Illustrator Suddenly Closes With No Warning

Ingrid Williams

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Jul 12, 2003, 12:32:15 AM7/12/03

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Using Illustrator 10 on Windows XP Pro ...

Usually when placing a photo, Illustrator has been closing ... no warning, it just disappears. I've tried restarting, reinstalling, etc. The fix seems very temporary at best.

Lately it closes when I create a new document.

Any wisdom to offer? I'm wondering if it's corrupt files ... but don't know if it's in the structure files or the image files themselves, etc. Is there some sort of "uncorruption" utility to fix the files? Any way to identify them?

Thanks for the help.

LenHewitt

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Jul 12, 2003, 4:25:35 AM7/12/03

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Ingrid,

Start by doing a search for Aiprefs (no extension and a HIDDEN file) and
deleting it. Where the file is located is dependent upon your O/S but in
Win2k/XP it will be found in Documents & Settings\~username\Application
Data\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator~Version_no\

Ingrid Williams

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Jul 12, 2003, 7:04:39 PM7/12/03

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I just tried this ... and it still closed just as I tried to place an image. :( Any other ideas?

matthew hattie

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Jul 14, 2003, 6:34:49 PM7/14/03

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I'm also using ai on xp, and I feel your pain. Don't know why it does this (and not even an "illustraor has unexpect...." message), but it seems to happen less whithout too many other programs open and a fairly clean and defraged hard drive so I think it's an XP thing (who'd of thunk that)

Ian A. Wright

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Jul 14, 2003, 10:16:00 PM7/14/03

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Ingrid:

If you haven't patched up to Illustrator 10.0.3 then you should do so. If that doesn't fix the problem I recommend a complete removal, clean-up, de-fragg and re-install from the original Adobe CD-ROM. Then patch to 10.0.3 on the clean install.

If that doesn't fix things we'll have to look at your fonts. It should not be happening ...

Dave Salo

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Jul 15, 2003, 10:56:00 AM7/15/03

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I have had the same problem with V 9.0 updated to 9.0.2...also have found that it doesn't "appear" to happen if it's the ONLY program open. However, this particular computer is on Windows 98, NOT XP! Sooooo....is it Windows, or is it AI? Or both?

Dave

Claire Weigand

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Jul 15, 2003, 9:07:53 PM7/15/03

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This just happened to me today with an added problem. I was placing a Photoshop file that was large (Win XP) and got a Windows pop up message from the task bar about not enough memory so the computer would adjust itself, and then Illustrator 10 closed. When I reopened Illustrator, I can no longer open the layers palette at all. Neither F7 nor the windows menu will open layers palette. Where did it go? I'm not sure if I have patched illustrator to 10.0.3, so I might try that before a total removal and re-install.
claire

Claire Weigand

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Jul 15, 2003, 9:45:05 PM7/15/03

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Well, I deleted aiprefs and that brought back layers palette. soon , I will patch 10.0.3 in and see if that fixes the placing problem.
Claire

Ingrid Williams

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Jul 21, 2003, 11:22:57 PM7/21/03

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Ian -

I had already patched. The first time I did a "fix" reinstall. Later I uninstalled, reinstalled, and patched. Defrag came later. Tried another "fix" and then another reinstall. This time the "fix" seemed to work - only once since the fix has it bleeped out on me (but I've been trying to avoid images/locations that seem to provoke it).

I'd like to hear about the fonts ... what might I need to be aware of there?

Thanks!

Ian A. Wright

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Jul 23, 2003, 6:26:29 PM7/23/03

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Ingrid:

<boilerplate on>
I recommend that you have only 100 or so fonts installed and active at one time as a test -- that's a Windows 9x issue. But I've seen problems when using many fonts under newer Windows as well. Remember that roman, bold, italic and bold-italic are four "fonts". You can install thousands of fonts and have them available but "inactive" by using Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.1 to create "font packs" which you switch in and out as necessary. That way you have all the fonts you need without also slowing down every Windows operation involving typography.

