Illustrator Stuck when using Rotate or Reflect Tool

Report · Nov 29, 2019

Hey everyone!

I have run into this issue many times over the years and figured I'd post about it. I'm currently working in Illustrator 2020.

When using either the Rotate or Reflect tool, Illustrator often gets stuck. What I mean by stuck is that after trying to rotate or reflect some artwork the tool remains active as if you never released right click. This makes it so that every subsequent movement just rotates around the artwork you were orginally trying to transform. If you try to click elsewhere in the program, nothing happens. This locks the software up for a few minutes until eventually illustrator releases from the rotate tool and only then can you continue to work.

There is also the issue where, if you try to change the rotational axis, the center point gets stuck to the cursor and the program is stuck in a similar fashion. I've stopped trying to move the rotational axis since it now seems to happen almost every time do that with GPU preview turned on.

I know one resolution is to disable GPU preview (Ctrl - E) but on some of my machines that makes things unworkably slow.

Also, I am using wacom input devices. I'm usually using a intuos or cintiq so I can't say for sure how often it happens with a mouse. I know I have been able to recreate the issue using a mouse when troubleshooting.

Curious if anyone has any solutions or if the illustrator team has this on their radar as an issue. There's posts about this going back many years so wondering if there's something super tricky about fixing this issue or if there's just not been any work done to fix it.

Thanks all!

Report · Nov 30, 2019

Not currently using Wacom. With Illustrator 2020, Catalina on Mac. Do notice that clicking away from an object does not drop the tool. I just use the keyboard shortcut for the direct selection tool. I use option-click to set rotational and reflect options in the tool's dialog. (Will have to test with Wacom when I get time.)

Report · May 08, 2020

This keeps happening for me! It's so frustrating.... I can do nothing to resolve it. I end up having to shut down ai and re-open the application. Really need a fix here.

Report · May 08, 2020

Not to sound ungrateful to the hard working devs on the Illustrator team but it's crazy Adobe is just leaving one of their basic tools essential broken for many users. I'm actively seeking to replace illustrator with Sketch in my workflow.

Report · May 08, 2020

The new download should fix this problem! try updating the app and see if it help.

Whemn I get it I sipmly click on the space bar one time.

Let us know! if it ddoes not solve, it will move it to the Illustrator team to check.

Report · Jul 08, 2020

My program claims to be up to date (just added it to the computer a month or two back) and I am having this problem as well.

Any time I move the reference point from center, the function stops working. The reference point is visible, the thing I'm trying to reflect or rotate is selected, but it will not budge.

Report · Jul 17, 2020

Iam also faced that problem , but it happend because of pen tablet when i try to use mouse it works properly .

So pls try to use AI in mouse.

Report · Jan 25, 2021

The pressing the bar trick does it for me... It's kinda like fixing a pair of shoes with tape but I'm happy I can solve it at this very moment.

Report · Jul 12, 2020

I have this exact same problem. Waiting on an answer as well. I think it is related to Tablets

Report · Aug 25, 2020

This is still a bug. I'm using a tablet too, the Wacom Cintiq 22HD.

When using the mouse (ALT + click) the Reflect Tool seems to work fine however!

Report · Oct 22, 2020

I'm also affected by the center-point-sticks-to-cursor bug. When it happens, I can get out of it by unplugging my Wacom and plugging it in again. Just thought I'd let you know. (Illustrator 2021 and Wacom PTH-660).

Report · Oct 28, 2020

Just backing the issue. Also, the workaround of unplugging/plugging the tablet worked, but it is still annoying.

Report · Feb 05, 2023

This worked for me. BTW, im using the latest 27.2 version with an intuos and WIN11. Thanks!

Report · Mar 25, 2023

You can run the prompt below through Run (Winkey + R) to restart the tablet without unplugging it:

cmd.exe /c net stop WTabletServicePro && net start WTabletServicePro,, Hide

Report · Nov 30, 2020

Having the same problem yesterday and today. Can only solve it by turning everything off....

Report · Jan 01, 2021

The same Issue, in AI 2021, using a Wacom Intuos CTH-690
I beg you guys
Please fix this

Report · Jan 01, 2021

To clarify!
It is actually a very different issue

AI seems to freeze every time i use the SCALE tool with my Tablet.

Using the mouse works just fine.

The other tools work fine for me

Report · Jan 02, 2021

2021 and it's STILL not fixed. It happens on computers where GPU performance is selected - on mine (3 different computers tried), it happens when the program is run using the discrete graphics, not the integrated graphics. The alt-click works with the laptop trackpad, a mouse, the touch function of the Wacom tablet, but not when using the pen with the Wacom tablet. It's inconvenient to switch, even just to use your finger/touch on the Wacom tablet, and it's ridiculous to turn off GPU performance (and give up performance and things like animated zoom). It's been YEARS that people have been requesting that this be fixed. It seems to be an Illustrator bug, not a Wacom issue. FIX IT!!!!!

Report · Jan 21, 2021

I agree. This bug is extremely inconvenient. I just wasted two hours trying to figure out what's wrong, and thought it was my Wacom Cintiq Pro 24. PLEASE FIX THIS, it's clearly an Illustrator bug! I'm using the most recent version!

Report · Mar 17, 2021

It happens on mine and I don't have the GPU thing activated as my laptop is old as f...

Report · Mar 17, 2021

"I don't have the GPU thing activated as my laptop is old as f..."

Which version of Illustrator, which system, which hardware?

BTW: if you want to report a bug in the software to the developers: http://illustrator.uservoice.com

The developers don't read this forum. Soif you want to get the problem to them for solving, post on Uservoice.

In the forum you get help from volunteers, who are mostly not Adobe staff and cannot change the software.

Report · Mar 16, 2021

Same problem. I have to wate several minutes and look ouside the window. .

Report · Mar 17, 2021

"Same problem. I have to wate several minutes and look ouside the window. ."

This thread is about version CC2019 - what's your version? What's your system? What kind of hardware? What's in the file?

Report · Mar 22, 2021

Also having this same problem, I'm working off a yr old macbook pro. This is quite frustrating.

Report · May 28, 2021

Im running CC on a new pc. Decent graphics card, and up until the latest windows update it was working fine with the GPU off. With the latest update ive had to update the wacom driver and now it just sticks in scale and rotate when you choose the centre. Really annoying.

Illustrator Stuck when using Rotate or Reflect Tool

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