Expert: Amy - 2/17/2010

Question
QUESTION: All of a sudden my Illustrator CS2 won't launch.  As its trying to initialize the clock just keeps spinning.  Never had this problem before.  I closed all other software, restarted, shut down and restarted ...  tried opening from the program vs. launching a file, no different.  I tried to find the prefs file but can't find it in the preferences folder on the system unless it is somewhere else or named something different.  

I am out of town working on a project and don't have the software here to be able to reload it.  So just looking for some advice before returning home and then trying to reload the software.

Thanks

ANSWER: Search for the prefs and delete them. Just do a search for AIPrefs (Windows name), or Adobe Illustrator Prefs (Mac name). You didn't mention your platform.

Illustrator is also printer-dependent for some functions... try going in and choosing Adobe PDF as your default system printer.

Make a note of where the initialization is hanging... if it stops when loading fonts, you could also try cleaning your font cache. Directions for doing this can be found on this page, about half way down the page: http://www.fontmarketplace.com/info/font-help.aspx

It could be a corrupt font, in which case you need to clean your fonts folder out a bit. If you don't have a font management utility, it can be time consuming.

Good luck. It is probably the prefs file.

-A

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Amy, Thanks for such a quick response this morning.  .  I did clean out the font cache as you suggested ... still having the same problem.  I can't find the prefs file ... not in the Preferences folder and doesn't come up in a search ... again hadn't had any trouble opening until just the other day.  I won't be able to reload software until next week.  Any chance you think I'd be able to get a AICS2 Prefs file from Adobe or another resource?  Any other suggestions?

ANSWER: It's on your machine somewhere and you need to delete it. Another copy of it isn't going to do you any good.

Here's a page that shows the possible location(s) of the AIPrefs file on a PC. Note on a PC, the file is named "AIPrefs." Quit Illustrator, locate the AIprefs file and throw it away. Restart Illustrator.  Link: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/325/325613.html

Note:If you can't find the AIPrefs file in one of the locations on the page I linked to, make sure that you have set Windows to show hidden files and folders.

To find/re-create the Illustrator preferences file on a Mac:

1. Quit Illustrator.

2. Drag the Adobe Illustrator [version#) Settings folder from the Users/[user] /Library/Preferences folder to the Trash.

3. Restart Illustrator.

Hope this helps. I imagine that it will. Keep trying. You have to locate and delete that file. I personally keep a shortcut to it on my desktop because I forget where it is on my machine.

-A

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks again Amy.  I am on a Mac and finally did find the Prefs file where you indicated.  I was looking for it in the main Preferences folder within the System folder as opposed to the Users folder.  Trashed it ... yet unfortunately ... having the same problem.  I appreciate your support and the promptness of your responses.  I'll keep trying to work through it.  Thanks again.  James

Answer
Try the fonts next. Actually try booting in safe mode, too.
-A

Sorry, I am helping someone with a similar issue. Next you should try booting in Safe Mode. Here is what I wrote that person...
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From the Adobe website:

Restart in Safe Mode and then restart again to clear the font cache.

In Mac OS X 10.4.x, safe mode disables all fonts other than those in the System\Library\Fonts folder, and it moves to the Trash all font caches normally stored in \Library\Caches\com.apple.ATS\[uid] where [uid] is a user ID number such as 501.

To start up in Safe Boot or Safe Mode, do the following:

 1. Shut down the computer.
 2. Press the power button.
 3. Immediately after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the Shift key.
 4. Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple and progress indicator. During startup in Mac OS X v10.4.x or later, you will see "Safe Boot" on the login window, even if normally you log in automatically.

To leave Safe Mode, restart the computer normally, without holding any keys during startup.
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Or it could be as simple as one corrupt font. There's a thread up on the Forums where a bunch of mac users having a similar issue all found they had a font named Zebra that was bad. Do you have a font mgmt utility? Try turning them all off and turning them back on a few at a time. You can still do this without a utility, you just have to remove the fonts manually.

Or it could be an application conflict. Try quitting all background applications and seeing if something is conflicting. Are you running Norton or something that's running in the background all the time?

-A