Illustrator Crashes When Copying - Illustrator 29.6.1 / Win 11

[Boon23853857gxj4]

I’m experiencing an issue with Adobe Illustrator where I cannot copy anything. Both Ctrl+C and right-click > Copy cause the software to crash immediately. This has been happening repeatedly throughout the day.

Could you please advise on the cause and any possible solution? It’s really frustrating that Illustrator can’t handle such a basic function like copying without crashing.

[martink15467522]

can you provide the KB number for the update?

[Brian31131027225n]

Undock the source window and use Alt drag to copy the elements into the destination - This temporary workaround works for me. Exact placement  is more difficult though.

[stig_4742]

Illustrator crashes when copy and paste, I uninstall the latest version and tried a previous version is the same issue.  It just happened today 8/13 and most latest Windows update patches was updated in July.  It seems the issue not come from Windows update.  Please fix it ASAP, all business operation is stuff because of Illustrator. 

[Ram24576970j07z]

This is a critical issue impacting our entire design team since 8th July.
Problem: Every time we copy any text in Adobe Illustrator, it freezes and crashes instantly – 100% reproducible.

We have already tried all standard fixes:

1. Uninstall & reinstall Illustrator – no change
2. Updated Windows & graphics drivers – no change
3. Adobe Support: Granted folder-level rights, installed Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable – no change
4. Tested on a completely fresh laptop – no change
5. All possible troubleshooting steps exhausted – still the same problem

Impact: We cannot work at all, deadlines are at risk, and productivity has come to a standstill.
Case number: ADB-41159593-K7R6 – Adobe closed the case without resolving the issue.

We urgently need help from the community or Adobe engineers.
Has anyone else faced this? Is there a temporary workaround?

[Dudabysco]

did you try to use 'Alt' instead of 'Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V' (temporarily)?

[suwinai_7988]

when copy illustrator will closed automatic, i uninstall the latest version and tried a previous version is the same issue. please fis it ASAP.

[Dudabysco]

did you try to use 'Alt' instead of 'Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V' (temporarily)?

[Scott31033260tugx]

Meanwhile, Adobe continues to cash our monthly checks.

[Rodrigo Greoles]

I just updated Illustrator directly from CC, and now it seems to be working fine...

[Dudabysco]

Did you try to use 'Alt' instead of 'Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V'?

I work at a multinational company as an advertising professional, and I need to open several Illustrator files throughout the day. I frequently use the COPY and PASTE function. However, every time I try to use the shortcut or the right-click option, the program freezes and closes automatically. This happens with any file I open. In my department, three other colleagues also have Adobe licenses; one of them has the same issue as I do, while the others don’t experience this problem. Our operating system is Windows, and we are using the latest version of Illustrator.

I have just shared my screen with my company’s IT department — they reinstalled everything, but it still didn’t work. They mentioned it might be a bug in Adobe’s software. I contacted Adobe Support, who were very responsive. This is the step-by-step they recommended, which didn’t work for me (but I’m writing it here in case it helps someone else):

• "Illustrator's GPU acceleration can cause instability on some systems. Go to Edit > Preferences > Performance and uncheck ‘GPU Performance’. Restart Illustrator and try copying again" → I DID THIS, DIDN’T WORK;

• "May I know if the problem happens in a specific file or in all files?" → YES, ALL FILES;

• "I understand your concern. Could you try copying and pasting into a new document once? Create a new blank file in Illustrator and try copying the same object or text. If it works there, the problem may be related to the original file’s structure or corruption" → I DID THIS, DIDN’T WORK;

• "In that case, could you try copying through the Layers panel: select the object, right-click in the Layers panel, and choose Duplicate? Or try dragging and dropping between documents instead of copy and paste. Let me know if that helps" → I DID THIS, DIDN’T WORK.
  
  

Adobe Support also mentioned:
"Illustrator crashing when copying is a known issue, especially in certain versions such as 29.6.1 and 29.7 on Windows 11. A possible workaround is saving the file as EPS before copying. Other possible solutions include disabling GPU preview, resetting preferences, or trying an older version of Illustrator."

Saving as EPS is not a viable option for me; I had already tried disabling GPU yesterday and it didn’t work. We haven’t tested using an older version yet, but that might cause compatibility issues with my existing files. They replied:
"Yes, using an older version of Adobe Illustrator can create compatibility issues with files saved in newer versions. While newer versions usually open older files without major problems, saving a newer file to an older-compatible format can lead to the loss of recent features, possible layout issues, or even data corruption. We suggest temporarily disabling Microsoft Defender to check if it’s interfering with the copy/paste function. Additionally, resetting Illustrator preferences to default can sometimes fix unexpected behavior."

They also informed me:
"I would like to inform you that this is already a known and reported issue and our product team is working tirelessly to fix it as early as possible. However, for now: Microsoft has released a new update for Microsoft Defender today. Please update Windows to the latest version and verify that Microsoft Defender is updated to version 1.435.148."

