This is bad!
Please tell more about the configurations you are having?
1. What type of disk do you have the application installed on? SSD or HDD?
2. How much of free space do you have on your disks?
3. Does your Windows user account have administrator rights?
4. Do you try to save your artwork as a local or as cloud document?

I can't save files.
Whenever I try to save any of them, a notification comes up which says that the file cannot be found.

Well, that is not resolving the issue with the app. While yes, restarting the application would allow you to start saving again, this is a bug and should be resolved by Adobe. Ability to save your work is the most basic function of any application, and losing your work is catastrophic in terms of the severity of the bug.

Before you close the app and lose your unsaved work, create a new file with the same dimension and copy/paste everything from the artboard that is not saving. Save the new file.

I was able to resolve the issue by closing the program down and restarting it. It sucks, but that also meant losing progress on the file. Tis life, I guess.

Hello. I have experienced the same issue at 2 different times now. In both cases I left the file open over night. The computer does not (did not) go to sleep or hibernate. And so coming back to it next day, making changes and then was unable to Save, Save As or Export.

I just got this today. It doesn't matter if I save as an AI file or try to export as a PDF, I still get "This file cannot be found." I can export as a Photoshop file without the error, but if I use "Save As", I get the error and can't save the work I created. After restarting AI, I don't get the error, but I lost all the work I did.

Laura, do other save options work for you? Save As, Save a Copy, saving in other formats than .ai?

Same issue starting today. I did find a somewhat helpful workaround on the Adobe Support Community where it is mentioned to save the document as an SVG, open the SVG and then save it to AI again.

Worked for me. Only downside is that if you work with multiple layers you'll now have one layer with the previously created layers as groups inside. You'll have to release these back to layers and rename all layers again. Works, but time-consuming...

Hope it helps. Here's also the link to the community entry:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/illustrator/can-t-save-file-this-file-cannot-be-found-error/m-p/11808494

Hello everyone,

After this new update I got a weird bug: every time I try to save a file it gets me the error "Can't save the document <document name>. This file cannot be found" (screenshot attached). After I clicking save again it works just fine. It's not a big of a deal, but is really annoying get that popup every time I open a document, do some modifications and try to save again.

I'm having the same issue!

AI v25.1 on Win10 Pro (BOTH programs have had the most recent updates).
Whether opening a previous file or creating a new one, not being able to save said file(s) as .AI in any version.
Consistently get the error "This file cannot be found" (see attached).
Again, see attached.

Anyone else having the same?
Any suggestions?
Thanks, BGunn

I use a Macbook Pro mid 2015 with 16 GB RAM and Mac OSX Mojave 10.14.4. I just updated from CC 2018 to CC2019 at most a week ago. I wish I could go back, because at least in CC 2018 I could save.

When I tried saving a file I have already saved before, with this newest version of the program even, it gives me the error message of "file not found." I go and try to open the file, make sure I'm not just working on a different version, and that "file is already open."

I try to make a new document, go to save the document. I receive error "cannot save file. .278"

What does that even mean?

Restarting my work isn't really an option at this point, either. Please get it fixed quickly. Dealing with a shoddy program is not what I would expect for the price I pay every month.

I use a Macbook Pro mid 2015 with 16 GB RAM and Mac OSX Mojave 10.14.4. I just updated from CC 2018 to CC2019 at most a week ago. I wish I could go back, because at least in CC 2018 I could save.

When I tried saving a file I have already saved before, with this newest version of the program even, it gives me the error message of "file not found." I go and try to open the file, make sure I'm not just working on a different version, and that "file is already open."

I try to make a new document, go to save the document. I receive error "cannot save file. .278"

What does that even mean?

Restarting my work isn't really an option at this point, either. Please get it fixed quickly. Dealing with a shoddy program is not what I would expect for the price I pay every month.