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Answered

the file is an unknown format and cannot be opened (.ai file)

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
May 31, 2011
12 replies
157312 views

Hi. I am on XP and working with AI CS4.

I cannot open an Illustrator file that I created last year. I did NOT have this file emailed to me. I just need to make a couple edits and reprint it.

This is what I have tried to do:

I tried zipping the file and opening it.

I tried Ctrl + Shift + Alt clicking on Open when trying to open the file fro the Open dialog box.

I tried copying & pasting the file to another directory to open it.

I tried using another version of Illustrator, 10.

I tried right clicking and selecting Open With Illustrator.

I found another post on this topic that mentions to enable content recovery mode:

http://forums.adobe.com/message/2560449#2560449

It is just here, http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/500/cpsid_50031.html it says it can be risky and I am afraid to damage other Illustrator files. There are a lot on the system.

I was just wondering if there was another way. I do not have a backup of this file (didn't think it was important). I may have a jpg, but I'd like the actual Illustrator file to work with if possible.

Thank you.

Performance

Correct answer tates92077876

I found this thread in 2022 for this same issue, the "correct answer" of putting into InDesign did not work for me.

What DID work, was (with a copy of the file) I simply changed it from a .ai to a .svg in file explorer, accepted the warning, then the new .svg file opened up in illustrator for me. Even the layers were preserved under a parent layer. Hope this helps if anyone else encounters this again.

D

Dzine Geek

Participating Frequently

So I am having the same issues. I figured out the the ai file was locked why I don't know. I unlocked it and it said that you can save it as a tiff. I hit accept and then it opened up in illustrator. See images.

Open in preview, then follow enclosed pictures. I hope this helps someone.

D

Dzine Geek

Participating Frequently

I found this to happen after I uploaded my files to an external harddrive. These external harddrives are not pre-programmed and have to be in order to move files. This is the second 2TB external harddrive that has messed up my files. Now I just use it as a my backup plus. However I have been searching to find the answer to moving all my photos on backup plus so that I can delete them off my phone. I have over 10k photos on my iPhone and I think this is why my HD is overloaded with so much "Other Files". I don't know, it's so fruserating.

H

Hattie Wooldridge

New Participant

Hey! I had the same problem and found a very simple solution. Ai file wouldn't open in illustrator and said "unknown format". I found the file from finder, right clicked alt (mac) on it, hover over "Open with" and click "Illustrator". Not sure why it needed to be opened in this way, but it worked for all of my damaged ai files.

tates92077876Correct answer

New Participant

I found this thread in 2022 for this same issue, the "correct answer" of putting into InDesign did not work for me.

What DID work, was (with a copy of the file) I simply changed it from a .ai to a .svg in file explorer, accepted the warning, then the new .svg file opened up in illustrator for me. Even the layers were preserved under a parent layer. Hope this helps if anyone else encounters this again.

A

AbedIbrahim

Known Participant

Did not work with me, it seems if it's corrupted then it's corrupted.

Lewys23816767ndqf

New Participant

QUICK FIX

I tried using a few online converters to convert to EPS (thank you stella), but they kept having issues with my file.

It seemed all hope was lost, until I simply duplicated the file, and then removed the spaces between words in the title. The duplicate of the damaged file is now opening fine with every element in tact 👌

I don't know if removing the spaces did anything, it likely didn't, but you never know. I'd reccomend this combo for anyone who's receiving the above message

J

james23304061h3st

New Participant

this guy solve your error

https://youtu.be/IL_AoecJaKI

Best SEO Expert

New Participant

Sometimes if you do not have enough memory, RAM, you will get that message. 😉

Sandy RowleyBest SEO Expert in the World

T

themelancholyof02

New Participant

Hi all, I'm facing the same issue right now only when I try to place the corrupt file into a new Illustrator file or a new Indesign File, it still doesn't work. When I tried placing it into the new Illustrator file the prompt, "The file '____' is in a format which cannot be placed." and when placed in Indesign the prompt "Cannot place this file. No filter found for requested operation." appeared.
I recently cleaned my Mac because I was running out of space on Photoshop and Illustrator. I backed up all my files onto my hard drive (or so I thought) and a program to make space. Only afterwards did I realize all my files on my hard drive were corrupted (I don't know if this had to do with the program I used to clean).

If I try double clicking the file to open, it won't register.
If I drag to the program to open the prompt "File can't be found" appears.

If I drag to desktop then drag to program open the prompt "The file '___' is in an unknown format and cannot be opened" appears.

I don't know what to do, these files are very important to my work.

J

Jayde98C6

New Participant

Hi themelancholy02,

I am facing the exact same issue minus the clean my mac. I transferred all my files to an external hardrive and the .ai files are doing the exact same in illustrator and indesign. Did you find a solution?

Thank You

Jayde

J

Juliana21788435ec2p

New Participant

Hi did you find a solution?

T

themelancholyof02

New Participant

Hi all, I'm facing the same issue right now only when I try to place the corrupt file into a new Illustrator file or a new Indesign File, it still doesn't work. When I tried placing it into the new Illustrator file the prompt, "The file '____' is in a format which cannot be placed." and when placed in Indesign the prompt "Cannot place this file. No filter found for requested operation." appeared.
I recently cleaned my Mac because I was running out of space on Photoshop and Illustrator. I backed up all my files onto my hard drive (or so I thought) and used CleanMyMac to make space. Only afterwards did I realize all my files on my hard drive were corrupted (I don't know if this had to do with CleanMyMac).

If I try double clicking the file to open, it won't register.
If I drag to the program to open the prompt "File can't be found" appears.

If I drag to desktop then drag to program open the prompt "The file '___' is in an unknown format and cannot be opened" appears.

I don't know what to do, these files are very important to my work.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

And the backup doesn't work either?

Yes, third party tools such as CleanMyMac can do harm to files. And they sometimes delete stuff that should not be deleted.

If you are running out of space, get additional harddisks.

F

Foxtrot Sierra

New Participant

Hi all,

This can also happen when the original file should have been saved as a different file format than it's original intention. For example, I exported a file from Photoshop and manually typed in as .jpg when it was being exported as a .png file! So go back and export the original again, or even try to change the file extension manually, in this case, being from .jpg to .png.

Hope this helps!

Monika Gause

Community Expert

testifystudio schrieb
Hi all,
This can also happen when the original file should have been saved as a different file format than it's original intention. For example, I exported a file from Photoshop and manually typed in as .jpg when it was being exported as a .png file! So go back and export the original again, or even try to change the file extension manually, in this case, being from .jpg to .png.
Hope this helps!

No, this doesn't help.

First: it's wrong. Even Photoshop does not change the file type just by typing an extension.

Second: this thread is from 2011.

F

Foxtrot Sierra

New Participant

With all due respect,

This was an issue that I was trying to resolve today, so found this help file, and;
I resolved the issue today by manually changing the file extension in finder.

With regards