AI "An unkwown error has occured"

[The Vector Doctor]

I have saved 600+mb files on a 4 year old laptop using Illustrator.

 

[TheSellOut]

Shoulda' got a Signburst......

Thank you for your help! I will definately be looking into a Signburst system for my next CPU!

It may be the software. Illustrator does have it's limits, but it is more likely that the computer system is running out of resources. It is not only running out of RAM, but also hard drive space. Your CPU (processor) is more than adequate.

The RAM I guess I understand, but the CPU has 2, 1 Terabyte drives (one that mirrors the other) with no files saved to them just program files!

 

[Dice]

Windows 7 64Bit + 8 gigs of ram will solve all of your Illy Problems.

 

[TheSellOut]

Windows 7 64Bit + 8 gigs of ram will solve all of your Illy Problems.

Thanks Dice, I am going to look into that!

 

[Tony Teveris]

Most copy / paste functions under Windows is simply copying application data (which is in memory) to a allocated piece of memory that the system handles. So it's memory to memory copy. It even gets more complicated when another app wants to "paste" the clipboard item and does not understand the format, it can request the "copier" to render the data in another format that the "paster" understands. Of course thats another slice of memory. Oh the things that go on under the hood it's amazing anything works.

 

[SignBurst PCs]

Thank you for your help! I will definately be looking into a Signburst system for my next CPU!



The RAM I guess I understand, but the CPU has 2, 1 Terabyte drives (one that mirrors the other) with no files saved to them just program files!

Well the hard drive should be sufficient, not fast, but sufficient. More RAM would probably help as well. What version of Illustrator?

 

[TheSellOut]

Well the hard drive should be sufficient, not fast, but sufficient. More RAM would probably help as well. What version of Illustrator?

It is version CS4. My hard drive is set up to mirror itself once a week.
What makes it just sufficient and not fast? I am obviously no hardware tech but I thought a terabyte would be great!

 

[SignBurst PCs]

It is version CS4. My hard drive is set up to mirror itself once a week.
What makes it just sufficient and not fast? I am obviously no hardware tech but I thought a terabyte would be great!

Size does not equal speed. A smaller, faster (higher RPM) drive or array of drives would almost certainly show better performance than a single TB drive. Larger single drive capacity often comes at a performance cost.

CS4 should be fine. Since you are using a single drive, it will use that drive for scratch or temp space. It will lose performance in this configuration, but it should still technically work.

Have you performed all of the updates for Illustrator?

 

[jfiscus]

I have run into this before & what has worked well for me in the past is to hide the layers, so that only a simple object or two is left showing, then save it that way. All the data is still there, but I think the main memory hog of saving is generating the preview for some reason. Once it's saved you can then close Illy, re-open it & show those layers and re-save the file for output.

 

[Biker Scout]

When working with a 200mb file, you need to take into account that the computer is actually needing/looking for 3 to 4 times that amount to work off a scratch disk, and RAM.

Because it's keeping a record of all the multiple undo's, layers, colors, effects, potential pasteboard items, all kinds of things.

More RAM is necessary... also a faster HD. Not necessarily a larger one. Also, don't leave your computer on all the time. Programs don't re-allocate the memory without a restart. Back in the day, there was zapping the P-RAM. I'm pretty sure that's still an issue today.

 

[beermonster]

ok all the above is good info

try, out of some other app, to save something to the drive - just to make sure the drive is ok - ok? - ok good lol

trash preference files and start over - always a good start point
fonts...ahh the dreaded - check these are ok
always work locally then copy file to external drive

problem file: i've had that warning when another app is using the file as say a picture (editing a file while it's in use in say a quark file for example) - make sure nothing else is using that file

so - the ai file - copy the item, make new document - paste - here's the important bit - somewhere off the page draw a small box - copy that - this CLEARS the large file from pasteboard and now small box is there instead ok?

this will free up app ram - rename and either overwrite original or give a new name and see if that works

thats a few things - good luck

 

[CES020]

Would increasing his Virtual Memory help any? I know it doesn't solve a 3GB memory issue, but maybe the virtual memory is set low?

Just a guess.