Unknown error opening file, unable to embed links

[Ellie2226]

Hi, I've got a Macbook pro m2 max running illustrator 2025.

When i open a file it comes up with an unknown error, then I try to embed the links and they remain non embedded.

Rebuilt the mac, new profile, tested also on 2024.

Any help would be great, thankyou.

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Ellie2226,

I'm sorry to hear about the trouble you're having with Illustrator. Would you mind checking if Illustrator behaves this way with all files? If not, kindly share a sample file along with screenshots or a screen recording of your workflow and the problem so I can better assist you.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

[Ellie2226]

Hello @Anubhav M ,

Thanks for replying, this issue doesn't happen with all files, only certain ones and these files are fine on other machines. Someone with the exact same machine and version of Illustrator as me opened the file fine. I have attached a screen recording showing the error message on opening the file and then showing how embedding the links doesn't embed them. Hoping you can help!

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Ellie2226,

Thanks for sharing the details. Would you mind confirming the location of the AI file and the linked images (internal/external/network drive or a cloud-synced folder like Google Drive or Dropbox) so I can investigate this further?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Anubhav

[Ellie2226]

The file is located on an external network drive (hosted on a NAS.) | have tried opening the file in a local directory and the issue still persists. It seems to happen with files that have embedded links in them. 

[Anshul_Saini]

Hello @Ellie2226,

Thank you for the update. It seems that storing the file on the external network (NAS) drive may have caused some corruption. To investigate this further, would you mind sharing a few of the affected files along with their links? If the files are confidential, you can send the download link via private message, and we’ll test them on our end to help identify the root cause.

Looking forward to your response, we’ll do our best to assist you!

Best,

Anshul Saini

[Ellie2226]

I created a new file with new images, locally (On the desktop) same problem

[Ellie2226]

Actually, I just created a new Illustrator file locally and that works fine.

Even with Images stored on the NAS.

So the next question is, is there any way to fix, or prevent this from happening?

Or, is it expected and there's nothing we can do other than not storing Illustrator files on the NAS?

We have thousands of files and this hasn't always been a problem so surely something has changed or can be changed to prevent it?

Thank youm

[Ellie2226]

It will not allow me to attach the .ai file. Is there anything else I can provide that would help narrow down why this is corrupted? Or any other suggestions?

[Anubhav M]

Hello @Ellie2226,

Thanks for confirming the details. Illustrator supports working across networks, removable media, and cloud-synced folders (Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive, etc.) and is vigorously tested across multiple configurations. However, not all configurations, including different software, hardware, settings, and access rights, have been tested. Therefore, your configuration can cause errors, crashes, or unexpected behavior. You may learn more about this here: (https://adobe.ly/40baIYr).

To avoid such problems, we recommend working on your files from a local directory, like the Desktop, and manually copying them to the removable media, network drive, cloud-synced folder, or using Cloud Documents.

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions or need assistance. We'd be happy to help.

Anubhav