Illustrator Mac 2024 freezes on launch, won't start

[tunghoy]

It was running fine, then randomly stopped launching. When I try, it gets to the point of checking and initializing, then freezes. Always a different item that it's initializing when it freezes. What I have tried:

• Uninstalled from CC desktop and from Finder, reinstalled over and over and over.
• Used the Cleanup tool to remove Illustrator and CC desktop
• Deleted font cache using Terminal
• No 3rd party plugins or anything else to remove, no scripts to launch
• Removed Illustrator caches
• Removed beta version
• Rebooted several times

System info:

• M2 with 16 gb
• Sonoma 14.4.1
• System Monitor shows 9 gb free before trying to launch
• Monitor shows 12 gb used when launch attempt is in progress
• 95 gb disk available, trash is empty, iCloud is nearly full
• Other CC apps are installed but not running

Searching here shows this has been an issue for years. Any suggestions before I give up and start using something else?

[Freelance Creative]

It's knackered on a Mac so this one can't be blamed on Microsoft. Usual Adobe lack of quality control.

[Anubhav M]

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you're experiencing. I'd like to confirm if the issue started after installing the latest release. If so, other users have reported a similar issue, and we have found that completely reinstalling the application, as suggested by Monika, helps resolve it. Please try the following steps and let us know your observations:

1. Close all Adobe applications.
2. Remove Illustrator using the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool: https://adobe.ly/3LZDS68.
3. Reinstall Illustrator using the Creative Cloud Desktop application: https://adobe.ly/3LX80PC.
4. Relaunch Illustrator.

Thank you for your patience, and I hope this helps!

Anubhav

[MENGNI36016873t1wt]

Ji Jason, mine is mac, customer service told me to uninstall and manually delete every "Adobe" file in library, then reinstall back. is working now

[Monika Gause]

Did you install or update any Adobe Betas yesterday?

If so, uninstall them. Reboot. Does that work?

If not, then you can try if resetting the preferences works.

If not you have to uninstall, run the Adobe cleaner tool and reinstall. https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

This is a destructive process. If you first want to get some custom brushes and stuff out of your system, here are the locations: https://www.vektorgarten.de/illustrator-settings.html 

[Ben23379253kutf]

Uninstalling everything worked for me!

Simply uninstall all Adobe applications, including beta applications, then re-install Illustrator and or Photoshop.

My original issue was that I couldn't change the settings within Illustrator since the application would not open. After completing the steps above, I was able to go into Illustrators Settings > Plug-ins & Scratch Disks > Go down to Scratch Disks and change "Secondary" from none, to "Macintosh HD". 

Now everything is running smoothly, I hope this helps.

[Natalia30003129nzxn]

I have MacOS Sonoma 14.6. Same Issue! Please, help!

[MENGNI36016873t1wt]

mine is mac, customer service told me to uninstall and manually delete every "Adobe" file in library, then reinstall back. is working now

[tooncg]

uninstall Last and Install previous version

Photoshop 25.11 and Illustrator 28.6 

[Simon D E]

Hi
I've tried everything I know here...
Opened Illustrator this morning and it gets to the welcome screen where it shows your recent files and other options... as soon as I move my mouse to click something open the whole app disappears and crashes.
I've tried uninstalling/re-install (including removing prefs and plug-ins), tried installing previous version.... just crashes and disappears at the same point. Getting a bit stressed here. Can anyone help?
NOTE: InDesign and Photoshop are working perfectly fine..... it's just Illustrator.....
Many thanks 🙂

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Simon David,

We understand how frustrating it can be to encounter crashes in the middle of work. Would you mind trying the suggestions shared in this help article (https://adobe.ly/3SyJmJ2) and checking if they help? Also, kindly submit the crash report using your Adobe email address and share it here for quick tracking. Steps are shared here: (https://adobe.ly/3LM79RY). We appreciate your time and patience in helping us resolve this issue.

