When Adobe Illustrator stops working, freezes, or refuses to open, it can bring your entire design workflow to a halt. Whether you’re starting a new project or editing an important client file, these sudden issues can be incredibly frustrating. The good news is that most Illustrator problems can be fixed with simple, manual steps; no technical expertise is required. In this guide.

We’ll walk you through the most common reasons Illustrator fails to work and the easiest solutions to get it running smoothly again. By following these steps, you can quickly troubleshoot the problem and get back to designing without losing any progress.

Adobe Illustrator Not Working - Ways to Fix It

Restart Illustrator & Reopen the file

Sometimes Illustrator just gets stuck.

1. Close Illustrator
2. Reopen the software
3. Open your .ai file again

Open the AI File in a new Illustrator window

Instead of double-clicking

1. Open Illustrator → File → Open → Choose File
2. This bypasses launch-time crashes.

Check if the File is corrupted

If the file doesn't open or shows "the file is damaged," try one of these

Fix 1: Place the AI file into a new document

1. Illustrator → File → New
2. File → Place
3. Select the problematic AI file
4. Enable the link and click place
5. If the artwork loads and saves as a new file

Open the File in PDF Mode

Most AI files are PDF compatible

1. Try opening the file with:
2. Adobe Acrobat.
3. Any PDF Viewer.
4. If it opens→ Save as PDF → re-import into Illustrator.

Update Adobe Illustrator

Many files don't open because they were created in a newer Illustrator version.

Go to:

1. Creative Cloud.
2. Then click on Updates. 
3. Lastly, Update Illustrator

Open AI File in Canva 

1. Open Canva on your system.
2. Click on the upload option.
3. Choose the AI image that you want to open.
4. Now drag and drop the image on a blank sheet.

Best Method to Access your AI Files Without Loss

If these methods don’t work for you, you can use an AI Converter to convert your AI files into multiple saving formats. This way, you can access your files in any other format you prefer.

1. Firstly, run the software on your system.
2. Secondly, choose the dual option to convert your AI files.
3. Thirdly, preview your uploaded AI files.
4. After that, choose the desired file format from the given selection of saving options.
5. Now, select the destination path to save your resultant data.
6. At the end, click on the convert button to complete your process.

Conclusion

As we explored why Adobe Illustrator is not working, we looked at several simple methods to fix the issue. We covered different manual techniques, along with their pros and cons, and also mentioned a reliable expert-recommended solution. If you want Illustrator to run smoothly without errors, choosing the right fix is important. The methods above help you troubleshoot problems quickly while keeping your work safe.