Adobe Illustrator AutoSave, Backup and Protect Illustrator from Crash Error

Don’t know how to prevent and avoid unexpected Adobe Illustrator file lost error due to accidental deletion or Illustrator crash? This article will provide you a complete backup solution to help you turn on Adobe Illustrator AutoSave feature and backup AI files from sudden Adobe Illustrator crash error. If AI crashes, follow to see how to perform Illustrator crash recovery and get all AI files back now.

Don't bother anymore if you don't want to face Adobe Illustrator crash or AI file loss error. Find complete backup solution here to turn on Adobe Illustrator AutoSave feature and backup AI files to protect Adobe Illustrator from crash error now.

How to prevent Adobe Illustrator from crashing and avoid AI file loss?

"Hi guys, have you ever get a similar message, telling that Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop has stopped working? And Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop suddenly crashes? I've met this issue several times with Adobe Illustrator CC 2016. Quite a lot of AI files got lost due to a sudden crash.

I recently upgraded Illustrator into 2017 CC version. It works great. If there is a way to protect and save Adobe Illustrator files automatically, things will be perfect. Please let me know if you have a complete solution to protect and backup Adobe Illustrator files automatically to avoid unexpected program crash or not working error."

According to Adobe website and Google result, it's not a new problem for Adobe users to lose important PSD, AI or AE files due to program crash or not working error. Here in the below, find complete backup solution here to auto-save and backup Illustrator files to avoid unexpected Adobe Illustrator crash error now.

Step 1. Auto-save and protect Adobe Illustrator files from losing

The best way to avoid unexpected Adobe file loss issue due to accidental deletion or program crash is to auto-save or auto-backup Adobe Illustrator files.

Right here, you have two options to backup Illustrator files with AutoSave feature in AI and auto-backup with professional backup software. Follow either method to auto-save and backup your AI files now:

Method 1. Turn on AutoSave feature to backup AI files

1. Run Adobe Illustrator > Click Preference;
2. Select File Handling & Clipboard;
3. Under Data Recovery, check Automatically Save Recovery Data Every: box and choose the time interval from the drop-down menu;
4. Check Turn off Data Recovery for complex documents to gain a fluent work-flow on Illustrator if necessary.

Method 2. Auto backup Adobe Illustrator files with backup software

EaseUS Todo Backup is a powerful backup software which allows you to automatically backup Adobe Illustrator files for free within 30 days. Only 3 steps will do. 
Free download and follow to automatically backup AI files now:

Step 1. For the first time you use EaseUS Todo Backup to back up files, click Create backup on the home screen and then mouse click the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. Since you're going to back up files and folders on your computer, go on with the "File" backup mode, where you can select pictures, videos, documents and all other types of files to back up.

Step 3. Follow the paths to locate the files, folders or directories you want to back up, select them all and click "OK".

Step 4. Now you need to select a backup location to save and retain the backup.

Step 5. EaseUS Todo Backup allows users to save the backup files to every device that is handy for you, like a local hard drive, external USB drive, SD card, network drive, or a NAS drive, plus a cloud drive of the EaseUS brand. We personally recommend users to choose the cloud drive prior to a physical drive to save important backups due to the greater accessibility, flexibility and safety.

To be able to access to EaseUS cloud, all you need is an email registration and login. 

Step 6. If you're interested in an automatic and intelligent backup schedule for the next file backup task, go on with the "Options" setting. There you can encrypt a confidential file backup, compress the backup image size, or customize a backup scheme to tell the software in what time to start the next backup. 

Customize an advanced and automatic backup task here:

Step 7. Click "Backup Now" to start the file backup process. Your completed backup files are visible on the left area in a card style.

Step 2. Prevent Adobe Illustrator crash error

In order to avoid expected Adobe Illustrator crash error or not working issue, here are some useful tips for you to follow so to protect AI from crashing:

1. Update Adobe Illustrator and Windows system immediately

If you are using the latest Windows 10, but the Adobe Illustrator is quite old, you may not be able to get a smooth experience while using AI.
If Windows system is too old, Windows won't be able to update and install drive driers for supporting newly upgraded Adobe Illustrator etc programs. This would cause program or software unable to work or respond then. 
So do remember to upgrade your computer system and Adobe Illustrator  immediately since new Adobe software needs better system support.

2. Stop using similar graphic editor or programs while running Adobe Illustrator

Don't run similar graphic program, editor or software while you are using Adobe Illustrator in your PC. Similar graphic programs run together with AI may cause program crash, program failure or stuck issue. 
Therefore, if you are using Adobe Illustrator, don't use other image editor or graphic program then.

Extra Tip: Restore lost AI files/preform Adobe Illustrator crash recovery

If problems occurs to you that Adobe Illustrator crashes or you lost AI files, don't worry. You can still find your lost AI files with below tips:

Option 1. Auto Recovery AI files from AutoSave

1. Navigate to below path and open Preference file: 
C:/Users//AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator Settings/en_US*/x64/Adobe Illustrator Prefs;
2. Open the Preference file with a text editor and navigate to: 
/aiFileFormat {/PDFCompatibility 1enableATEReadRecovery 0 /enableContentRecovery 0/enableATEWriteRecovery 0/clipboardPSLevel 3};
3. Change enableContentRecovery value from 0 to 1 and save the file;
If you don't find the enableContentRecovery configuration in /aiFileFormat, add /enableContectRecovery1 in the folder and save all changes.
After this, you can restart AI Illustrator on your PC and you can find unsaved files on the window to ask you if you want to save the file or not.
4. Click OK to save the file on your PC then.

Option 2. Restore lost AI files from backups

If you have created AI file backups with EaseUS Todo Backup, all you need is to apply this software to preform AI file backup recovery with simple clicks by then.

Option 3. Restore AI file without backups
Perform Illustrator crash recovery without backups

If you don't have any backups when Adobe Illustrator suddenly crashes, you still have a chance to restore lost or unsaved files with powerful Adobe file recovery software. And you may follow this article to see how to perform Adobe Illustrator crash recovery.