I replied that I am unable to update the antivirus because my company’s IT team is based in another country, and it would take a long time to obtain the necessary permissions.

---

SOLUTION

Support suggested:
*"For now, we have two workarounds available for this issue: 1 - Hold down the Alt key and drag the objects to copy; 2 - Save the files to Creative Cloud as Cloud Documents and work on them there, as this probably won’t cause the application to crash."*

I chose the first option (very straightforward) and it worked: USING THE "ALT" KEY. I used to work with SHIFT + CTRL + ALT before but hadn’t remembered this possibility.

In conclusion, the definitive solution is still pending:
"Apparently, we do not have any exact ETA available as of now, but it is being prioritized to fix it as soon as possible."

[Davide370543197h07]

I had the ctrl+c crash since August 1, 2025. This morning I updated windows with the latest cumulative update "2025-08 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems (KB5063878) (26100.4946)" and know Illustrator is not crashing anymore when I do a ctrl+c. Crossing my fingers that it will last.

[Bobby Henderson]

NVidia released a new Studio driver update on August 12. Their release notes don't mention any specific fixes for Adobe applications. Hopefully the improvements might still help overcome the crash problems on affected computer systems anyway.

[Troy21807623k5aa]

This worked for me! I can't believe it's taken over 2 weeks for a solution.
Thank you, David!

[christopher_7617]

We're experiencing the same issue on our Windows 11 machine with Adobe Illustrator—regardless of the version, including the latest release. Whenever we attempt to paste any content into either the same document or a different/new document, Illustrator always crashes immediately. 

We've tried every solution suggested in this forum, but none have resolved the issue. Pasting any type of object continues to cause the application to crash.

Has anyone been in contact with Adobe regarding this? Is there an official fix (not a workaround) currently in development?

Please note that we work in a secure company enviroment and can't easily downgrade Windows versions or uninstall built in Windows software.

[keiths55952771]

I did a test last night. 

I got on my personal laptop (not company issued) and made sure that Windows was updated, Creative cloud was updated, Illustrator, Photoshop were updated.
I opend Illustrator, drew a sqaure, CTRL + A to select all and then CTRL + C. I then FILE --> NEW --> Picked a size....then CTRL + V and it worked perfectly.....no crashing.

So, my conclusion is that it is the corporation part of  Illustrator.....but my lingering question is "Then why doesn't it do it on other Adobe products?.  

[keiths55952771]

Woo hoo....I just checked and it seems to be working again.

Someone mentioned that their company updated the WINDOWS DEFENDER to the latest patch and it worked. 

I tried it and it did work. In fact, I left Illustrator open all night. I tried the COPY/PASTE and where it was given me/us the crash immediately, it wasn't.

[OGD_RON]

Installed a Windows security update this morning, after that the problem didn't occur.

[nunob31682857]

Hi, I had the same issue and I solved changing the graphic card setting from  "graphics and process" to "graphics tasks only" on workstation tab.

I hope it help.

[kind_intuition5771]

Whoa- this actually worked! Maybe Adobe will drop an official post with this solution. Also, a new Windows update is supposedly fixing this bug as well. Good luck yal!

[Marc-Antoine23230375xi4v]

The Nvidia control panel solutions works for me too. 
Type nvidia control panel to access those options and go to workstation. 

[Sheri25420699n6dl]

there was a Windows Defender update this morning, and now I am able to copy in illustrator once again!! Security "Intelligence Update for Microsoft Defender Antivirus - KB2267602 (Version 1.435.150.0) - Current Channel (Broad)"

[Sébastien33448189os5f]

I confirm that I got the same update. I also did an update of my Nvidia driver. 
I quickly tested it and it seems I can now copy again successfully in Illustrator. 
Thank god. 
Crossing fingers that this problem doesn't come back.

[Mystical_artist1591]

I support a large org of 5000.  All at once, I got 3 tickets for this. All users are on Windows 10, not windows 11 (as mentioned by OP).  We've tried uninstalling/reinstalling, and also using the Adobe clean uninstaller tool. Also upgraded one of the users to win11, still an issue. I am personally on win11, i do NOT have the issue, can't seem to figure out how to "reproduce" the issue on my machine. So I am confused by what's at play here, and not sure how to resolve it OR even provide a workaround.  But since the most recent Adobe response was to "roll back an update" that doesn't make a ton of sense because in our scenario it impacts machines regardless of exact windows version

[Bobby Henderson]

A security update for Windows 10 was also pushed to users in the past day or two. The update may apply the same fixes people are seeing in Windows 11 systems. I applied the OS update to my Alienware notebook last night. I'm not sure how many more updates Windows 10 will receive before official support for the OS ends in a couple of months.

[karla28832921qwzr]

I had the same issue, seems like it's working again today though. I didn't attempt to change anything on my laptop as it's company issued and was just waiting for Adobe to release a fix. Hoping the rest of you all have working software again too!