Should I save Illustrator .ai file with "Create PDF Compatible File" checked?

Question

I have been working on some files and saving them as .ai files. I have not been saving with "Create PDF Compatible File" checked because I had read somewhere on the forum that it was not necessary. Is this true?

The main reason for my question, 2-3 times when opening the files up I get the error stating can partially read the file. When I click Open I have a 1 layer file with text stating that I did not save as a PDF Compatible File. I will then close and not save changes. When I again open the file, it will open just fine with all 66 layers of text and images. 1 file is 36.5 MB and the other is 37.9 MB. I have worked with files like this before and know that it will take a little longer to open files with the small amount of RAM. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

iMac 21.5 Late 2013, 8MB RAM, OS Catalina 10.15.7, Illustrator 2021 ver. 25.4.8, files are saved on computer

Monika Gause · Answer

It's a bad sign that you get saving errors when saving to the harddisk. Do you save into synchronized folders?

Also: please turn off "Save in background"

The PDF option is needed when you want to place your AI files in InDesign or After Effects or Photoshop or other apps. If you do not want to do that, you do not need to turn that option on. But your saving issues should be investigated.

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