TechNote

Troubleshoot installation problems (Illustrator CS2, CS3 on Mac OS X)

What's covered

Beginning and intermediate troubleshooting
Advanced troubleshooting

This document can help you resolve problems that interrupt the installer for Adobe Illustrator. These problems can manifest themselves in many different ways, including (but not limited to) a frozen cursor or screen, or an error.

This document doesn't address problems related to serial numbers. For these problems, contact Adobe Customer Services at 800-833-6687 (US and Canada). For Customer Service in other countries, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com , choose your country or region from the menu at the top of the page, and then click Contact Us.

Many different factors can interrupt the installer of an application, including hardware problems or third party software running in the background. To get the most from this document, perform the tasks in order. Keep a log of the tasks you perform and the results of each, including errors or problematic behavior. (You can download a log from www.adobe.com/support/pdfs/ts_log.pdf , or you can create your own.) Adobe Technical Support can use this information to better assist you, if you need to call.

Beginning and intermediate troubleshooting

The tasks in this section can help you resolve the most common installation problems. Before performing any of these tasks, back up all personal files. Always restart the computer after a system error occurs to refresh its memory. Continuing to work without restarting the computer may compound the problem.

1. Make sure that the system meets the minimum requirements for Illustrator.

Illustrator may not install correctly on a system that doesn't meet the requirements for it. The requirements vary, depending on the version of Illustrator.

Illustrator CS3

PowerPC G4, or G5, multi-core Intel processors
Mac OS X v10.4.8
1GB RAM or more recommended ; 512MB Minimum
2.5 GB of available hard-disk space
DVD drive - Internet or phone connection required for activation .
1024 x 768 monitor resolution with support for 16-bit or greater video card
For PostScript printing: Adobe PostScript Level 2 or PostScript 3 printer

Illustrator CS2

PowerPC G4, or G5 processor
Mac OS X v10.2.8-10.3.8 (Mac OS X v10.3.4-10.3.8 recommended)
256 MB of RAM or 384 MB with Adobe Bridge (512 MB recommended)
1.2 GB of available hard-disk space
CD-ROM drive
1024 x 768 monitor resolution with support for 16-bit or greater video card
For PostScript printing: Adobe PostScript Level 2 or PostScript 3 printer

2. Check the DVD, CD and DVD, CD-ROM drive.

Sometimes dust or dirt on a DVD or CD can interfere with an installation and prevent the DVD or CD-ROM drive from recognizing the DVD or CD. Examine the Illustrator DVD or CD for dirt, dust, or fingerprints. Gently wipe the bottom of the DVD or CD from the center outward with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Verify that the DVD or CD-ROM drive can read other DVDs or CDs. If it can't, examine the DVD or CD caddy or loading tray for dirt and clean it with a lint-free cloth. If it still can't read other DVDS or CDs, contact the DVD or CD-ROM drive manufacturer or Apple Computer.

3. Install from files copied to the hard disk.

Copy the installer files from the DVD or CD to the hard disk, and then install Illustrator:

To install Illustrator from the hard disk using the Illustrator DVD or CD:

Insert the installer DVD or CD into the DVD or CD-ROM drive.
Double-click the DVD or CD.
Locate the Adobe Illustrator [Version] folder and copy it to the hard disk.
Restart the computer while holding down the Shift key to prevent startup items from opening.
Open the Adobe Illustrator [Version] folder you copied to the hard disk, and double-click the Setup file (Illustrator CS3), or the Adobe Illustrator CS2.pkg file (Illustrator CS2). Follow the on-screen instructions to install Illustrator.

Note: If the installation fails, leave the Illustrator folder on the hard disk and continue troubleshooting. You can delete the folder after you install Illustrator.

To install Illustrator CS3 from the hard disk using any version of the Creative Suite CS3 DVD media:

Create a disk image of the Creative Suite CS3 Installation DVD on the desktop by using a disk utility, (for example, hdiutil or the Apple Disk Utility). Disk images must include a .dmg file extension. (For instructions, see the documentation on the Apple web site at www.apple.com/support.)
Restart the computer while holding down the Shift key to prevent startup items from opening.
Double-click the resulting .dmg file to mount the disk.
Double-click the resulting Adobe Creative Suite mounted disk.
Double-click the Setup file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Illustrator component.

