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Opening old Illustrator files in latest versions

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
August 17, 2020
8 replies
16621 views

I have lots of old Illustrator files on my computer that I can not open, any one know why this is the case? What I normally do is go to an older computer and update the old files to the latest version of Illustrator on that computer then copy them onto a USB and place them on my current computer, needless to say this is a real chore, I don't understand why Adobe Illustrator wpuld make their own files inaccessible to their users.

Thanks in advance!

{Renamed by MOD}

Performance

Correct answer Srishti Bali

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about this trouble. As suggested above, we might have to take a look at your files. I have sent you a DM with my email address. You may share your files there.

Also, please try following these steps and share your observations:

Install Illustrator 2019 from Creative Cloud. Steps are shared here.
Rename one of these files and save it to the Desktop.
Open that file in Illustrator 2019.

Let us know if this helps or the issue still persists.

Regards,

Srishti

M

MeghanMahoney

Participant

I am having the exact same problem, ridiculous that Adobe doesn't allow you to open Illustrator files I made like 1 year ago! And there is no option for me to install Illustrator 2021 (I've tried the "other versions" thing), so now I can't access these files ever again I suppose, or if I try there are lots of lines missing.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

I am having the exact same problem, ridiculous that Adobe doesn't allow you to open Illustrator files I made like 1 year ago! And there is no option for me to install Illustrator 2021 (I've tried the "other versions" thing), so now I can't access these files ever again I suppose, or if I try there are lots of lines missing.

By @MeghanMahoney

It's no problem opening older files down to version 1.

If you cannot open your older files, you need to check all the individual things that might go wrong.

Please tell us which version and system you are using.

Where are the files located? If on a server, please move them to your local harddisk first. In case someone sent them to you, please have them send the files again and ZIP them first.

Which error message shows? Or what exactly is happening?

What's in the files?

T

Test Screen Name

Legend

Looking at the messages from Open tells why the rename attempt failed. If it still fails please share the new "failed to open..." messages, something diffferent might be wrong. Let's get file naming out of the way before reinstalling anything.

C

ChouettecacahueteAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Srishti again,

Just to let you know we are still pursuing the ai. icon issue, a member of our team has sent us this:

"I have figured out what the problem is with the thumbnails - it is the Datto QuickLook generator- (after a bit of research on the Adobe support forums) - removing the DattoQuickLook.qlgenerator from the QuickLook folder in your Library folder will get your thumbnails working again - it is conflicting with the Adobe thumbnail generator!! However I can't check whether this actually makes them show on Workplace (it displays on .ai files saved on my desktop) as Workplace has disappeared from my computer today - going to try restarting..."

"Ah - unfortunately it still doesn't get the thumbnails to show on Datto Workplace. Anyway, at least we know the problem is with Datto now, either way."

Bw,

Srishti Bali

Correct answer

Community Manager

Hi there,

Sorry to hear about this trouble. As suggested above, we might have to take a look at your files. I have sent you a DM with my email address. You may share your files there.

Also, please try following these steps and share your observations:

Install Illustrator 2019 from Creative Cloud. Steps are shared here.
Rename one of these files and save it to the Desktop.
Open that file in Illustrator 2019.

Let us know if this helps or the issue still persists.

Regards,

Srishti

T

Thomas25012361q19r

Participant

Happy 2022, I too am having a similar issue. I paid a designer in 2008 to build me a logo and she used Corel Draw, then I assume exported out various formats from EPS to .AI. They were perfect back then, but now when trying to open I'm getting a PostScript error, and the same error as above (for the .AI) files. Any guidance on opening in newer versions of .AI? Neither the EPS or AI files open.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Can you please tell us exactly which error. The "same as above" is somewhat difficult to locate in 28 posts.

Kurt Gold

Community Expert

I'm afraid that this whole thread is going to be pretty hopeless if you can't find a way to provide at least one sample file, as Ton already suggested.

C

ChouettecacahueteAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Kurt, I can't find a way to load a file here as click and drag won't let it attach, however I can attach it to an email if you would be happy to give me an email address then I would send several files?

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

CC folder filesharing, Dropbox, Google, WeTransfer...

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

Can you change the name to something simple without dashes or periods in the filename and use the .ai extension? Like test.ai

C

ChouettecacahueteAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Ton,

The files won't load so guess I can't share them

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

CC folder filesharing, Dropbox, Google, WeTransfer...

Bill Silbert

Community Expert

Your screenshot shows that ".ai" is not actually part of the file name. That would give you the warning that you are seeing. Try physically adding the suffix and see what happens.

C

ChouettecacahueteAuthor

Known Participant

Have done so Bill, but not able to open them

Bill Silbert

Community Expert

There was a time when it was not necessary to have a file extension added to the names of files in order for a Macintosh to open them. That is no longer the case. If your Illustrator files are pretty old then they are probably .eps files—since that was the format that was used in in olden days in order to import Illustrator files into Quark XPress—and probably don't have a file extension in their names. Try adding the suffix .eps to your old files and see if they will open with the current version of Illustrator. As a point of information, since the advent of InDesign, Illustrator files have been mostly saved as native .ai files. Once you are successful in opening the old files I would suggest saving them as .ai files. The eps format has not been updated since the 1990s and is pretty much obsolete.

C

ChouettecacahueteAuthor

Known Participant

Hi Bill,

I was wrong, I saw the ai. icon but I se there is no .ai after the file name. I have added .ai and .eps to the file name but just get thescreen shot as attached.