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9

Illustrator 2020 keeps crashing on macOS Catalina

Participant ,
Dec 22, 2019 Dec 22, 2019

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So, I just got my new 16" Macbook, i9 processor with 64gb Ram.

Only problem is that Ilustrator now keeps crashing. I don't have any issues with my old 2015 Macbook, or my iMac 5K, only with my new 16" Macbook. Only Illustrator crashes, and it happens at least 4-5 times during a day. No pattern. Latest version of Illustrator and lates version of MacOS.

 

I finally found a solution. It was another user who wrote me a message with a solution that at least worked for me.

I haven't had a crash in 2 days now.

Preference > Performance > uncheck "GPU Performance"

 

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correct answers 3 Correct answers

Adobe Employee , Mar 16, 2020 Mar 16, 2020

Hi there,

 

We are extremely sorry to hear this. Turning off GPU performance might have worked for them but not for you. Looking at the crash report you submitted on 5th March, it looks like an GPU issue but there could be other factors too. It looks like one-on-one support will be able to help you best. Please head here (https://helpx.adobe.com/support.html) and select the chat button in the lower-right corner of the page. We can help troubleshoot faster that way.

 

Thanks!

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Participant , Sep 04, 2020 Sep 04, 2020

I have updated to the Metal Beta, available if you are signed in to Adobe:

https://www.adobeprerelease.com/beta/85A6F544-2705-49BD-8314-DD549C6A1713#

 

In the release note, it says:

 

Illustrator 24.3 Metal Build 3 (Mac Only)

Stability improvements - we believe several crashes are addressed by moving to Metal. (As OpenGL was deprecated – stability issues reported around GPU Rendering should be addressed with Metal support).

 

I would consider that to be an official admission that there is a GPU renderin

...

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Adobe Employee , Sep 07, 2020 Sep 07, 2020

Hi all,

 

We understand how frustrating crashes can be. We have consolidated the most popular solutions that help in fixing these issues and also, how you can recover unsaved documents after a crash. Please check this help article for more details.

 

If you still need help, feel free to reach out, we'd be happy to help.

 

Regards,

Srishti

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Participant ,
Sep 03, 2020 Sep 03, 2020

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I gave Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign Full Disk Access back in December last year, so apperantly it didn't help me what so ever 😞

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Explorer ,
Sep 03, 2020 Sep 03, 2020

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Has anyone received any official statement from Adobe on this? I'm getting ready to make a service call. Based on what I have read, it will be a run around, but I have to try.

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Participant ,
Sep 04, 2020 Sep 04, 2020

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I have updated to the Metal Beta, available if you are signed in to Adobe:

https://www.adobeprerelease.com/beta/85A6F544-2705-49BD-8314-DD549C6A1713#

 

In the release note, it says:

 

Illustrator 24.3 Metal Build 3 (Mac Only)

Stability improvements - we believe several crashes are addressed by moving to Metal. (As OpenGL was deprecated – stability issues reported around GPU Rendering should be addressed with Metal support).

 

I would consider that to be an official admission that there is a GPU rendering issue with previous builds of Illustrator, which is what this thread is about.

 

My experience so far with the Metal Beta is that it is stable. It has not crashed at all after several days, whereas the current official release was crashing 15-20 times per day. It's obvious to me that the issue that caused this thread has been resolved in the Metal Beta.

 

However, the Metal Beta has its own issues, albeit much less important ones. I get error messages a few times a day, with a choice to quit or ignore. I have always clicked "ignore" and nothing bad has ever happened.

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Adobe Employee ,
Sep 07, 2020 Sep 07, 2020

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Hi all,

 

We understand how frustrating crashes can be. We have consolidated the most popular solutions that help in fixing these issues and also, how you can recover unsaved documents after a crash. Please check this help article for more details.

 

If you still need help, feel free to reach out, we'd be happy to help.

 

Regards,

Srishti

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Explorer ,
Sep 16, 2020 Sep 16, 2020

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Hi Srishti,

 

I really don't feel the understanding. These threads have been open for quite sometime, this is not a "correct answer". Nobody from Adobe is addressing the idea that something is wrong with the new OS, Adobe and the 16" MacBook Pro. None of the solutions offered in the article are working for so many of us. More "frustrating" is reading about more solutions that require the user to solve Adobe issues, only to find we have lost more work hours to this rabbit hole.

