Illustrator CC AI File will not open with Double-Clicking

[cutty3d]

I am hoping somebody else has had this issue and it has been resolved.  When I double-click on an AI file in Windows Explorer, Illustrator applicationopens, but does not open the document. I can open AI file then from File/Open action. It started happening with 2021 and I am currently using 25.2.3.  I do not have any other versions installed. This started months ago and I have been working on it intermittently since then.  

Interestingly, it open Illustrator and then shows the file I was trying to open under Recents.  So, it is like it opens the file and closes it, as it always show the file I just double-clicked on under recents.  This happens with any .AI file I try and open via doube-click.  

I have read a number of similar issues from others in the community and tried to fix it with their steps.  This is what I have tried thus far in the last few months. 

1. Used Open with in Windows 10 to make sure AI files defaulted to current Illustrator version
2. Uninstalled/Reinstalled Adobe Creative Cloud
3. Uninstalled/Reinstalled Adobe Illustrator
4. When the 25.2.3 came out, I upgraded to that. I know I am not current yet. 
5. Reset Illustrator Preferences and turned off some Preference settings per another post
6. Uninstalled Affinity Designer just in case it was interfering
7. Checked to make sure .AI association was correct in Control Panel to Illustrator. I even changed it to something else and then back to see if that would jump-start it. 
8. Checked registry path for Adobe illustrator

For the life of me, I cannot figure out what else to do. So, I am throwing in the towel and putting it out there to see if there is something else that somebody might suggest.  Any suggestions I have not already tried are welcome.  Thanks in advance!

[gianvitulano]

Hi cutty3d,

we are sorry that you are experiencing problems with Adobe Illustrated. We thank you for sharing with us all the steps to try to solve this problem. I found a thread very similar to yours: Illustrator won't open files when double-clicked
In addition, I enclose the page to contact customer care: Adobe Customer Care

[cutty3d]

Thanks for the response. I read that thread too and tried all that was listed.  I guess I will have to contact Adobe support. Everytime I reset something, it takes me forever to get back to my preferred setup with menus, plugins, etc....especially when resetting preferences and such. I have not settings, scripts, actions, menus backed up, but I have not used the backup settings, to eliminate them being part of the issue.  I thought this would be an easy fix.  For now, it is File, Open on this device.  I have another laptop it works just fine on, so it is strange. 

[gianvitulano · Accepted solution]

Hi cutty3d,

contact Adobe support and keep us updated 🙂

[cutty3d · Accepted solution]

For those that may be experiencing this issue, I found what was causing my issue.  I am using a laptop hooked to a docking station. I never tested the functionality with the laptop undocked.  When I double-click an AI file undocked, it is working.  I never had this trouble with Illustrator whiel using it in the docking station for several years, so I would have never checked normally. This is an gaming laptop with lots of memory and a great video card, but I think ultimately the docking station is the core issue.  I bought a newer laptop, so I just never undocked this one, as I use it primarily for video editing.  I just wanted to  update this post in case somebody else come searching like I did. I am not sure if the issue is solvable, but we'll see what happens when I update my docking station in a few months.  

[gianvitulano]

Hi cutty3d,

thank you for sharing your experience and solution with the whole community 🙂