TechNote

Troubleshoot system errors and freezes (Illustrator CS4 on Windows XP)

What's covered

Beginning troubleshooting
Intermediate troubleshooting
Advanced troubleshooting

This document can help you to resolve system errors that occur while you use Adobe Illustrator CS4 on Windows XP. System errors can manifest in many different ways, including (but not limited to) the following:

A blank or flickering dialog box
A frozen cursor or screen
A blue screen
An unexpected restart
An error such as one of the following:
"This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor."
"Illustrator caused a General Protection Fault in module [filename]."
"Illustrator caused an Invalid Page Fault in module [filename]."
"Application Error."
"Unhandled exception detected. Application will be terminated."
"Illegal Instruction."
"Segment load failure in [filename]."
"Illustrator has encountered a problem and needs to close."
"Fatal System Error."
A STOP error

Many different factors can cause system errors, including conflicts among device drivers, applications, operating system settings, hardware, and corrupt elements in specific files. Although a system error may occur only when you work with Illustrator, Illustrator may not necessarily be the cause - it may be the only application that uses enough memory or processor cycles to expose the problem.

To benefit most from this document, perform the tasks in order. Keep track of the tasks that you perform and the results of each, including errors and other problems. Adobe Technical Support can use this information to better assist you if you need to contact us.

Note: The procedures in this document are based on the default interface of Windows XP. If the interface is customized, some procedures may vary. For example, a commonly encountered difference is the navigation to Control Panel from the Start menu. You may navigate Start > Settings > Control Panel instead of Start > Control Panel. Additionally, the procedures in this document assume that you are using the Classic View of the Control Panel. To view the Control Panel in the Classic View, click Switch To Classic View on the Control Panel navigation bar on the left side of the window.

Beginning troubleshooting

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

Note: Some of these procedures require you to locate hidden files and hidden folders. Some procedures require you to locate files by their full file names, which include extensions (for example, Setup.exe). By default, Windows Explorer doesn't show hidden files, hidden folders, and file name extensions that it recognizes.

See "Show hidden files, hidden folders, and all file name extensions in Windows Explorer (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404856) for details.

1. Make sure that the system meets the minimum requirements for Adobe Illustrator CS4.

Illustrator may not run correctly on a system that doesn't meet the following requirements:

Intel Pentium 4, Intel Centrino, Intel Xeon, or Intel Core Duo (or compatible) processor
Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions)
512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended)
2 GB of available hard-disk space
1024x768 color monitor
16-bit video card (24-bit screen display recommended)
DVD-ROM drive
For PostScript printing: Adobe PostScript Level 2 or PostScript 3 printers

Note: To check how much RAM is installed, choose Start > Control Panel > System. The amount of RAM appears on the lower half of the General tab in the System Properties dialog box.

2. Install the latest version of Adobe Illustrator CS4.

The latest version of Illustrator may be more compatible with the operating system and drivers. Before you install an update or upgrade, make sure that the system meets the requirements.

Updates are available from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/support/downloads. An upgrade may solve a wider range of problems, but you may prefer to try the tasks in the rest of this document before upgrading.

You can purchase upgrades from Adobe Authorized Resellers and from Adobe directly. To purchase an upgrade from Adobe or locate an Authorized Reseller, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/buy, or contact Customer Support at www.adobe.com/support/contact/.

3. Install current Windows service packs and other updates.

See "Install current Windows service packs and other updates (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404859) for details.

4. Re-create the Adobe Illustrator CS4 preferences file.

Re-create the Illustrator preferences file to eliminate problems that a damaged preferences file might cause.

Note: When you re-create the preferences file, unsaved actions are lost. To save actions that you created, choose Save Actions from the Actions panel menu.

To re-create the Illustrator preferences file:

Quit Illustrator.
Rename the AIPrefs file (for example, to AIPrefs.old) located in the Documents and Settings\[user profile]\Application Data\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CS4 folder.
Start Illustrator. Illustrator creates a new preferences file.

If the problem continues, the preferences file isn't the cause. To restore custom settings, delete the new preferences file and restore the original name of the previous preferences file.

5. Run Adobe Illustrator CS4 in a simplified mode.

Some applications or services may cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Illustrator. Services are specialized programs that perform functions to support other programs. Before starting Illustrator, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows), and services.

See "Disable startup items and services (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404984) for details.

Then identify which startup item is causing the issue:

After determining that startup items are the problem's cause, break the list of items into halves. Test each half of the list to determine if a problem startup item is present. Continue to break the list in half until you determine which startup items are generating the issue. Do not leave any half untested. Multiple startup items may exhibit the same behavior.