To install Illustrator CS2 from the hard disk using the Adobe Creative Suite 2 CDs:

Create disk images of the Adobe Creative Suite installation 1 CD and installation 3 CD on the desktop by using a disk utility, (for example, hdiutil or the Apple Disk Utility). Disk images must include a .dmg file extension. (For instructions, see the documentation on the Apple web site at www.apple.com/support.)
Restart the computer while holding down the Shift key to prevent startup items from opening.
Double-click the resulting .dmg files to mount the disks.
Double-click the resulting Adobe Creative Suite Disk 1 mounted disk.
Double-click the Adobe Installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the Illustrator component.

4. Repair disk permissions by running Disk Utility.

If you log into an account with administrator privileges but are still unable to install Illustrator, your disk permissions may be damaged.

To repair disk permissions using the Disk Utility:

Choose Go > Applications, open the Utilities folder, and then double-click Disk Utility.
Select the volume on which you want to install Illustrator.
Click the First Aid tab, and then click Repair Disk Permissions.

5. Install Illustrator from within a new user account.

Occasionally, a user account can become corrupted and prevent the installer from accessing or creating the necessary files and folders. Create a new account, log in to the new account, and then try to install Illustrator.

To create a new user account in Mac OS 10.3.x or later:

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
Click Accounts.
Click the plus sign at the bottom-left corner.
Type a user name and a password that you'll remember, such as test.
Click the Security tab, and then select Allow User To Administer This Computer (10.3.x), or just select Allow User to Administer This Computer (10.4.x). This makes the test user an administrator.
Close the Accounts window.
Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.

To create a new user account in Mac OS 10.2.8:

From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
From the View menu, choose Users, and then click New User.
Type a user name.
Click the Password tab, and then type a password that you'll remember, such as test .
Select Allow User To Administer This Computer. This makes the test user an administrator.
Click OK and close the Accounts window.
Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.

6. Troubleshoot fonts.

Disable all font management utilities and move fonts out of the Fonts folder in the Library folder before installing Illustrator.

To move the fonts out of the Fonts folder and install Illustrator:

Drag the contents of the Library/Fonts folder to a new folder on the desktop.
In the Finder, choose File > Find.
Type AdobeFnt.lst , select the system drive, and then press Return.
Delete all AdobeFnt.lst files found.
Restart the computer.
Install Illustrator, and then continue as follows:
- If Illustrator installs correctly, then move all the fonts back into the Library/Fonts folder.
- If Illustrator doesn't install correctly, then move the contents of the [user] /Library/Fonts folder to the folder you created on the desktop.

7. Check hard disks for damage.

A damaged hard disk can cause installation errors. Check hard disks using a disk utility, such as Apple Disk Utility, Symantec Norton Utilities, or Micromat Drive 10.

Disclaimer: Adobe doesn't support third-party disk utilities but provides the following instructions as a courtesy. For support, contact the developer of the disk utility.

To check for damage by using Apple Disk Utility (included on the system CD):

Start the computer from the system CD.
Choose Installer > Open Disk Utility.
Select the disks to be checked, and then click the First Aid tab.
Click Repair to check and, if necessary, repair selected disks.

8. Scan for viruses.

Use current anti-virus software, such as McAfee Virex or Symantec Norton AntiVirus, to check your system for viruses. Make sure that you have the latest virus definitions for the anti-virus software you're using. Although virus infections are rare, they can cause strange system behavior, including installation errors. Running virus-detection software regularly (for example, daily) prevents viruses from damaging software on your system. For instructions on running or obtaining the latest updates to your virus-detection software, refer to its documentation.

Advanced troubleshooting

If the tasks in the previous section don't resolve the problem, then hardware may be conflicting with Illustrator.

10. Install to a different hard disk designated as the startup disk.

Install the system software to a different hard disk (not a different partition on the same disk) and then select it as the startup disk. Then, install Illustrator to the new startup disk.

To change the startup disk: