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

[jodmcc49]

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]

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.

[jodmcc49]

Thanks for the information on the PDF option, that is what I read. I looked at my settings and Save in Background is unchecked. When I save, I am seeing the progress bar go across with no errors and also seeing the asterisk disappear after it saves. As far as I know I am not using synchronized folders;not really sure what they are.

[Monika Gause]

Synchronized folders would be folders auch as your Dropbox or Google Files folder that are watched by an app that saves changes to a Cloud.

Do you regularly have issues with different files? Not just older ones, but newly created ones?

[jodmcc49]

I'm not using synchronized folders. The files stay on my computer; I don't save to Cloud. My backup software is iDrive that backs up the files from my computer, but the files that I am opening are on the hard drive. Have not any problems on any other files, just these 2. A lot of the older files were saved as Illustrator EPS files (one was 145MB file opened fine), but after reading the the native Illustrator .ai file would work until if need could save as an EPS. I am not using these in other programs and that was why I not including a PDF Compatible File.