Please bring the linked graphic finder function back

[JodyRadzik]

As with many other things we have to deal with here lately, it is beyond-the-pale ridiculous that I have to link each linked graphic separately again. If I have a file with 40 links, that means I have to deal with the relink dialogue box 40 [cursing removed] TIMES. Crazy.

[Abhishek Rao]

Hi @jodyradzik,

I completely understand how frustrating that must be, especially when you're dealing with multiple linked graphics. Could you please confirm which version of Illustrator and operating system you're using? Also, let me know if this happens with all your projects or just certain ones.

In the meantime, try opening the Links panel and using the 'Relink' option while keeping all linked files in the same folder. Illustrator should automatically detect and update the remaining links if they share the same relative path. If it still doesn't, please share a short screen recording of your workflow, so I can take a closer look.

Looking forward to your update.

Abhishek

[JodyRadzik]

I'm using the very latest version of Illustrator, Mac OS, and Macbook Pro. There is nothing newer. What you are telling me to do is to ignore the dialogue box that says your app cannot find my links when I open a file. That seems backwards to me. Why have that dialogue if it doesn't work? Why does there have to be so many workarounds to use Illustrator now? It's a battle to get this application to do what it used to do effortlessly. You don't have to answer. This application is a nightmare that does not quit.

[Ton Frederiks]

Did you try to check the "Apply to All" checkbox , click replace and select the image?

[JodyRadzik]

Of course I did. It is completely ineffectual.

[Ton Frederiks]

Are these all different links, are they in different folders?

[JodyRadzik]

All in the same folder. The feature does not work. It used to, and now it doesn't.

[Ton Frederiks]

That should work. If you check the "Apply to All" checkbox , and click replace and select the image in that folder it should update them all.

At least it works for me. Mac, Illustrator 2026.

If that does not work, can you make a screenrecording of your workflow?

[JodyRadzik]

It's a bit frustrating that you didn't believe me and needed proof. I've been using this app since 1989, perhaps longer than you have been alive.

Now imagine that with a 20 file job with 50 links each. This is one of the many reasons why Illustrator sucks to use for production, now.

I'm using Illustrator 2026 on Mac OS 26.0.1 on a MacBook Pro, 16-inch, Nov 2024

[Ton Frederiks]

Thanks for the recording, it explains the problem. It looks more like your installation is incomplete/corrupt. It cannot find plug-ins to read .png, .psd and .tiff files

Did you try to uninstall Illustrator and start with a fresh install? Make backups of custom workspaces, brushes, actions, shortcuts and so on.

P.S. I don’t want to frustrate you more, but  I have used Illustrator since an early beta in 1987.

[JodyRadzik]

No worries about making me more frustrated—I'm already at my limit. I spend twice as much time dealing with bugs in this software and devising workarounds for them as I do on actual production work now. That's a slight exaggeration, but only, especially when we add in your time-consuming suggestion to attempt to solve the problem. I guess I better get to work tearing it all down to fix it.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

If you have a descent internet connection, uninstall/reinstall shouldn't take more than two minutes (I just tested it). However, a problematic internet connection could have been the reason you got a bad install.

Regarding frustrating you--I can't speak for Ton but it's not meant personally. You would be surprised how many people will swear they have done something and it's not working, only to find out they missed one step. I've had students insist they were holding down the Alt/Opt key to perform a shortcut that wasn't working only to find out they were holding down the Cmd/Cntl key. (This was in a classroom environment, so it was easy to check.) 😁

[JodyRadzik]

Yeah, no. It did not work. I reinstalled, deleted the old preferences, and I'm still having the exact same problem. Note for Dave: I've got plenty of bandwidth, I'm in a corporate HQ. Another waste of time, and I've more time to waste putting my plugins and settings back together.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Are the files local or on a server/external drive? As a test, copy them to the Illustrator file location. If that works, move the images to the desktop. (If you have any third-party extensions, don't install them yet.)

[JodyRadzik]

Everything is on my desktop. The mechanical file is in the same folder as the links. It's not me, it's Adobe. Which unfortunately, means it's junked up crap now.

[Ton Frederiks]

If this recording is made after you re-installed Illustrator, it still shows an incomplete installation.

I understand it is frustrating, but unless someone comes up with a better idea, I would suggest the cleaner tool:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/apps/troubleshoot/diagnostics-repair-tools/prepare-to-run-cre...

[JodyRadzik]

The fact that this substantial and time-consuming disruption to my machine is necessary to get this software to work correctly confirms everything I've been saying about the decline in programming quality at Adobe. It's junk now. Unfortunately, it's junk with a monopoly in the printing business now.

[JodyRadzik]

When you report a bug in this forum, the community experts here all rally around Adobe and basically blame the user. I've seen it over and over again. I have a link opening issue with Adobe Illustrator 2026 that I brought to this forum. As usual, the "experts" said it was user error, that the problem was with my installation. 

Some background: I was recently issued a brand-new 16" MacBook Pro, the Nov 24 edition. I performed a brand new, clean install of Creative Cloud and Adobe Illustrator. I saw that Illustrator now fails to find links when I'm opening a mechanical file with multiple imported graphics. I reported this here and was asked to make a screen recording. I posted that recording, and was then told the problem was a corrupt installation and that I had to use the Creative Cloud cleaner tool. So, I actually spent the two hours this morning following the instructions and using that tool to remove the previous installation. I reinstalled Creative Cloud and Illustrator after the cleaner tool procedure was performed.

Guess what? The bug is still there as shown in this video. The lesson here is that you cannot trust the advice from the "community experts." It seems like their mandate is to protect Adobe over and above helping the professional end users find solutions. They simply default to a standard "user error" stance, and in the end, I'm seeing my day-to-day workflow destroyed by new bugs whenever a new version of Illustrator is issued.

I know I'm basically peeing in the wind with this post because Adobe has a monopoly on professional graphic design tools for print production and I have no alternative application to use. I must continue to suffer with Adobe's abysmal quality control (see posts about the font substitution bug that disrupted print production all over the world) for as long as I'm employed in my profession now, and that sucks. It didn't used to suck to use Adobe Illustrator, but now, it does, and based on my experience over the past year, will continue to be nightmare product to use.

[Ton Frederiks]

You are not talking to Adobe here, unless you see an post from someone clearly marked with the Adobe logo and the attribute Adobe Employee. Having responded to your posts so far, I never blamed you. We volunteer here to help users solve their problems. You have a problem with your installation, for whatever reason it is missing plug-ins:

"Could not find a plug-in to read the linked file 20230911_ALT_74_PremiumRooftopHome_Closed1_0111.tif

Choose Replace to select another file or Ignore to leave the link unchanged."

We cannot look into your system, but someone from Adobe support may be able to help you better.

[JodyRadzik]

Ton, I owe you an apology. If it were possible, I'd delete this thread entirely. Sorry for being so bent out of shape about this. I'm not exaggerating when I say these issues make my work more difficult, sometimes significantly, and that triggers me, unfortunately. It has nothing to do with you. Thanks for your patience and help. 

[Ton Frederiks]

Thanks, I can understand your frustration when things do not work.

One last thing to try is checking the .tif files and resaving them, they may have become corrupted.