Bug: File separated into multiple clipping masks after save, please fix Illustrator

[Karlee5ECC]

We have been finding ourselves at a loss for a fix to this problem at work, so if anyone has seen this before, please help:

After saving an .ai file, clipped objects all become seperate objects that you can pull apart piece-by-piece, and previous grouping vanishes. Even when an object have a line colour and a fill, these both become seperate objects.

In this bug, not all clipping masks dissapear, in fact sometimes, a clipping mask with several object inside of it becomes a clipping mask for each (Ie, if there are 5 objects inside 1 clipping mask, after a save, there will be 5 clipping masks (all empty appart from one object each) all of them in the original clipping mask shape. The original clipping mask shape's fill and outline are then also seperate objects undreneath these 5 new clipping masks. It looks like the same artwork, but becomes insanely hard to edit, and of course, we usually use far more objects that 5 inside a clipping mask.

We are also fininding that some of these newly 'layered-up' clipping masks or object are grouped with random other ones in the artwork. Very odd.

The bug creates compound paths too between objects, seemingly at random. 

This is ruining out work and adding hours and hours or entire re-writes to what should be simple modifications. Can anyone help? Has anyone seen this before or know of a fix? 

Notes:

Our system is run on a server and we all work remotely.

Our files are sometimes large, but this happens to both larger and smaller files

This seems to happen at random, not to everything make

We all work on different machines PC and Mac, but everyone gets the same issues periodically no matter the machine

[Monika Gause]

So you all save directly to a network?

This sounds like the file gets corrupted when saving and the only that's left is a PDF.

Illustrator has known issues with servers; https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/illustrator-support-networks-removable-media.html

Although for many people it still works. It depends on server configuration and network setup. It might be caused by one seemingly unrelated option in a switch or it might be a huge issue. It's individual.

You might try saving without "PDF compatiblity" - but if the saving then goes wrong, the file will be lost completely.

Saving locally and then moving the file to the network when you've finished editing seems the safest solution.

[Karlee5ECC]

Thank you Monika. 

It seems so vague that issues like this arrise and there's not a clear cut formula to reproduce them and test what it is causing it.

I'd still be really interested if anyone has had this problem before and knows what the fix is rather than taking more chances.

Thanks again

[Karlee5ECC]

For those not unserstanding fully what issues we're having, I've added an image and a video of what's happening.

[Karlee5ECC]

Also yes we all save directly to a network.  The network connects our files so we can see them in our finders and file browsers. We open and save .ai files directy from there. 

[Monika Gause]

I totally understand your workflow and why you set it up that way.

But the issues with saving to servers are real and they surface in this and other forums regularly.

Maybe @Mike_Gondek can give you additional clues.