Illustrator is very unstable

[alvaro257685316ljl]

For about a month now, Illustrator keeps shutting down unexpectedly and I get the message asking if I want to send an error report. Sometimes it recovers the file, but it’s quite frustrating. This only happens with Illustrator — not with InDesign or Photoshop. What’s going on?Also, the files I’m working with are not very complex.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @alvaro257685316ljl,

Sorry to hear Illustrator has been crashing frequently, that definitely shouldn't be happening. Could you let me know which version of Illustrator and OS you're using, and whether this happens with specific files or tools? If you've noticed any particular pattern, like crashes during a certain action, that would be helpful to know.

If you see the Adobe crash reporter dialog when Illustrator shuts down, please go ahead and submit the report and share the email address you entered via DM, so I can check the logs with the team. Reference: https://adobe.ly/4oraU1e

Also, please try the steps listed in this crash troubleshooting guide and let me know how it goes: https://adobe.ly/3UOSlX3

If you're able to capture a short screen recording of the crash, that would really help us dig deeper.

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

[alvaro257685316ljl]

Thanks for the answer. the version I use is 29.7.1 (64 bits) and i´m using windows 10.

There isn’t a specific tool that causes the crash. Sometimes it happens when copying and pasting, other times with the shape builder... it’s not always the same. I always click to send the error report. I’ll review the troubleshooting guide to see if I can find an answer. Thanks.

[Bill Silbert]

Have you tried resetting your Illustrator preferences? This will restore the program to its defaults and, hopefully, fix the performance issues.

To reset preferences in Windows:

You can try the quick way of resetting on a PC which is to hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift when launching Illustrator and respond affirmatively when asked if you want to reset. There have been some recent reports that the window asking if you want to reset is not popping up but that the prefs are being reset anyway. If this works great but if it doesn’t you may have to manually delete them.

To do so: On Windows 7 and above the preference files are hidden. To find them go to the Control Panel and open Folder Options and then click the View tab. Then select “Show hidden files and folders” or “Show hidden files, folders or drive options” in Advanced Settings. Then delete (or rename) the folder at the end of this path: C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator [version number]\ Settings\<Language>. Make sure that Illustrator is closed when you do this. When you relaunch the program it will create new preference files and the program will be at its default settings.

The advantage of manually deleting preference files is that after you’ve reset up the program (make sure that no document window is open) to your liking, you can create copies of your personalized “mint” preference files (make sure that you quit the program before copying them—that finalizes your customization) and use them in the future to replace any corrupt versions you may need to delete.

[alvaro257685316ljl]

Thank you very much for your reply. I have a question: which file exactly do I need to delete or rename? I don’t quite understand what you mean by “the one at the end of the path.” When I get to Settings<Language>, there are many files. Which one should I rename or delete? Thanks again!

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @alvaro257685316ljl,

When you reach the Settings<Language> folder, there's no need to delete files one by one. You can simply delete or rename the entire Settings folder. Illustrator will recreate a fresh folder with default preferences the next time you launch it. Just be sure to close Illustrator before making the change. You can also check the detailed steps here: https://adobe.ly/45QEnKF

Go ahead and give it a try, and let me know how it goes.

Abhishek

[alvaro257685316ljl]

Hello. Well, after several attempts, deleting the settings several times, the problem persists. After deleting the settings, it remains stable for two or three days, but then it keeps happening. Does anyone have any other solution? Can I reinstall the program? And how can I save my preferences that I can import again later? Thank you very much!