Attempt to replicate the issue with all items disabled. If the issue does not occur, then proceed to the next section. Reenable startup items after all steps have been completed.
Restore half of the items that were disabled.
Attempt to replicate the issue.
- If the issue occurs, then divide the startup items in half and determine which half the issue occurs within.
- If the issue is not reproducible, then enable half of the remaining startup items. Continue dividing the items in halves until you have determined which startup item(s) are generating the issue.
Once the problem startup item has been isolated. Contact the startup item's manufacturer for updates or configuration information.

To reenable startup items and services:

Choose Start > Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
Choose Normal Startup on the General tab, click OK, and restart the computer.

Note: If unselected items were present on the Services or Startup tab, then you will need to unselect them again.

6. Change the Windows default printer.

Some system errors or freezes may be caused by an incompatible printer driver. To determine if the driver for the current default printer is causing the problem in Illustrator, change the default printer.

To change the default printer:

Choose Start > Control Panel > Printers And Faxes.
The current default printer is indicated by a check mark. Right-click on a different printer, or right-click on a document printer, such as Adobe PDF or Microsoft XPS Document Writer. Do not right-click on a network printer.
Choose Set As Default Printer from the menu.

Note: If no printer other than the current default printer is available, then create a virtual PostScript printer and set it as the default by doing the following:
1. In the left-hand pane of the Printers And Faxes window, click Add A Printer. The Add Printer Wizard will open.
2. On the first screen of the Add Printer Wizard, click Next.
3. Select Local Printer Attached To This Computer. Deselect Automatically Detect And Install My Plug And Play Printer. Click Next.
4. Select Use The Following Port. Choose FILE from the pop-up menu. Click Next.
5. Select a PostScript printer, such as Canon GP200/GP215 PostScript, HP LaserJet 4050 Series PS, or Lexmark Optra Color 45 PS. (The names of PostScript printers in the list generally end in "PostScript" or "PS.") Click Next.
6. Type Virtual Printer in the Printer Name text box. Select Yes. Click Next.
7. Select Do Not Share This Printer. Click Next.
8. Select No. Click Next.
9. Click Finish.

Once you have changed the default printer, try to re-create the problem in Illustrator. Then do one of the following:

If the problem still occurs, then a printer driver is not the cause of the problem. Restore the previous default printer and proceed to task 7.
If the problem no longer occurs, then install or reinstall the latest version of the driver for the previous default printer. (Go to the printer manufacturer's web site to download the latest driver.) Once you have installed the latest driver, open Printers And Faxes in the Control Panel and restore that printer as the default printer. Then try again to re-create the problem in Illustrator. If the problem returns, then set the default printer back to the different printer or virtual PostScript printer that you chose in the steps above. Then, when you wish to print to your actual preferred printer from Illustrator, select that printer in the Print dialog.

7. Install Adobe Illustrator CS4 from the desktop.

Some system components - for example, device drivers and virus protection utilities - can conflict with the Illustrator installer and result in an incomplete or failed installation. To prevent these conflicts, install Illustrator from the desktop.

Insert the Adobe Illustrator CS4 disk. If AutoPlay starts, click Quit to exit AutoPlay. (You may need to advance to the next screen to access the Quit button).
Double-click the My Computer icon.
Right-click the DVD or CD-ROM drive and choose Explore. (Don't double-click the drive or AutoPlay will start).
Copy the Adobe Illustrator CS4 folder from the Illustrator disc to the desktop.
Open the Adobe Illustrator CS4 folder on the desktop.
Double-click the Setup.exe file, and follow the on-screen instructions.

8. Troubleshoot third-party plug-ins.

Remove third-party plug-ins from the Illustrator plug-ins folder, and then restart Illustrator. If the problem recurs, move the plug-ins back to the Illustrator plug-ins folder and proceed to the next section of this document, "Intermediate troubleshooting." If the problem doesn't recur, then identify and address conflicting plug-ins.

To identify and address conflicting plug-ins:

Move one third-party plug-in back to the Illustrator plug-ins folder.
Restart Illustrator, and try to re-create the problem.
If the problem doesn't recur, then begin again at step 1. If the problem does recur, then contact the developer of the plug-in that you last moved, and inquire about an update.

Note: The default location for plug-ins is C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator CS4\Plugins, however you can specify an additional location for plug-ins. Check Edit > Preferences > Plug-ins & Scratch Disks to determine if there is an additional location in which plug-ins might be located.

Intermediate troubleshooting

If the tasks in the previous section don't solve the problem, then try the following intermediate troubleshooting tasks.

