Illustrator opens old earlier version of file, Acrobat Reader shows correct file.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

Made a file in Adobe Illustrator CC2018 and saved it as an uncompressed PDF file with all possible options selected for it to remain an Illustrator file. Made some changes and saved. Now one day later I opened the file and to my surprise it opens into an older, earlier saved version. The preview (spacebar-click in the finder) shows the correct data, opening the file in Acrobat Reader or rendering it in Photoshop shows the correct data, even placing the file inside a new Illustrator file shows the correct data (this doesn't help as the file loses its text boxes and masking effects). But opening in Illustrator opens an earlier saved file. Beyond comprehension.

Anybody had this happen and found a solution? The changes I made between the initial file and the editing took me 2+ hours, don't want to do them again.

[Test Screen Name]

Yes, this is by design. Illustrator embeds the AI file in the PDF (invlsible to all other software) and opens that. On no account try to roundtrip PDF editing from Illustrator via ANYTHING else.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

I have been editing files for years like this and never had issues. This is clearly a flaw and not a design feature. AI files are pdf files anyway, you can change the extension of an AI file to PDF and vice versa and it will open flawless. Would be great if I can edit the original file internally for Illustrator to pick the correct version.

[Test Screen Name]

Not a design feature? Well, you know best.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

This bug that is, not the embedded ai file structure. Just saying that my files has 2 different versions, which to me is a flaw. Cannot be correct that opening the same in different applications gives different data.

[jane-e]

Just to confirm, when you open the file in each program, hold down Command and click the title bar to display the path, then click the folder where the file is to make sure you are opening the exact same file.

I do not use your workflow, because I have been listening to the sage advice  of Dov Isaacs for decades.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

Yes, file is the same. Nobody can believe their eyes when they see this. I will update the file when I’m back in the office. With certain projects I save as pdf,  never had this issue before. I consider myself an Illustrator guru and have been using it for 25+ years. I was the one teaching the teachers back in the days, I know my stuff and I usually get the questions to solve. This thing is too weird.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

Here's the doomed file... Prepare for a mind blowing experience.

https://www.fieldsmedia.com/files/menu.zip

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

One more thing I tried... Opened the file in Acrobat DC and deleted one page. Then saved/exported it as a PDF. If I open the file in Illustrator, the same old version of the file shows up, both pages! And in Acrobat Reader, Preview and Photoshop it shows a single page with the correct data. I am fiddling in a text editor now, see if I can delete some resources... If I made the file from scratch again it would have cost me less time. But this thing is weird, needs to have a solution.

[Monika Gause · Accepted solution]

Pedro_Gonzalez  schrieb

OBut this thing is weird, needs to have a solution.

There won't be a solution, because you got it all wrong from the beginning.

When you open a PDF with an embedded AI file in a different application than Illustrator, the app cannot access the AI data at all. There's one app that can actually somewhat open some AI files: CorelDraw. Other applications can and will only edit the PDF part of the file. They might not even see the private data part (that's why it's called private data after all).

If you want to get the PDF part of the file into Illustrator, you will have to place it (as you already have discovered on your own). But don't embed it. Link it and then Object > Flatten transparency. If you want to keep editable text, try not to outline text. But then text might get lost again.

PDF is not a native file format of Illustrator, many applications write PDFs and they write stuff into it that Illustrator might have no coversion utility for.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

Thanks for the reply. I do however disagree somewhat. I have 100's of files that started in Illustrator and were saved from within Illustrator as an 'Adobe PDF' with Editing Capabilities turned on and compression turned off. Never ever have I had this issue. I even have 2 previous designs of this same menu in 'AI PDF' format, and they open and edit without issues. Somehow with this specific file the AI data (or private data as you call it) got screwed up. Did you download the file and checked it? You have to find this weird to see one file with 2 different results.

[Monika Gause]

If you edit the PDF in different applications, the result you call "weird" is what you have to expect.

I'm wondering about your previous workflow.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

I never edit or edited the files outside Illustrator. As said, in this case it is weird as I never had this issue and not something that can be expected. If you change the extension of an .AI file to .PDF or vise versa, the files would open flawless either way. This indicates that AI files are PDF files, or at least have a PDF file structure. I googled a little more on this issue and there are other users who have reported similar issues, without a solution though. Bad luck I guess.

[Monika Gause]

Pedro_Gonzalez  schrieb

I never edit or edited the files outside Illustrator. As said, in this case it is weird as I never had this issue and not something that can be expected. If you change the extension of an .AI file to .PDF or vise versa, the files would open flawless either way.

If you change the extension this just tells your system which application to open.

Your PDF contains a full AI file.

When you instead save an AI file with "PDF compatibility", the file contains a full PDF file. It's not just "a structure", it's a complete file.

So you only used Illustrator? Did you use different versions of Illustrator? Because in that case, it might also open the PDF part of the file instead of the AI part.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

Only used Illustrator CC 2018 for this file. As said, I have earlier versions of this menu saved as PDF and they work just fine, can edit and save/update and both the AI and PDF part update. It's this file only that glitched, and no idea why.

[Monika Gause]

Where do you save our files?

If directly on a server, then this might be the cause.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

Thunderbolt connected SSD hard drive... so no possibilities there of a corrupted file. From now on I am saving in native .AI only. I loved the PDF workflow as this allows me to sent the designs fast by email. With .AI I need to open the file and convert it before emailing, more work.

[alexb78685814]

I'm having this exact same issue as described by Pedro Gonzalez, with a file that was saved as editable pdf from illustrator, not edited by any other programs, but now has the new contents in adobe acrobat and mac preview but the old content when opened in illustrator.

Monika Gause​ 's answer is wrong, and unhelpful in its rude assumptions.

[Monika Gause]

alexb78685814  schrieb

I'm having this exact same issue as described by Pedro Gonzalez, with a file that was saved as editable pdf from illustrator, not edited by any other programs, but now has the new contents in adobe acrobat and mac preview but the old content when opened in illustrator.

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Monika+Gause  's answer is wrong, and unhelpful in its rude assumptions.

In the case of this thread, the file in question has been edited in a different application. In your case it has not been edited in a different application. So yours is a different case. Please create a new thread. Whatever has been said in this thread cannot be applied to your case.

[Pedro_Gonzalez]

This thread was always about editing in Illustrator. I never edited it outside Illustrator 

[NicoleOBrien]

I just encountered the same exact issue. I create Adobe PDF files in illustrator everyday and never had this issue before. Wondering if either of you ever figured out a solution?? thansk!

[Thai37697710irba]

I got exactly the same what issues you got. I still no any answer for this, but i can solve this problem by open new file from illustrator and ctr+shift+p and will show exactly pdf show. Hope it save your time.