The Operation can not complete because of an unknown error. [DFER]

[MichaelDsgns]

I seem to be having an issue with linked images in files. Even if these files are packaged and saved in the exact same place, illustrator is unable to find them. I often get another error that reads: "Could not find plug-in to read linked file "Xxxxxx" Choose replace to selecter another" 

I don't know if I have removed an important plugin by accident when clearing the cache? or if there is some other reason for these messages? 

Hope you can help! 

Thanks,
Michael

[Mylenium]

Convert the files to a different format like TIFF. There are still weird bugs in OS X where certain JPG and PNG files won't be handled correctly.

Mylenium 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @MichaelDsgns,

Thanks for reaching out. I hope the issue is resolved with the Mylenium suggestion to convert the JPG to Tiff format. If not, would you mind sharing the JPG file via DM and confirming the OS & Illustrator version?

Kindly update the discussion if you still need assistance with it. We'd be happy to help.

Thanks,
Anshul Saini

[tballard65]

Is there still no fix for this? I have hundreds of files with linked images and won't be reformatting them all to TIFF. I've updated llustrator and my OS but have been getting this error for quite a while. What's worse is it won't relink ALL files in the same folder. I have to mannually relink each one with 4 clicks. Very time wasting.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @tballard65,

Sorry to hear about your experience. Would you mind sharing some more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, the folder location of your files, and a screen recording of the problem (https://adobe.ly/3H3HEsX), so we can investigate this further?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Sharon32286391ul6c]

This is happening to me also. Almost daily now my links within Adobe Illustrator files will all break, it even embeds the low quality image of the broken link into my file. This is just creating tones of totally unnecessary work for me.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Sharon32286391ul6c,

We understand how frustrating it can be to encounter technical issues while working in Illustrator. Would you mind checking if your files are located on a removable/network drive or a cloud-synced folder (like Google Drive/Dropbox/etc.)? If yes, kindly try moving your files to a local directory, like the desktop, to check if it helps.

If the problem persists, kindly share more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, the location of your files, exact details about your workflow, and a screen recording of the problem (https://adobe.ly/3wlF4fT), so we can investigate this further?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[SKIMEurope]

I have the same issue. The files were shared by our agency and all repackaged in the same exact folder location. This didn't happen before in the previous version.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @SKIMEurope,

We understand that encountering technical issues can be frustrating. Would you mind sharing more details, like the exact version of the OS/Illustrator, link to a sample file after uploading it to Dropbox/Google Drive/etc. and screenshots/screen recording of the problem, so we can better assist you?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

Anubhav

[Pmacr]

Hi, I'm having the same trouble. Can you please help me fix this problem? I've uploaded those files you've requested to this Google drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zdZMB3qpCs7Vh35UvUmWcTokReaPVnv_?usp=sharing

[Anshul_Saini]

Hi @Pmacr,

Sorry for the delayed response. Thank you for sharing the files. I was able to open the file without any issues in Illustrator 28.5. To help further, could you please provide more details?

1. Is this error occurring with this specific file only or with all the files you try to open in Illustrator?
2. Have you tried reinstalling Illustrator and resetting it with fresh preferences?

These steps can help us narrow down the issue and find a solution.

Best,

Anshul Saini