9. Reinstall Adobe Illustrator CS4 in a simplified mode.

Software and services that load automatically with Windows (for example, virus protection utilities) can conflict with the Illustrator installer and cause problems in Illustrator. To prevent conflict, reinstall Illustrator while Windows is in simplified mode. If that doesn't resolve the issue, try installing and running Illustrator on a different computer, or on a different hard drive.

Note: Simplified mode startup may very depending on the BIOS of your system.

To start Windows XP in a simplified mode:

Move any personal files out of any installed Illustrator folders or subfolders.
Follow steps 1-5 of Solution 6 to copy the Illustrator installer folder to the desktop.
Choose Start > Control Panel > Add Or Remove Programs.
Select Adobe Illustrator CS4, and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove Illustrator.
Choose Start > Run.
Type msconfig in the Open text box, and then press Enter.
On the Startup tab, click Disable All.
On the Services tab, select Hide All Microsoft Services, click Disable All, and then click OK.

Important: For Illustrator CS4, you must enable the Flexnet Licensing Service.
In the System Configuration dialog box, click Restart.

Note: Upon reboot, you'll be notified that the System Configuration Utility has made changes to the way that Windows starts up. Click OK, and when the System Configuration Utility appears click Cancel.
Start the Illustrator installer in the desktop folder, and then follow the on-screen
instructions.

To reenable startup items and services:

Choose Start > Run, type msconfig, and click OK.
Choose Normal Startup on the General tab, click OK, and restart the computer.

10. Run Adobe Illustrator CS4 in a new user account.

Create a new user account that has the same permissions as the account that you use when the problem occurs. If the problem doesn't recur, then the original user account may be damaged. For instructions on creating a new user account, see "To add a new user to the computer" in Windows Help or contact your system administrator.

11. Update the video card driver.

Many video card manufacturers frequently update their software drivers. If you haven't recently updated the video card driver, then contact the video card manufacturer for an updated driver, or download one from the manufacturer's website. (You can find the manufacturer of a video card and view the card's properties in Device Manager.) You can often determine if the video driver is outdated by changing the color depth and resolution of the video card or by disabling graphics hardware acceleration.

See "Change color depth and resolution (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404862) for details about changing color depth and resolution.

See "Disable graphics hardware acceleration (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404863) for details about disabling graphics hardware acceleration.

12. Verify that other device drivers are compatible with Windows XP.

See "Verify that device drivers are compatible with Windows XP (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404864) for details.

13. Check for font problems.

See "Reduce the number of active fonts (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404867) for details.

14. Optimize handling of temporary files by Windows XP.

See "Delete temporary files using the Disk Cleanup utility (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404871) for details.

15. Set the virtual memory paging file to the default size.

See "Set the virtual memory paging file to the default size (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404877) for details.

16. Optimize scratch disks.

When insufficient RAM is available for bitmap image editing, Illustrator uses a scratch disk file - temporary disk space used for storing data and performing computations. Illustrator can create two scratch disk files of up to 2 GB each. Each scratch disk file must be on a separate partition.

The partition you specify as the primary scratch disk should have free space equal to three to five times the size of the average image file; specify a secondary scratch disk if you have an additional partition. If disk space is insufficient, then delete temporary files (see task 14) or remove other files from the hard disks.

To specify a scratch disk in Illustrator, choose Edit > Preferences > Plug-ins & Scratch Disk.

17. Repair and defragment hard disks.

See "Repair and defragment hard disks (Windows XP)" (TechNote kb404981) for details.

18. Scan the system for viruses.

Use current anti-virus software (for example, Symantec Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan) to check the system for viruses. Virus infections can damage software and cause system errors. For more information, see the documentation for the anti-virus software.

19. Identify the file that causes the problem.

If an error indicates which file causes the problem, then reinstall the application to which that file belongs. If that file is damaged and causes problems in Illustrator, then reinstalling the associated application can correct the problem.

If an error indicates a Windows file, then contact Microsoft for help replacing that file.

Advanced troubleshooting

If the tasks in the previous section don't resolve the problem, then you may be able to resolve the problem by reinstalling Windows XP and Illustrator, reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling Windows XP and Illustrator, or by determining if hardware is conflicting with Illustrator.

Disclaimer: Adobe doesn't support hardware and provides these tasks as a courtesy only. For further assistance, contact the hardware manufacturer or an authorized reseller. If you troubleshoot hardware problems yourself, then you may void the warranty for your computer.

Note: Before you remove or rearrange hardware, turn off and disconnect the power to the computer and any peripheral devices.