Unable to see recent files in home screen on Illustrator

[CBecker]

With the latest update, my recent files thumbnails are not visible on the opening home sreen / opening screen of the Illustrator application. My Files / Open Recent Files list does show the recent 20 files. Is there a new setting somewhere?

Thanks, Chris

{Renamed By MOD}

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi Chris,

Sorry to hear about the trouble you are facing with Illustrator. Could you please check if the Illustrator is up to date and the version of Illustrator is 24.0.1? If yes, you can also try resetting the preferences for Illustrator and see if that works:

• Close all Adobe applications. 
• Go to Location C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe 
• Rename  Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Illustrator 24 Settings folders to Adobe Illustrator.old and Adobe Illustrator 24 Settings.old 
• Launch Illustrator from the Creative Cloud. 

Disclaimer: Please note that resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings and Illustrator will launch with default settings. This way all your old settings will be saved in .old folders and Illustrator will recreate new folders with default settings.  

Regards

Rishabh

[CBecker]

Thanks Rishabh.

Strangely enough, I loaded a file, edited it and closed it and Recent File thumbnails are now visible. LOL. Seems like Illustrator cleared its head. I didn't have to reset preferences thankfully, though I really appreciate the instruction. I will use that instruction if I find issues like this.

Thanks again.

Chris

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Glad to hear it has been resolved! Feel free to reach out if you run into any other questions or issues in the future. Thanks!

[CBecker]

Hi,

So I'm seeing the same issue. Every time I start Illustrator, the recent files are not shown on the welcome screen. Once I have opened a file and view the home screen, I do see the recent files. I've renamed those 2 folders that you said and ran Illustrator, opened 2 new files, closed Illustrator, opened it again and I do not see recent files on the home page. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Chris

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Sorry for the delay in response, Chris. Could you please check if Illustrator is updated to v24.0.1? And also please try opening a few documents in Illustrator and then save them. After that please check if they are visible in recent documents?

[CBecker]

Yes. I'm on version 24.0.1. I am abe to open several files, save them and then I'm able to see them in the home screen as recent files. In fact, just opening one file and closing it then shows me the recent files on the home screen.

[angiew58209129]

Chris - the same thing is happening to me. When I start Illustrator for the first time, no recent files show up. If I open a file and then close it, the recent files show up. I turned off the GPU performance and restarting and it's still the same. Very frustrating.

[CBecker]

Hi Rishabh,

I'm trying to get this to come back up to the top of the list again. This is NOT resolved. After having reset preferences for Illustrator, I am still not able to see recent files when I initially start Illustrator. Any other ideas? Can we bump this up to higher technical support?

[CBecker · Accepted solution]

I have found that turning OFF GPU Performance has solved my problem. I have also found that slight delays in the interface (switching between tools caused slight pauses - which was very frustrating) have been reduced.

I believe there are some incompatibilities with Adobe's GPU Performance and the latest NVIDIA drivers.

PC System:

DELL XPS 8930 - Windows 10 Pro (Version: 1903 / OS build: 18362.592)

Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9900K CPU @ 3.6GHz

64.0 GB RAM

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 - 8G (Driver: 441.08)

Monitor:

DELL S2716DG

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Glad to hear it has been resolved! Feel free to reach out if you run into any other questions or issues in the future. Thanks!   

[Crow Design]

I don't feel that this is a good solution for everyone. I am not on a PC, I use a nearly new iMac, and do not want to turn off the GPU performance option. I do not experience the interface delays that he is CBecker described. I miss my opening screen where I can quickly see a visual reference to recent projects. I hope Adobe corrects this in next time they update. By the way, my recent files thumbnails just disappeared recently, within the last couple of weeks.

[Crow Design]

Ok, this is weird, I just clicked back to illustrator after typing this and now the thumbnails show up. Is there some sort of delay while they load?

[StudioCollective]

I've been having the same issue, only after updating to 24.0.2. Turning off GPU support didn't help for me, but what DID work was unclicking the 'Show Home Screen When No Files Are Open' check box in Preferences > General, hitting OK, then re-enabling it and hitting OK. Poof, they all show back up. 

HOWEVER, it doesn't translate across multiple sessions -- each time I start Illy I've gotta do the same thing. But it does do the trick for that session.

[Monika Gause]

If the setting doesn't stay for the next session, then you have problems with the preferences file.

Might be as simple as having to reset the preferences, might be an issue with user privileges on your system or might be a corrupted user account.

[StudioCollective]

Thanks for the reply, Monika.

It is definitely NOT a preferences issue. I reset them, opened/edited/closed some files, which does make them show on the home screen for that session (as the OP has stated). However, upon closing / re-opening Illustrator,  the home screen still doesn't show recent files, same as before resetting the prefs. Thus, it cannot be a preferences issue.

The other two items are crazy unlikely, since absolutely nothing else (Adobe or otherwise) has any problems.

[Monika Gause]

24.0.2 is the version you are using now?

There has been an update this week: 24.1

Are your files on the internal harddisk?

Which system is it?

[StudioCollective]

I just updated it recently. But yes, 24.0.2 is the version I have, as that's what my CC says is the latest. When I check for updates, there are none pending for Illustrator or otherwise. 

Yes, files on the internal harddisk. 

Windows 10.

[StudioCollective]

Aha, well, for whatever reason, today my CC does (did) see the update for Illustrator. After updating, the recent files are once again visible on the home screen without having to do any jazzy workarounds.

[digitalembic]

This issue is still occurring in November 2021 (version 26.0.1). StudioCollective's resolution to untick "Show the home screen..." and then tick it again resolves it until the application is closed; reopen it and they are gone again. So this is still an Adobe problem.

[kynuen]

It's happening on my machine too. (Windows 10 with a gtx 1080 if that matters)

Though I don't have to mess with the settings to bring it back for the given session.

Simply clicking on the big AI icon on the top left (to close the homescreen) or just opening a file from the file menu does the trick.

After any of those, opening the home screen with the home button brings the recent files back.

Still... I'd like to have them straight at startup.
So one thing is sure, "it's still an Adobe problem" 🙂

[Graphic Soccer]

Thanks a lot. I just follow ur instructions and its solved. 

[Kajrov]

I Have the same problem with Home Screen then I start the program in the morning; after that it works as it should, after I have toggle between AI and Home.
I have AI version 25.4.1 (64bit)
Windows 10 Pro 
NVIDA GeForce RTX 2080, Driver 30.0.14.7111 2020/6/21

[newmaterial]

I have the same problem. No suggestion in this thread is a solution.

The menu File > Open Recent Files is permanently grayed out and inaccessible.

• Illustrator 25.4.1
• macOS 11.6

Under Security & Privacy Preferences, Adobe Illustrator has Full Disk Access.

These attempted solutions have no effect:

• Relaunching Illustrator
• Restarting Computer
• Opening files from within Illustrator
• Saving a new file within Illustrator
• Unchecking “Show the Home Screen When No Documents Are Open”

This appears to be a bug experienced by many users.

[mangom]

Still no solution? I am using 26.2.1 and have no recent files on my start up screen. I tried the preference on/off thing but it did not work. Is Adobe fixing this? Or offering solid methods to fix it?  It works fine on Indesign and Photoshop.