Illustrator file wont open: Illustrator could partially read this file

[OscarSaragossi]

Hi there,

Been working on a pdf portfolio for the past month and today when I tried to open it, I got the message: 

"Illustrator could partially read 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 select open I get another message: Acrobat pdf file format is having difficulties. Invalid Transparency group"

If someone has a solution, I would be so happy. I can't afford to lose the time I spent on this 😞

[Monika Gause]

Plese tell us your version and system and also in which file format exactly using which versions you saved this file. Also: where did you save it?

Do you have a backup? You might need it.

[OscarSaragossi]

Thanks so much for your reply.

Im on version 27.2, Im working on a 16 inch macbook pro 2019, 2.3 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9.

Unfortunately I do not have a recent backup 😞

[Monika Gause]

Did you save this as a PDF? If so, which options did you select?

And where did you save it?

How large is the file currently? And is that size reasonable concerning what should be inside?

Did Illustrator crash when you last saved the file?

[OscarSaragossi]

I haven't saved it as a PDF just an .ai file. The file is 213.6 MB. To be honest with you, I'm not sure if that's a reasonable size. I'm sure some of the photos I have in there are bigger than they should be.

Here's how the problem started. I placed a fairly large image into the document, and it immediately went into outlines because I guess the file was too large. I removed the photo, and several other large ones. Saved the file, then closed illustrator and restarted my computer. 

When I tried to reopen it after a restart, thats when I began receiving the error message.

[Monika Gause]

OK. So the AI part of the file might have been damaged and Illustrator tries to open the embedded PDF instead.

What you could try: Make a copy of the file and then try to open it in Acrobat. Does that work? Anything missing?

In Illustrator: uncheck the option "Save in background" in the preferences. Saving will take longer, but it's safer.

Always save to the internal disk.

Turn on Time Machine

Get some external storage and make backups at least of your important work. Save different version. This is for the future.

For your current file: maybe @Anshul_Saini can help. There might not be a lot of hope.

[OscarSaragossi]

When I try to open the copied file I saved under a different name in acrobat I get a message that says there was an error processing a page. Invalid transparency group. Does this mean the problem is only on one page? Is there a way to remove that page if so?

I have reached out directly to @Anshul_Saini

Thanks for help! Appreciate the quick replies during this stressful time!

[Monika Gause]

And does the file open at all?

The engineers are the only ones who can try and remove anything inside your file.

[OscarSaragossi]

I can't get the file to open at all. No.

Does this mean there is nothing that can be done?

[Monika Gause]

The engineers can perhaps help you, but there might not be a lot of hope. It's the weekend. I don't know when they will come back to you.

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @OscarSaragossi,

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing difficulty opening your Illustrator file. I understand how frustrating it can be to work on something for so long only to have it potentially lost or damaged.

I'd be happy to help you investigate the issue further. Would you mind sharing the file with me so that I can take a closer look?

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[edwardh25110985]

I too have this exact same issue.  I beleive it started when I unchecked the "save as pdf compatible file" in the save dialouge box.  Upon opening the file, i get the "illustrator could partially this file".  When i press ok, i get "acrobat pdf file format is having difficulties. invalid transparency group".  I'm about to lose a lot of work, please help.  I can send the file as needed.  Thank you.

[edwardh25110985]

im on a mac, illustrator version 27 2023

[Monika Gause]

That doesn't sound good.

It won't help with the current issue, but can you turn off "Save in background" in the preferences?

@Anshul_Saini can you please take a look at the file?

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @edwardh25110985,

I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue with your Illustrator file. I understand how frustrating it can be to lose your work.

I'd be happy to take a look at your file and try to recover it for you. Please share the file with me (https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator-discussions/share-your-files-in-6-simple-steps/td-p/12967...), and I will do my best to recover it for you.

Please note that there is no guarantee that the file can be fully recovered, as it depends on the extent of the damage. However, I will try my best to recover as much of your work as possible.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Muhammad29897977c9tu]

Hey Anshul, can you please help me to recover my file? It says، illustrator could partially read this file

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Muhammad29897977c9tu,

I'm here to help you with recovering your Illustrator file. I understand that you're encountering an error message stating, "Illustrator could partially read this file." This error message typically indicates that the file was not saved/ copied/ downloaded properly and there is some corruption in the PDF data of the Ai file. Although the recovery process is not always guaranteed, I will surely try my best. Please upload the file to CC or any similar service and share the download link here or via DM with me.

Thanks,

Anshul Saini