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Why does everything want to open in Illustrator?

New Here ,
Nov 16, 2017 Nov 16, 2017

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Since October 2017 it seems Adobe Illustrator has made itself the default application for opening everything (I'm on a Mac running Adobe CC 2015 version)?

 

PNG screen grabs - double click they now open in Illustrator instead of Preview

PDF files - double click they now open in Illustrator instead of Acrobat

The same applies to TXT files, DOC files, PSD files, HTML files... even if I try to 'View Source' of an email in Outlook - it always opens it (or tries to) in Illustrator.

 

I tried the advice of selecting the file on the desktop, select Apple and 'i' to view document info, and then changing the default application back to what it should be (and selecting 'Change All' so all similar files default the same) - which works for a few days, but then it all defaults back to Illustrator again!

 

Perhaps I'm inadvertently doing this somehow?

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Feb 25, 2018 Feb 25, 2018

There are a couple of other things you might need to do, such as: wrong icons and OSX doesnt know what program to... | Communities  and maybe even more. I have never had an issue with that, so I never needed to do it.

Bottom line is: this is not an Illustrator issue, but a Finder issue. It happens with other apps as well. You will need to answer this question on an Apple forum, where you will find other people who could solve it.

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 17, 2018 Jan 17, 2018

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I have the same problem with Illustrator. Any file I scan in on the same scanner I have been using for many years, NOW SUDDENLY defaults to Illustrator. When I do CMD I and change the file to pdf, it will open in preview (as i want it to) but it is still an Illustrator file and it is not recognized by sites that can only upload PDF or JPG files. I can't upload my files to this site because the file is seen as an .ai file EVEN THOUGH it is labeled a pdf and the instruction is for it to be opened in preview. This only started in mid-2017. It has become a real issue in the past few days. Is there a way to turn off Illustrator? The Illustrator files are also not recognized by Adobe Photoshop UNLESS I change them to be opened automatically in Preview. Then I can open them in Photoshop, change them to jpg and upload them to the site that does not recognize Illustrator. This was not happening on my computer at the beginning of 2017. What changed?

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New Here ,
Jan 19, 2018 Jan 19, 2018

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I am using CS5Extended running on Mac ElCapitan and am having the same problem with Illustrator. So the latest link from Monika is of no use. So frustrating!

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New Here ,
Feb 24, 2018 Feb 24, 2018

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EXACTELY SAME PROBLEM HERE !!

THIS IS TOTALY CRAZY, since october most of my files (.pdf, .psd, .png, .jpg etc...) are opened by default with Illustrator !

Of course i went to finder CMD+I to select "open all files with" and changed by my default program but all the time i switch off my computer, all files are again and again opened with Illustrator !

It is so frustrating and i'm loosing every day a lot of time with this stupid issue !

Please ADOBE do something as this is a really annoying bug !!!!!!!!

And please don't tell me that this is a problem with my computer or configuration as all of my colleagues in my office have exactely the same issue !

Mac OSX 10.11.6 (MacPro early 2009 version)

With Adobe CC 2018 suite.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 24, 2018 Feb 24, 2018

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Repair your Launch Database in your Mac OS. There are a couple of links in this thread on how to do so.

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New Here ,
Feb 25, 2018 Feb 25, 2018

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Monika,

Thanks a lot for your answer !

i already Repaired the Launch Database with Onyx several time. But as soon as i restart my computer the problem appear again and again.

So this trick doesn't solve the problem at all...

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Community Expert ,
Feb 25, 2018 Feb 25, 2018

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There are a couple of other things you might need to do, such as: wrong icons and OSX doesnt know what program to... | Communities  and maybe even more. I have never had an issue with that, so I never needed to do it.

Bottom line is: this is not an Illustrator issue, but a Finder issue. It happens with other apps as well. You will need to answer this question on an Apple forum, where you will find other people who could solve it.

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New Here ,
Mar 05, 2018 Mar 05, 2018

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Problem is not solved at all and it looks like many people have the same issue, maybe it's time to take this issue in consideration instead of saying that it's a finder problem, because everything started after an Adobe update around mi-october 2017.

I tried all solutions and as warnergt said, they are all tomporary fixes, as soon as you reboot your Mac all problems reapears and all files are again opened with Illustrator by default !

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Community Expert ,
Mar 05, 2018 Mar 05, 2018

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This is the Apple forum:

Official Apple Support Communities

Please post your issue there.

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New Here ,
Mar 13, 2018 Mar 13, 2018

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+

With all due respect, you are mistaken. It is not an OS thing; it is Adobe. I am recently having this problem on Mavericks, and none of the proposed solutions have solved it. My finder preference file is fine, and I have not updated my OS recently. I have all automatic updates disabled, and the problem only reoccurs when I update Adobe products. Something changed on Adobe's end.

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New Here ,
Mar 24, 2018 Mar 24, 2018

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Same here:

Running my CS suite 5.5 on Maverick on one computer, and CS6 on Sierra on the other.

Both have issues with Illustrator being the default application for opening image files.

it keeps happening despite applying suggested procedures.

This issue is not solved.

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 03, 2018 Mar 03, 2018

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I have this, and having used macs since early 90s, I'm pretty sure this has not happened before, but of course gremlins do abound, but alot less in the last 10 yrs. It started end of last year (2017), I'm on OS 10.11.6. Although my mac is an iMac27" mid 2011. It is extremely irritating! Especially when Illustrator tries to open your Photoshop 500MB multilayered file that I've recently been working on in PS. Of course it takes an age to think about it...etc...several minutes while Illustrator panics and thinks and then you have stop the process only when it comes to confirmation box. Then you go to the file, info, change the default opening to Photoshop for all .psd files, globally (for the umpteenth time!), and then move on. Illustrator opens all you bog-standard jpgs! Correct the settings, and the next day it might fine (having changed the defaults), but then it reverts to ILLUSTRATOR, AGAIN!! aaagghhh! What is it about Illustrator CC?!

