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AI displays the START SCREEN on opening the file and the document view do not switches (refreshes) the file content.

v 22.1

When trying to open an existing file while Illustrator is closed, the software will lag and then hang on the opening screen. The file appears to be opened in the background, but there's no way to access or see it. The opening screen will give options to open additional files or create a new one (as usual) but when trying to do either, nothing will open and no New File Options menu will appear.

Everything will work normally only if I open Illustrator first and then the file.

This happens will every file I've tried, so this isn't an issue of corruption.

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Resolved (Comments Open)  ·  AdminAnkit Goyal(Illustrator Team) (Admin, Adobe Illustrator) responded  · 

Thank you all for reporting this issue and providing us your valuable feedback.

What we have found out so far is that this issue can happen in multiple workflows. For clear tracking, validation and closure. We will closing this thread for given below two scenarios which we believe are fixed now:

1)Double click any Ai file to launch Illustrator
2)Placing files in Illustrator via Bridge.

For two other scenarios that we know of that can cause this, we have created a separate thread :https://illustrator.uservoice.com/forums/601447-illustrator-bugs/suggestions/39220189-ai-displays-the-start-screen-on-opening-the-file-a .If you are encountering the below mentioned issues with latest Version (24.0.1 on Mac and Win), then please vote on newly provided User voice thread and provide Test File via File→Package, Video and steps via dropping email at sharewithai@adobe.com along with this thread link so that we can identify and fix the root cause.

1. On opening a file in Illustrator the START SCREEN do not gets dismissed and the file’s content is not visible.
2. While working on a file and opening a new one the document view sticks to the old file and do not switches to the new file artwork.

Please remember to update graphic driver. We are also seeing cases where updating graphic card driver fixes the issue. You can update your driver via https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/kb/illustrator-gpu-performance-driver-update.html .

With Best Regards,
Ankit Goyal
Illustrator Team

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  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    I tried every one of these suggestions, but to no avail.

    So if all else fails, create a new document and place your .ai file in the new document. Use the direct selection tool (A) to delete the bounding box, and now you have all of your vectors there to work with.

    Not ideal, but it worked for me.

  • Halie Howard commented  ·   ·  Report

    AI refuses to open files from File Explorer. It will only open files from within the program.

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    When I start illustrator by opening an Illustrator file from the finder the start / home screen is displayed and I am unable to view the file. When I check my Window menu I see that the file has loaded, but I am unable to access it. Trying to click on any of the other recent documents or new document options on the start screen opens these in the background, but the start screen is stuck on top. Note - this only happens if Illustrator is not currently running and I open a file from the finder. If I first open illustrator the start window works as it should.

  • Stef Naskova commented  ·   ·  Report

    I opened an svg file (right click > open with > Ai) and it opened Ai with the sidebars but instead of the canvas with the artboard and my file, there was the starting screen inside.

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    Only way I could find is to close the file cmd W and then open it again

  • David Wood commented  ·   ·  Report

    Evidently you have to open Illustrator *first* and then open your document. Otherwise your document is unviewable - only the home screen.

  • Thomas Bucca commented  ·   ·  Report

    I dowloaded the previous version of the program, but it still a problem of this new update.
    If someone has info, please comment. Thanks!

  • Thomas Bucca commented  ·   ·  Report

    I have a similar bug: this morning I updated Illustrator and tried to work on some of my files. When I open a file (created with the previous version), the program doesn't respond, I tried to double click it, open it in all the ways, but it seems like the function doesn't work. I don't know what to do, usually when I open file in previous version the program asks me if I want to convert the file in the next version, but this time it does nothing.

    Help? Thanks

  • Nicholas McMillan commented  ·   ·  Report

    Newest Update (11/02/2018) will not open files when dragged to the launch icon in dock or when control clicking and using Open With command.

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    Sherm Stevens, trashing prefs may have worked for you but I've deleted them multiple times over the past year and it has never solved the problem for me. This is still happening on my system even with the 2019 update.

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    This is so ******* frustrating. the last several versions do this

  • Alan commented  ·   ·  Report

    I have this issue

  • MatM commented  ·   ·  Report

    I've updated to the latest version and this has been happening to me too, at least 3 times today.

  • Tom commented  ·   ·  Report

    I have had a few occasions where I have opened a new file in addition to a couple of other file that are already in the program, after opening this program, my other document in another tab appears rather than my new documents, this then happens for all subsequent tabs, so essentially every tab shows the same document, I have to close the application down and reopen it in order to resolve the issue.

  • stewart commented  ·   ·  Report

    I try to open Illustrator files and they don't appear. It says it's open but nothing shows up but my menu of past opens.

  • Sherm Stevens commented  ·   ·  Report

    Just tested a theory, thinking it's corrupt AI preferences. I quit AI, then pressed Option+Command+Shift (MAC) as AI is starting, resetting AI prefs to factory defaults. Problem has disappeared... for now.

    So it looks like the culprit is a corrupt AI PREFS file. Here's how to fix:
    https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/setting-preferences.html

    The key is to hover your fingers over the keys / combination, click AI to open (either from CC icon or from shortcut) and PRESS THE KEYS IMMEDIATELY as soon as AI begins to launch. It might take a few tries until you get the timing right.

    Unlike InDesign, AI doesn't give you any indication that it worked other than an empty recent files window.

  • Sherm Stevens commented  ·   ·  Report

    Even using the Window command to select open documents (at the bottom of that menu) doesn't bring any docs in front of the splash/recent files screen. Very annoying, Adobe! STOP FOCUSING ON NEW FEATURES AND FIX THE ONES ALREADY IN THE SOFTWARE!

  • Sherm Stevens commented  ·   ·  Report

    I have the same issue on MacBook Pro 2013 running OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan.

    As a temp fix, I use the "Window > Arrange > Float all in Windows" command to float any open documents, then "Window > Arrange > Consolidate All Windows" to restore. It seems the recent docs/splash screen is staying in front of any open documents when they are opened by double-clicking on the AI file in the Finder.

    I've recently noticed that TABS for each document are missing after performing this.

    This has been a bug for awhile... how freakin' hard can this be to correct? I miss Freehand.

  • Anonymous commented  ·   ·  Report

    Files are opening on ai but the artboard is not open, you can see the layers on the layer panel but not showing up on the workspace

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