Workspace Missing/Empty, Tools Missing On Start Up

[coolcaut]

After a recent update, Illustrator is missing all tools/toolbars/panels except the main menu toolbar (file, edit, etc.), doesn't save my workspaces (it sees that I have saved past ones), lost my previous workspaces and won't activate any of the built in workspaces. Since this update, I have had to manually turn on the toolbars, windows and tools I want to access every time I open Illustrator.

This is super frustrating and a gigantic waste of my time. I haven't been able to find any exact questions that have the same issue as me but I have seen other issues with workspaces.

I am using Illustrator CC, version 23.01 on Windows 10. I believe that this started after the v23 update.

So far I've uninstalled and reinstalled with no help. Anyone else with this issue able to resolve it?

[Shefali_L]

Hi there,

Sorry about the delay. I am hopeful that the issue was fixed. If not, please try resetting preferences for Illustrator https://helpx.adobe.com/in/illustrator/using/setting-preferences.html and let us know if this helps or if you need any further assistance.

Please note: Resetting preferences will remove all the custom settings and Illustrator will launch with default settings. You can also take a backup of the folder in case you want to. Location is mentioned in the article.

Thanks,

Shefali

[Mia0D4C]

Hello Shefali

2 years later - this problem still occures.
Are there any focus on solving this problem or do we just have to live with the frustration, this problem gives us?

[bjørnf41402365]

I have the same problem!!

[Monika Gause]

Please contact Customer Care:

https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

You need to be logged in and at the bottom right there is the chat. They can login to your system.

[SGG CREATIVE]

This problem happened to me just yesterday. I used a previous reply above to fix the issue.

Note that this solution will not restore your old workspaces but you will have to create one from scratch like when you first start Illustrator.

Koen5EB0 • New Here , Oct 25, 2022

1. Close Illustrator
2. Open Run by pressing "Win+R" and type "appdata" and click on enter key.
3. Open Roaming from Appdata>Adobe>Rename Adobe IIlustrator and Adobe Illustrator 27 Settings folder to .old
4. Start Illustrator now and check for the issue.

[schmoosie]

Were there any fixes to this? I am just going through this issue today.

[d-elvis]

I feel like this is a common issue. I just updated to AI 24.0 (11/2019). It seems every time there is a major update I lose my Workspace. Even when I tell it to save all preferences when installing (updater specifically asks if you would like to save your interface settings). Very frustrating. Why ask to save your personal workspace when it gets deleted?

[d-elvis]

The fix was to reset preferences, per Shefali. This fixes nothing, as your saved Workspace is still removed on app update. I posted on this thread 1.5 years ago and this issue still persists. Multiple times.

[DH2020]

I am also currently experiencing this issue.

[Dalibor Mrška]

I have the same problem.

[Joost0D4D]

Same here, again workspaces are all gone, can't select any of the the regular or saved workspaces or get them on screen...also toolbars and advanced setting have been reset again. 

[Monika5C52]

Hello guys, I have been experiencing the same problem.

Dear Adobe, please help us here - your suggestions are not solving the issue.

Any chance you can tell our bosses that the main tool we use for design is failing; therefore, it is possible that what used to take us 6 hours to do now might take 7? Of course not a real request; I am just being frustrated online -_-

Please come back to me with an update on this issue. 

[Monika Gause]

If workspaces don't get saved, then it's a sign for preference corruption.

Exactly what did you already try?

Did you already try and create a new user on the computer (Admin privileges) and launch into that, then start Illustrator?

If that works, then it points to preferences corruption or even corruption of your user account.

You can contact Customer Care and have them log into the system.

[anonfssdgs]

I have tried all of the suggestions listed above, and no workspace comes up.

[Monika Gause]

So you reset your preferences and that's it?

Please try and create a new user on the computer.

[jaime15C3]

Monika, first of all, that suggestion is utterly ridiculous and shows a deep ignorance for the way that people work. Some professionals CANNOT simply add a new user to there system as these rights are often controlled by sys admins and are locked down. Second, it makes absolutely no sense to have to go through all of that because of bugs with Adobe. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO ADD ANOTHER USER BECAUSE ADOBE PREFS ARE CORRUPTED???? Are you kidding me? Third, I find your demeanors quite terse considering the expense of the Adobe platform. Forth, please refer to the hack below to fix which require none of the nonsense you suggested...

[Monika Gause]

Monika, first of all, that suggestion is utterly ridiculous and shows a deep ignorance for the way that people work. Some professionals CANNOT 

………

Are you kidding me? Third, I find your demeanors quite terse considering the expense of the Adobe platform.

By @jaime15C3

This is a 2 year old thread and all answers given, tackle the situation of the person asking. If they help solve your issue as well: good. If they don't, please tell us your problem.

I'm not Adobe staff. I am a professional user of this software for 30 years now and, yes, I can and have had to create a new user on my machine in order to solve issues with Adobe software. And the same applies to other people. My answers are based on my own experience with my own issues and they are based on solving this kind of issues for others. And you can be sure that this procedure was needed in the past and helped people.

Your user folder does get used by all the software on your computer and everyday there are thousands of read/write processes in it, so it's only logical that folder is at high risk of corruption.

Since nobody on this forum can look inside your head or inside your computer, all we can do is tell you try out different things and see if they help. Maybe you don't know how troubleshooting works, but this is the procedure.

Glad that you could solve your issues by following someone else's advice, but their advice might not help everyone, because this is an individual system thing.

[CarlaMotionG · Accepted solution]

I found this answer in another post and it worked for me!! 

"Open Ai, don't create a new file just click on the window tab> choose typography> then close Ai. Open Ai again then try creating a new file, then you can now choose your preferred workspace"

[Nathan Atwood]

This worked for me! Thank you!

[just fancyt37570007]

This is a genius hack, I love you!

[Streetcorner]

Cheers, worked for me too. I had to set up a new workspace but at least I had a workspace

[jaime15C3]

Big thumbs up from me on this. Thank you. Glad I had have to listen to Monika up there...

[visuallogeek]

Thanks for the tips, its worked for me!

[cseminara]

Worked for me