 

All Adobe products "unexpededly" crash on my brand new 16" MacBook Pro. 

 

Thank you for all you are doing,

 

B

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Participant ,
Sep 16, 2020 Sep 16, 2020

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Have you tried the Metal Beta version? I would really like to know if it crashes for someone else… for me it's been really stable.

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Participant ,
Sep 25, 2020 Sep 25, 2020

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I'm going to try installing the Metal Beta version now. I've had to revest to using the CPU rendering and it's INFURIATINGLY SLOW. Almost to the point where I'll deal with the crashes if the program just MOVES faster. I'll report back on how it goes. 

Thanks!

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Participant ,
Sep 25, 2020 Sep 25, 2020

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Hmmm...so it looks like V25 is now available in the Beta section of the CC app, per this link:

https://www.adobeprerelease.com/beta/85A6F544-2705-49BD-8314-DD549C6A1713#

 

But I'm only seeing the Beta for version 24.3, which I've installed. Is 24.3 the Metal version that is working better for you? I see the release notes for V25 talks about the GPU stability you mention, but I'm not sure if that applies to version 24.3.

 

This page which talks about the Beta program shows V25 as well:

https://forums.adobeprerelease.com/illustratorpr/discussion/2687/pr-builds-in-beta-section-of-creati...

 

But I can't see V25. Similarly it seems some other people in the comments on that page can't see version 25 either. I just want whatever version fixes the GPU rendering issue. 😛

 

Any help/thoughts/guidance much appriciated. 

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Participant ,
Sep 25, 2020 Sep 25, 2020

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I've been running the 24.3 Metal version for a few weeks, and it's only crashed once. I'm perfectly satisfied with it.

 

I'm installing version 25 as I write this, and I'll come back and report after a few days.

 

Yes, deactivating the GPU slows down the program and ruins the interface. It isn't really an option and I wish they'd stop suggesting it.

 

It's like buying a sports car and then being told "well, all you have to do is stay in first gear and your problem goes away". Maybe, but that's not a fix.

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Participant ,
Sep 25, 2020 Sep 25, 2020

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I just realised that version 25 replaced 24.3, so I really hope it works! At the same time, that means I won't have to redo all my settings as I did with 24.3.

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LEGEND ,
Apr 06, 2021 Apr 06, 2021

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It doesn't HAVE to replace 24.3. It is just the default for Adobe CC app. Both can be installed.

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Participant ,
Sep 26, 2020 Sep 26, 2020

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Hahaha, EXACTLY. 

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Participant ,
Sep 26, 2020 Sep 26, 2020

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So, you are able to see Version 25 in the Adobe CC Beta apps section? I only 24.3 still...  😞

But if 24.3 works with the GPU, that's all I need. Haha. Fingers crossed...again...  

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Explorer ,
Dec 02, 2020 Dec 02, 2020

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Yes, tried. Fail.

I now have updated to Big Sur and latest .ai. Still crashes on the reg. Just part of my life now.

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Community Expert ,
Dec 03, 2020 Dec 03, 2020

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Please contact Customer Care. They can log into your system to check it out.

Most probably your issues are caused by old stuff in your system.

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

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Contributor ,
Sep 30, 2020 Sep 30, 2020

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I'm here for the same reason. Very frustrating to see this problem has been around for nearly a year with no solution (as noted, turning off GPU is NOT a solution, it's a workaround). I didn't drop $3700 on a MBP to not use it to it's full potential. Trying a beta is also not a 'solution'. For what I pay for my hardware and Adobe license, I expect them to work. 

 

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Participant ,
Sep 29, 2020 Sep 29, 2020

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I can confirm that the Illustrator 25 Beta addresses the problem of GPU-related crashes on the 16" Macbook Pro.

 

Once you have subscribed to the beta program at adobeprerelease.com, go to:

https://www.adobeprerelease.com/beta/85A6F544-2705-49BD-8314-DD549C6A1713#

 

It is possible to install version 25 alongside the regular release and have both working correctly. You'll need to set up your preferences all over again for the beta version.

 

I used version 25 briefly with the latest beta of Big Sur and it seemed to work correctly.

