2024 Tips| How to Recover Unsaved or Deleted Illustrator Files

Losing unsaved or deleted Illustrator files can be a frustrating and stressful experience. Whether you've accidentally closed a file without saving, saved over an existing file, or deleted a file without a backup, it can feel like all your hard work has been lost. But don't despair - it's often possible to recover unsaved or deleted Illustrator files.

In this article, we'll explore some methods you can try to recover your lost files and get your work back on track. We'll also discuss some best practices for preventing future file loss and keeping your work safe, so if you're looking for ways to Recover unsaved Illustrator files, read on!

Lost Illustrator Files, How to Recover

If you've lost your Illustrator files, it can be a devastating blow to your work and productivity. But don't give up hope - there are steps you can take to recover your lost files and get back to work. Before that, let's jump into the several common causes which result in losing illustrator files, such as:

Illustrator crash: If Illustrator crashes or shuts down unexpectedly, it can cause your unsaved work to be lost.

Accidentally saved over an Illustrator file: If you accidentally save over an existing Illustrator file, it can overwrite the original file and cause it to be lost.

Accidentally closed the Illustrator file before saving: If you close an Illustrator file without saving your changes, it can cause your unsaved work to be lost.

Deleted an Illustrator file without having a backup: If you delete an Illustrator file without having a backup copy, it cannot be easy to recover the file.

Corrupted Illustrator file: In some cases, an Illustrator file may become corroded, making it difficult or impossible to open.

Now that you've known the few common causes, you must be curious about how to recover them. Stick with us; the next section is for you!

How to Recover Unsaved Illustrator in Windows 11/10/8/7

Are you looking for the best way to recover unsaved illustrator files? This section is for you! In this section, we'll introduce two methods you can try to recover your file in Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7. So, if you're ready to learn how to recover unsaved Illustrator files in Windows, let's get started!

Method 1. Recover Unsaved Illustrator Files from an Autosave

Adobe Illustrator includes a feature called autosave, which, if opened, automatically saves your work every few minutes to prevent loss of work in the event of a crash or other unexpected event. Let's jump into how to recover with the autosave feature.

Step 1. Launch Adobe Illustrator.

Step 2. Wait for the dialogue box to appear and click "OK".

Step 3. Illustrator will display an autosaved version of the lost file with the label '[Recovered] (File Name).'

Step 4. From the "File" menu, select "Save As".

Step 5. Choose a location to save the recovered file and click "Save".

Method 2. Recover Unsaved Illustrator Files from Temporary Folder

Illustrator creates temporary files when you're working on a file that may contain your lost work. Follow these steps to recover an unsaved Illustrator file from a temporary folder:

Step 1. Close Adobe Illustrator if it is currently open.

Step 2. Open the Start menu and type %temp% into the search bar.

Step 3. Press Enter to open the temp folder

Step 4. Search for any Illustrator temporary files with a .tmp extension.

Alt: search for .tmp files

Step 5. Rename the temporary file by removing the .tmp extension and replacing it with .ai

Step 6. Open the file in Adobe Illustrator and save it to a location of your choice

How to Recover Deleted Illustrator in Windows 11/10/8/7

Did you mistakenly delete your illustrator file? Well, don't panic; this section is for you! Whether you've emptied your recycle bin or accidentally deleted the file from your hard drive, these options may be able to help you get your work back:

Option 1. Recover Deleted Illustrator Files with Software

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is a powerful tool that can help recover deleted files in Windows 11/10/8/7. Whether you have accidentally deleted them or your hard drive has failed, this software can help you get your files back. Here are some of the highlights of this hard drive recovery software:

• It can recover many file types, including images, videos, music files, documents, etc.
• This software supports file recovery from various storage devices, including hard drives, SSDs, USB flash drives, and pen drives.
• It has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use, even for those who need to be not tech-savvy.
• The software includes advanced scanning algorithms that can help you recover even the most severely damaged files.
• EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is highly effective and successful in recovering deleted files.

