that was saved without PDF Content. To Place or open this file in other applications, it should be re-saved from Adobe Illustrator with the "Create PDF Compatible File" option turned on. This option is in the Illustrator Native Format Options dialog box, which appears when saving an Adobe Illustrator file using the Save As command."

    I understand I intentionally saved the file without the PDF compatibility as I wanted to reduce the overall document size. It's currently 2.46GB (I know its quite massive) and can still see everything in the thumbnail on Illustrator's recently open. I've tried opening the file on different programs and followed other troubleshooting solutions with no luck. 

     

    Is there any way I can salvage anything? 

    I'm using a fully maxed out M1 max MacBook Pro.

    Thanks in advance.

    A
    Community Manager
    Anubhav MCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    December 30, 2024

    Hello @defaultmnsfvhexxz1e,

    Would you mind sharing a link to a sample file after uploading to Dropbox/Google Drive/etc. so I can check it on our end? Although I cannot guarantee a successful recovery, I will try our best to do so.


    Looking forward to hearing from you.

     

    Anubhav

    N
    Nguyet32784627ilpn
    Participant
    January 6, 2025

    Hello, I am also having the same problem and cannot open a very important file. I really need help from Adobe support staff, can you please help me as soon as possible?
    Here is the file link: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AobzhdUjlVEJnb9bMrnfSmQitZMM6w?e=NUIUUq
    And here is my personal email: phungnguyet.ecom@gmail.com please contact me when there is new information, thank you very much

    Anshul_Saini
    Community Manager
    Anshul_SainiCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 22, 2023

    Hello @Julia31481531lbew,

     

    I apologize for the trouble you're facing and the delayed response. It sounds like your Illustrator file might have become corrupted, and unfortunately, there isn't always a guaranteed solution for this issue.

     

    In newer versions of Illustrator, there are built-in mechanisms to attempt to recover files automatically. However, if Illustrator is giving you messages about partial opening and PDF format issues, it indicates that the corruption might be severe.

     

    I understand the importance of your work, and I'm sorry to hear about your situation. As a potential step, please share the direct download link to your problematic file. You can upload it to services like Google Drive or Adobe Creative Cloud and then provide the link either here or through direct message. This way, I can try to take a closer look at the file and see if there's any possible workaround or solution.

     

    Thank you for your understanding, and I'll do my best to assist you further.

     

    Best,
    Anshul Saini

    Q
    qamar28950901xnmg
    Participant
    August 5, 2024

    sir here is my file please repair it if  ok please send me on my mail badisha.balti@gmail.com

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCqqZCUrc2QpeWEId_JzyLm-h-o0uoQ7/view?usp=sharing

    A
    Community Manager
    Anubhav MCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 5, 2024

    Hello @qamar28950901xnmg,

    Thank you for sharing the file with us. Despite attempting to recover from the file, regrettably, there was nothing left to salvage. We understand this may not be the ideal outcome, and we 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, we recommend saving your work locally first and then manually copying it to your desired backup location.

    Additionally, were you experiencing crashes in Illustrator when this issue occurred? If so, we suggest trying the troubleshooting steps outlined in this help article (https://adobe.ly/3Yt94T3) to see if it resolves the problem.

     

    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.

     

    Thanks,

    Anubhav

    Monika Gause
    Community Expert
    Monika GauseCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 3, 2023

    @Anshul_Saini can you please take a look at this?

     

    This is the reason why you always, ALWAYS should save multiple versions of a file. Keep back versions, because saving can go terribly wrong. If you are worrying about disk space: an additional harddisk is always cheaper than having to redo the work. You are using a Mac, turn on Time Machine.

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