Illustrator CS6 - opens in window too small

[Guest]

Anytime I double-click on an Illustrator file to open it, the Illustrator CS6 window opens up too small to view the file. It comes up with an error message that says "Can't open the illustration. There is not enough room for the window; increase document area and try again."

If I then click on the box to expand the Illustrator window to full-size, then I can open the file. It's just frustrating that everytime I try to open an AI file by double-clicking on it, I get this error message.

[Larry G. Schneider]

Turn off the Application Frame from the Window menu if you can.

[Guest]

I cannot find an option under Window/ to turn off the Application Frame (in Windows 7 version).

[Larry G. Schneider]

The OS in your first post wopuld have been helpful. The Application Frame cannot be turned off in Windows.

[Guest]

If the default size for the Application Frame in Windows 7 is to be tiny, and not be big enough to view any illustrations, then I think this is a software error that could be fixed.

[Larry G. Schneider]

You might try resetting the Preferences. Hold down Ctrl-Alt-Shift on restarting the application. You should get a dialog asking if you want to reset the preferences; say yes.

[Guest]

I found the answer. If you go to Edit/Preferences/User Interface/ and unselect the checkbox marked "Open Documents As Tabs" then Adobe Illustrator will open normally when you click on an AI file. See image.

[ajtrevi]

I am having the same problem, also Windows 7, and this solution did not fix the problem. I've had this version for three months now and it only just started doing this. Unfortunately I didn't note when it started to check if it had to do with an update or something.

[ajtrevi]

This bug causes the most hassle with email attachments that are not saved anywhere yet. However, when I go File > Open Recent Files, the file is listed, even with email attachments. When I double click on the file from there it opens.

[Guest]

A little late to the party, but I've found this error only happens if the Illustrator window is maximized. If your window is not maximized, you should be able to double-click an .ai file and won't get the error. Still, it's a bug that should be addressed.

[Graphic Squirrel]

I am also having this problem in Windows 7.  I tried the fix (unchecking "open in tabs"), but that did not work.  Anytime I try to open Illustrator CS6, it opens in a tiny window.  Really annoying to have to max it every single time I open it.  This is whether or not I click on a file to open it or click on my desktop shortcut to open it.  Surely after a year, Adobe has released a fix to this problem.  Anybody know where I can find it? 

I'm also getting constant messages when I save saying Illustrator is not responding.  Over and over...  I know this isn't the spot for that, but my CS6 seems to be very buggy.

[emil_emil · Accepted solution]

Try and let me know if this helps, right click on your desktop shortcut and choose Properties. In the Shortcut tab choose Maximized from the menu next to Run.

[Graphic Squirrel]

You are a genius!  Thank you so much, it worked like a charm. 

[MMPtypsetting]

this almost fixed it for me (it got the error to go away but it still resized my window to a bad size).

what i did to fix it the rest of the way is set it to maximize as you said but  then, close illustrator and reset it back to normal window (in the shortcut options again)....and its all back where it should be.

[Steiner]

Great thanks emil emil - that fixed it! 

[ellockie]

Thanks emil emil, it worked for me!

[NartDezign]

Oh Yeah it worked! Only, I still lost 2hrs of work, because I was stuck with the small window and clicked "OK' and ℱailed TWICE. Before I found your amazing discovery! BUT IT WON'T HAPPEN NEXT TIME ☺ AMEN! 

[schroef]

This doesnt fix it sadly.

The way i got it fixed is once this happens simply resize that small window to a pretty big size. Then next time it will again resize the window, but you can get passed that error about the window being to small. Its still hideous that this bug is still in since 2012!!!!

[loew1]

This worked for me. CS6, Win7

[dcrook]

Like many I'm experiencing the same problem.  'Can't open the illustration.  There is not enough room for the window; increase document area and try again.'  Running Windows 7 - dual monitors although I don't believe that's the problem.  Tried the suggestion in preferences uncheck 'open documents as tabs' didn't work.  Tried Properties shortcut tab choose 'Maximized' didn't work.  This is what I find, when I right click to open a PDF in Illustrator - I can open the first  illustration (if it was closed using Exit), but I get this error on the second illustration I try to open in the same way.  If I close an illustration using the X than when I try to open the illustration the next time I get the error message.  If I chose Close or Ctrl W - the next time I open the application I get the error - HOWEVER, if I close the application by hitting Exit it will open properly the next time.  Even if the first illustration opens properly I still have a problem with the second one.  Can anyone help as this is a pain.  Been using CS6 for sometime but this just started happening ~ 3 months ago so it didn't start with the upgrade. 

[mnarlock]

I'm having the same issue with CC on Win 7.

[Captain_Penfold]

Using File>Exit and then clicking on the file to open it is the only thing that works for me.

[msyndicate]

I sort of ran into this problem and found the answers helpful but none solved my problem. The problem I had was not with the application window but the files I was opening. I'm on a laptop running Win 8.1 and CC2015. I have 2 or 3 monitors hooked up (including the LT) depending on my location and it happened in both instances. I have my application window on my left monitor with palettes attached together floating on top. I always open/move my file windows to the right monitor to maximize my work area. I hadn't had a problem with this ever. A few days ago I tried docking my attached group of palettes to the right side of the app window. That was the culprit. The moment I detached them, the windows started opening normally. I guess it was trying to fit it into the remaining space which wasn't much, not even the width of a palette.

[Charlie Aquino]

Ran into the same problem just recently using Win 10. I think I found a solution. With AI running maximized I pulled down the title bar to bring it to windowed mode. Then I resized the window manually to a comfortable working size. That's it.

Everytime I open and AI file by double clicking on explorer AI launches on windowed mode at the size I set.

[divyag1811]

@emil emil it worked!! thanks a lot!!