If you want to recover your deleted Illustrator files in Windows 11/10/8/7, we highly recommend using EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Download the software and follow the easy-to-use steps to recover your lost files.

Step 1. Select a location and start scanning

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, hover on the partition/drive where the deleted files were stored. Click "Scan" to find lost files.

Step 2. Select the files you want to recover

When the scanning has finished, select the deleted files you want to recover. You can click on the filter to display only the file types you want. If you remember the file name, you can also search in the "Search files or folders" box, which is the fastest way to find the target file. 

Step 3. Preview and recover deleted files

Preview the recoverable files. Then, select files you want to restore and click "Recover" to store the files at a new storage locations instead of the disk where the data was previously lost.

Option 2. Recover Deleted Illustrator Files from Recycle Bin

Where do deleted files go in Windows 11/10/8/7? When you delete a file from your computer, it is moved to the Recycle Bin Windows 10, where it is stored until you decide to delete it permanently. You can follow the steps below to recover them.

Step 1. Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on its icon on your desktop.

Step 2. Locate the deleted Illustrator files that you want to recover

Step 3. Right-click on the file and select "Restore" from the context menu.

Step 4. The file will be restored to its original location on your computer.

Option 3. Recover Deleted Illustrator Files from Illustrator Backup

This section will show you how to recover a deleted Illustrator file from illustrator backup. Follow the steps below:

Step 1. Open Adobe Illustrator and go to the Edit menu

Step 2. Select Preferences and then click on "File Handling & Clipboard".

Step 3. In the Auto Recovery section, click on the "Restore" button next to the Auto Recovery files location.

Step 4. From the list of available backup files, select the file you want to recover and click "open".

Step 5. The selected file will be restored to its original location. Save the file to make the changes permanent.

If your Illustrator files get corrupted after recovery, you may refer to this post:

Conclusion

In conclusion, losing Illustrator files can be a frustrating and stressful experience. We hope this helped you understand several ways for Illustrator file recovery in Windows 11/10/8/7. The most effective way is to use data recovery software to recover deleted videos, images, music files, documents, and other files from various storage devices. If you have lost an Illustrator file, we recommend downloading EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to try and recover it with a very high success rate.

Recover Deleted Illustrator Files FAQs

After finding out how to recover deleted illustrator files, you might have some questions. You'll find their answers here:

1. How do I recover illustrator files after a crash?

If you've lost an Illustrator file due to a crash, you may be able to recover it using the illustrator autosave feature or by restoring a previous version of the file from a backup.

To recover an Illustrator file after a crash:

• Open Adobe Illustrator and go to File > Open.
• In the Open dialogue box, navigate to where you saved your Illustrator file backups.
• Select the backup file and click Open.
• If the file opens successfully, go to File > Save As and save the file to a new location.

2. How do I repair a corrupted Illustrator file?

It is possible to repair a corrupted Illustrator file using specialized file repair software. To repair a corrupted Illustrator file, follow these steps:

• Download and install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard on your computer.
• Launch the software and select the corrupted Illustrator file.
• Click Scan to begin the repair process.
• Once the scan is complete, select the repaired Illustrator file and click Recover to save it to a location of your choice.
• Open the repaired Illustrator file to check if it is functional.

3. Can I recover an unsaved Illustrator file?

It is possible to recover an unsaved Illustrator file if you have turned on the autosave feature in the app. In the event of a crash, Illustrator will attempt to recover the unsaved file and prompt you to save it upon relaunching the app. Alternatively, you can recover the file from the temporary folder, where unsaved files are stored before they are saved.

4. Where are Illustrator recovery files stored?

Illustrator recovery files are generally stored in the same location as the original file. It's important to note that Illustrator recovery files are only created if the Save Recovery Information option is enabled in Illustrator's preferences. If this option is not enabled, Illustrator will not create recovery files, and it will not be possible to recover unsaved work.