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Participant ,
Oct 04, 2020 Oct 04, 2020

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Sadly, I'm not finding your same success with the V25 Beta build of Illustrator, as after 2 hours of work, it crashed AND forgot all my settings. When I try to import my settings (from a previous version of Illustrator) it says it's not a settings file. Good times. 

 

WELP...guess I'll punt back to V24.3 and see how long that runs before crashing.  This is with the GPU performance turned back on (which make ALL the difference).  Using the CPU to render is like working on a 10 year old machine.  

 

Adobe, any help here? Or should we just all continue to radomdly flip switches in the dark hoping for the best.

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Participant ,
Oct 04, 2020 Oct 04, 2020

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So, after reverting to V24.3, THE PROGRAM CRASHED IN UNDER 2 MINUTES. 

....you can't make this stuff up...

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Participant ,
Oct 04, 2020 Oct 04, 2020

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So after turning the GPU performance off (again), the program has remained stable (at least for the last 2 hours). 

 

Adobe...anyone...seriously, I'm all ears for a solution here. Running with CPU rendering is WAY too slow to be a viable solution. Might have to start exploring other competitors offerings... this has gone on WAY too long. Affinity Designer or Sketch....

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Community Expert ,
Oct 05, 2020 Oct 05, 2020

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If you want to reach out to the engineers, post at http://illustrator.uservoice.com.

Seriously, in this thread nobody will ever find anything. If you have anything urgent to tell the engineers, go to Uservoice.

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Participant ,
Oct 05, 2020 Oct 05, 2020

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Thanks Monika. I'll go post there. I did look there previously but didn't see anything in they way of a solution.

 

It was posted in the latest release notes "Stability improvements - we believe several crashes are addressed by moving to Metal. (As OpenGL was deprecated – stability issues reported around GPU Rendering should be addressed with Metal support)."

 

But clearly (at last for me) this isnt' the case. I've tried using the GPU in 24.3, Beta 2020 and Beta 2021 and all are still crashing. 

 

Lastly (and sorry if this is a little spicy) but what's the point of a "support" forum if there is no official Adobe support? It looks like there were some suggestions at the very beginning of this thread by Adobe (nearly a year ago), but have since gone dark. There is a "correct answer" listed, which isn't.  Is there a way to remove that and have it continue to be investigated? I just want the program to work as designed...

 

Thanks. 

 

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Community Expert ,
Oct 05, 2020 Oct 05, 2020

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The answer was correct at the time it has been given and obviously for the person it has been given to.

 

As for the app working on a computer: there is no everlasting solution for everyone there. It's all individual and depends on your version, your system, your hardware, your drivers, your other applications, your system extensions and sometimes even your connected devices. One of those interfering and it all explodes in your face. Taking over someone else's thread won't help you much. It works for them, but your case is different.

 

This is a support forum for the everyday tech issues and issues using the functionality. The people helping here regularly (such as Community Professionals, but others as well) have been using Illustrator for years and have seen many problems and know the solutions. But when it comes to the application running on your individual machine, someone needs to have a look at the machine a lot of the time.

 

Customer Care solves this or the engineers do. And they have better things to do than go through long threads of "why can't I scale my objects anymore", don't you think?

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Participant ,
Oct 07, 2020 Oct 07, 2020

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So I've been working on the Beta 25 version for a few days and it's been going pretty well. I just updated the Beta version and now all hell is loose agian. Today it's been crashing every 10-15 minutes. Really Adobe!!!!!

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Explorer ,
Oct 07, 2020 Oct 07, 2020

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I think we should post anywhere that can assist making small and large issues known. I find the fact that our Adobe software has been crashing with the new system and new MacBook Pro a fairly large issue. As more time goes by, I suspect that you are correct, we won't find the solution here. However, I appreciate the record of the community concerning Adobe recomendations prior to hopelessly engaging them. It takes valuable time to write up a thoughtful post in the hopes you get a response that can help. I'd love nothing more than to have my programs work immediately when purchased. "Customer Care, "engineers", should be reading every inch of long threads written about their product. If not for pride, but for the fact it's their job. Thank you to all who write. If you purchase a program to "scale objects", and it stops scaling objects, well...as someone who's program quits unexpectedly, I stand beside you.

 

User since 88. 

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