Thanks,
Anubhav

[Simon D E]

Many thanks Anhubav for your reply.
I used the Adobe Cleaner Tool to completely clean reinstall Illustrator. That initially worked. To double check all was well, I closed Illustrator and re-opened it, it crashed again as before. However, I am finding that a couple of attempts to "re-open" it using the dialogue box DOES eventually open it properly. I'm assuming there's something about my Mac/system that Illustrator alone does not seem happy when the app is opening.

[jihane38975726k2nr]

i have the same problem dont know what to do if you have any updates please share 😞 

[Monika Gause]

---

@jihane38975726k2nr  schrieb:

i have the same problem dont know what to do if you have any updates please share 😞 

---

Did you already reinstall it after using the Cleaner tool?

[jihane38975726k2nr]

Yes I did, and also the updates but nothing works..

[Simon D E]

It's not a complete "solve", but have you tried to use the "re-open" button a few times on the crash alert dialogue box?. It worked for me 2nd or 3rd time of asking....
I'm wondering if it's a bit of a 28.6 bug.

[Monika Gause]

Does it also happen when you boot into Safe Mode?

[Bobby Henderson]

Was Illustrator working alright previously? Sometimes a faulty driver for a graphics card or for an attached periphreal (such as a Wacom tablet) can cause Illustrator to crash. I wonder if your computer applied an update to something and that update isn't working so well with Illustrator. Not too long ago I had to roll back the driver of a Wacom tablet to an older version and use that for several months because the then-current one would crash Illustrator seconds after launching the application. 

Another factor is Illustrator's hardware requirements. There is the minimum standard Adobe lists on its web site (such as 8GB of RAM for memory requirements). In real world use cases the requirements can be higher. For a Windows-based PC I think 16GB of RAM is the bare minimum to run Illustrator. The Windows OS alone loads so many processes in the background. Anyone buying a new PC for graphics purposes should consider 32GB a starting point and go higher from there.

[Anubhav M]

Hello everyone,

We understand that encountering technical issues can be frustrating. Would you mind confirming if you have any beta Adobe apps installed on your computer? If yes, kindly try the following steps to check if they help:

- Close all Adobe applications
- Uninstall any installed Beta apps from Creative Cloud (https://adobe.ly/3SHqUOt)
- Relaunch Illustrator

If the problem persists, try removing Illustrator using the Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool (https://adobe.ly/3LUsoB9) and then reinstalling and share your observations.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,
Anubhav

[Walissimé]

I uninstalled all the Beta applications and it works!

[wmodist]

When working in Illustrator today it suddenly froze (spinning wheel + this programme doesn't react). At the same time Photoshop froze. Now I can't open nor re-install both programmes. Other Adobe software are working fine… MacBookPro M2 '23 build. Sonoma 14.5 Help!

[Anubhav M]

Hello @wmodist,

Hey there, we understand how frustrating it can be to encounter crashes in the middle of work. Would you mind trying the suggestions shared in these help articles (https://adobe.ly/3yfUMKQ) (https://adobe.ly/46o4ibk) and checking if they help? Also, kindly submit the crash report using your Adobe email address and share it here for quick tracking. Steps are shared here: (https://adobe.ly/4dhyuqL). We appreciate your time and patience in helping us resolve this issue.

Thanks,
Anubhav

[wmodist]

Hey Anubhav, I tried all of the solution mentioned, without succes… As to error logs, I've performed a Creative Cloud Cleaner Tool. It has sent a AdobeLogs. In attachement a screenshot of the activities manager… 

[wmodist]

OK, this is getting increasingly annoying. Indesign has the same problem. In fact, every programme that was opened at that moment is now not opening up anymore…

[wmodist]

Hey Anubhav. I got in contact with the helpdesk. Nothing helped. In the end I descided to uninstall everything with the Adobe Cleaner App https://helpx.adobe.com/be_nl/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

That did the trick.

I still find it a strange story. Anyway, happy that it's solved…

[fashionable_life5EEF]

Hi,

since yesterday illustrator won't open anymore.

Startup stops on the sreen attached (loaing plugins) and then crashes.

I have no plugins installed!

Please help, I have to finish a work :°/