QualiType Software has another font utility called Font Handler at www.qualitype.com. Bitstream also had a font manager called Font Navigator and I believe a version of Bitsream's utility shipped with CorelDRAW! However Bitstream have withdrawn this in favour of another program, Font Reserve There is also Suitcase for Windows, from Extensis

Check ALL your fonts. For TrueType fonts use Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Fonts and see if they were installed and display correctly. For Type One fonts use Adobe Type Manager Deluxe to check that the Type Ones were installed and display correctly. If any are corrupted, remove and replace from the original disks. Then delete all instances of your ADOBEFNT*.LST files with all Adobe applications closed.

If the list is wrong or out of order it may be because there are many, many broken TrueType fonts out there with the wrong script in them. The font list is sorted first by script type, and then by font name. Here is a tech support note that has some workarounds: <http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/1711e.htm>
<boilerplate off>

matthew hattie

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Jul 27, 2003, 10:00:46 PM7/27/03

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NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! Just had a new one (for me anyway) First it said "can't save illustration" (so I'm in trouble anyway) Then it just decides it's had enough and I'm outta here (closed). Man, does everyone else get that horrible sinking feeling when this happens? Watching all your work dissapear...................I'm off for a wee cry :(.................almost.

matthew hattie

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Jul 27, 2003, 10:06:47 PM7/27/03

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Now when I try to save what was still left of the file it tells me : "can't open the illustration....................does not have the correct number of operands for an operator" and yes I am already up to anger in the grieving process. Guess there's nothing I can do about this?

Ian A. Wright

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Jul 28, 2003, 4:15:00 PM7/28/03

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Matthew:

I hope you have a series of sequential backups. It sounds like something has been corrupted. First thing is to delete the AIPREFS file. If that doesn't fix things, read on ...

A damaged Adobe Illustrator file may cause an error or unexpected behaviour (e.g., crashes, objects failing to preview) when you modify, save, or print artwork in Illustrator. To determine if a damaged file is the cause, create a new Illustrator file and perform the same tasks that caused the problem with the original file. If you cannot re-create the problem with the new file, the original file may be damaged. To repair a damaged file, create a backup copy of it on your local hard drive, then look at these suggestions: <http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/11fbe.htm>

Here’s a couple of other ideas: Mordy Golding "Recovering Corrupt Files" 12/17/01 2:06pm </cgi-bin/webx?50@@.ef5b7af> and Help: Illegal Operand error. File will not open.

matthew hattie

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Jul 28, 2003, 7:02:29 PM7/28/03

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Thanks Ian I'm going to have to try and fix this one. I'm not looking forward to re-creating it otherwise. I know I should have back ups, but........... my bad.

Ian A. Wright

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Jul 31, 2003, 9:38:53 AM7/31/03

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Matthew:

Please don't take this the wrong way, but where did "my bad" come from? I don't live in the USA -- is it local slang? Not criticizing, I'm just interested in the etymology of language.

matthew hattie

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Jul 31, 2003, 7:13:55 PM7/31/03

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Guess it is local slang Ian, kind of "kiddie speak" I suppose. It just means my mistake or my fault. I don't live in the US either by the way. I'm in Mt Manganui, Aotearoa (New Zealand).

viol8ion

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Aug 1, 2003, 1:44:49 PM8/1/03

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My Bad = Mea Culpa

American slang, I don't think anyone is sure where it originated.

Ian A. Wright

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Aug 1, 2003, 7:20:36 PM8/1/03

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Thanks all.

Penny Sitler

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Aug 4, 2003, 10:41:05 AM8/4/03

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I thought "my bad" came from the Simpsons (U.S. evening TV cartoon for adults), but I'm not sure.

matthew hattie

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Aug 4, 2003, 7:09:52 PM8/4/03

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You might be onto something Penny.