Seems lots of people have the same identical issue.

I'm a bit reluctant to push the mac to High Sierra, but maybe I'll give it a go. ('Older' macs may not be able cope).

Are the boys and girls at 'Illustrator' having a bit of fun!?

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Community Expert ,
Mar 03, 2018 Mar 03, 2018

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van_gogh  schrieb

I have this, and having used macs since early 90s, I'm pretty sure this has not happened before, but of course gremlins do abound, but alot less in the last 10 yrs. It started end of last year (2017), I'm on OS 10.11.6. Although my mac is an iMac27" mid 2011. It is extremely irritating! Especially when Illustrator tries to open your Photoshop 500MB multilayered file that I've recently been working on in PS. Of course it takes an age to think about it...etc...several minutes while Illustrator panics and thinks and then you have stop the process only when it comes to confirmation box. Then you go to the file, info, change the default opening to Photoshop for all .psd files, globally (for the umpteenth time!), and then move on. Illustrator opens all you bog-standard jpgs! Correct the settings, and the next day it might fine (having changed the defaults), but then it reverts to ILLUSTRATOR, AGAIN!! aaagghhh! What is it about Illustrator CC?!

Seems lots of people have the same identical issue.

I'm a bit reluctant to push the mac to High Sierra, but maybe I'll give it a go. ('Older' macs may not be able cope).

Are the boys and girls at 'Illustrator' having a bit of fun!?

There are a couple of posts with links to the Apple forums that have instructions on how to delete the Launch database and other things you might need to do. Please read this thread.

Bottom line: this is not an application issue, it's the system that causes it. Might happen on High Sierra as well, of course. And happens with other applications of course, but since you use Adobe apps, it happens to Adobe apps in your case.

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Explorer ,
Mar 04, 2018 Mar 04, 2018

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SAME PROBLEM HERE!

All of the posted "fixes" are only temporary fixes.

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Explorer ,
Mar 05, 2018 Mar 05, 2018

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By the way, I am seeing this problem with OS X El Capitan.

I am wondering if this may be an OS X problem.

For people with this problem, what version of OS X are you using?

Apple has a bad reputation of poorly supporting older software.

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New Here ,
Mar 05, 2018 Mar 05, 2018

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This happening to me too, on the latest Illustrator CC 2018. Which is not even installed on my system (keeps offering trial). Not cool, Adobe, hijacking my workflow.

I change it globally, a few days later it's back again.

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New Here ,
Mar 05, 2018 Mar 05, 2018

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To add more detail, I noticed it happening starting around Oct/Nov last year, same as others here. El Cap for me.

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Explorer ,
Mar 05, 2018 Mar 05, 2018

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Five people here are reporting this problem on Mac OS X El Capitan.

Is anybody experiencing this problem on a version of OS X that is not El Capitan?

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New Here ,
Mar 08, 2018 Mar 08, 2018

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it's definitely an OS thing. I freelance from home and at a few different places. same problem everywhere.

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 22, 2018 Mar 22, 2018

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I've been routinely getting this problem for months. "Open with" will fix it for a day or two, then its starts back up again.  Also having issues where "edit original" from indesign opens jpgs/tiffs or psds in illustrator. My experience of CC has been nothing bugs and glitches from the get go! (Mac -El Capitan, CC 2018)

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Community Expert ,
Mar 22, 2018 Mar 22, 2018

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S4NCH32  schrieb

I've been routinely getting this problem for months. "Open with" will fix it for a day or two, then its starts back up again.  Also having issues where "edit original" from indesign opens jpgs/tiffs or psds in illustrator. My experience of CC has been nothing bugs and glitches from the get go! (Mac -El Capitan, CC 2018)

Fix your Launch Services on the operating system.

The Apple forum might help you with that.

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Explorer ,
Mar 22, 2018 Mar 22, 2018

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Rebuilding Launch Services only fixes the problem temporarily. 

It invariably comes back.

I have been experiencing this problem for many months now.

The only Adobe upgrades I performed were:

    Adobe Acrobat Reader DC,

    Adobe Flash Player and

    Adobe Reader XI.

Most people are experiencing this problem with Mac OS X version 10.11.x (El Capitan).

I suspect it is a bug introduced in an Apple update.

I am pessimistic that Apple will fix that as their support for older OS's is very poor.

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New Here ,
Mar 24, 2018 Mar 24, 2018

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I found a temporary solution: uninstall Illustrator until I get a grip on this.

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Explorer ,
Mar 24, 2018 Mar 24, 2018

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I also have a problem where text files open with MS Word instead of BB Edit.

I can change the "Open with" default but it eventually reverts back.

This is another reason I believe this is a Mac OS X problem; not an Adobe problem.

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New Here ,
Apr 24, 2019 Apr 24, 2019

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I also uninstalled Ai to get rid of the issue

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New Here ,
Mar 27, 2018 Mar 27, 2018

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Having had this problem too (El Capitan, Illustrator CS3), I've been visiting this thread from time to time when the problem got on my nerves … Indeed, the problem appeared with other Apps too from time to time.

There seems to be a solution or workaround where I'd never expected: Firefox Quantum seems to be the "culprit": Have a look at this thread and the references bugzilla entry:

Resolved - something keeps changing my "open with" defaults | MacRumors Forums

1437281 - OSX dragging image to desktop changes OSX File associations

Looks familiar? I gave it a try. Let me know it it worked for you.

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