Illustrator error "An unknown error has occurred"

[jessicar67402057]

I am working in an .ai file that I have saved frequently before. Suddenly when I try to save the file, I get an error that reads "an unknown error has occurred" and the file won't save at all, anywhere. I have not seen this error message before and have had no issues opening or saving the file up until this point.

I need to have the file as an .ai file (not .eps or any other format). I am working in Illustrator CC (2015.3) and using macOS Sierra.

[Graphics_Dimensione]

This post is mostly informative to both the adobe community and developers.

Since the release of Illustrator 25.1 I've been unable to save in .ai and/or .eps on my local disk (HDD/SDD), so I've been forced to save everything in Adobve ccloud (.aic).

However, I recently seemed to find the issue: when choosing .ai/.eps as saving formats, I am forced to unlock and make ALL layers visible in order to be able to save on ANY local disk. Otherwise, it will throw the famous "An unknown error has occurred".

Hope this helps.

[StephanieWurm]

Hi! Same thing happens to me!

Some files I have been working on and saving for days without problem and suddenly the "an unknown error message has ocurred" pops up (maybe 10 minutes after successfully saving the file) and from there on I'm unable to save/save as the file. I have to take everything to Photoshop, paste as intelligent object, close & open illustrator, open the intelligent object, take it to a new file and then save it. This is a real pain and unacceptable, as it renders the working process unefficient and makes me lose work constantly. Sometimes the same problem file later on will open and save without issues again, sometimes the error persists, it's a real lottery.

Illustrator 25.1

Mac Os 10.15.7

No hidden/blocked layers or objects (sometimes it's the simplest vector file with only 1 layer)

Ocurrs with local disks and external hard drives

I really hope somebody at Adobe takes this issue seriously - as I can see looking at the forum there are posts from as far back as 2014 without viable solutions given.

[abdulrahmanSHD]

i had the same issue,

you need to check you have enough space in your harddesk, where Adobe illustrator is installed

you can try this solution.

it may or may not work but it did for me

[Larkef]

I solved this issue by freeing up space on my HD. I was working with a 500mb file and did not have enough space to save the changes I made to the file.

Try emptying the trash and remove large files you no longer need.

[GatzkeRob]

One thing that worked for me was to uncheck the following during the saving process:

"Create PDF Compatible File"

"Use Compression"

While this might not be a permanent solution, it should allow you to save your current document without losing hours of work.

Once saved, you should check for updates and restart your computer.

[Jabbar Umar]

I tried to delete the assets one by one while I saved the file, apparently "an unknown error" can be solved by rasterizing some png files! I don't know the cause, maybe a problem with the file being too large for enough effects

[DEAR BD]

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @DEAR BD 

Apologies for the inconvenience! Could you please share a few more details to help us better understand the issue?

• What is your operating system and the version of Illustrator you're using?
• When does this error occur? Is it while working on a file, using a specific tool, or during saving/exporting?

We’re here to assist, and with a bit more information, we’ll work to resolve this for you.

Regards,

Srishti 

[pearly_6213]

Hi, I have the same problem here. May I know are your problem settle?

[Monika Gause]

---

pearly_6213  schrieb:

Hi, I have the same problem here. May I know are your problem settle?

---

Probably a different solution for everyone. The thread is 5 pages long. Did you read them all?

[Anubhav M]

Hello @pearly_6213,

Would you mind sharing more details, like the OS/Illustrator version, if this happens when working with specific files or files from a specific folder, and if you get this problem when trying to save or export, so I can better assist you?

Also, try the suggestions shared here earlier, as Monika suggested, and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav