Illustrator Recovery Kit - Online help

This program is intended for recovering data from damaged Adobe Illustrator files. The creators of Illustrator Recovery Kit (Download) made its interface as simple and unambiguous as possible to enable users with no corresponding experience (or with minimal PC experience altogether) to successfully recover a damaged file and continue working with it. Just follow the instructions on the screen and the program will take care of the rest.

If the program cannot recover data in the automatic mode, you can use the Send file to developers button located in the lower part of the first program screen. The currently opened file will be attached to a new email message (the default email client will be used). You can also use the Send source file command from the Options section of the main menu. Once the file is received by the company's customer support department, they will attempt to recover your data and will use this opportunity for improving the program's recovery algorithms. You will be contacted as soon as possible with an update on the results of their effort.

The step-by-step manual for Illustrator Recovery Kit

1. Selection of a damaged file

The first step of the wizard enables you to select the damaged file you want to recover data from. This can be done in one of the following ways:

  1. By entering the name of the file and its path into the input field located in the center of the program screen;
  2. By using the standard dialog that can be opened by clicking an icon to the right of the input field;
  3. By selecting one of the previously used files from the dropdown list that can be opened by clicking a small button with a downward arrow in the right part of the input field.

Once the file has been selected, you can proceed to the next step.

2. Analysis of the file and data recovery

This step of the wizard is fully automated. Illustrator Recovery Kit analyzes the structure of the file and identifies recoverable objects. The duration of this process directly depends on the complexity of the file being recovered, its size and the speed of your computer. The recovery process can be terminated at any moment by pressing the Abort button. Cancelling the recovery process will not affect the source file in any way, so you can repeat the recovery attempt any time later. Once this step is over, the program will automatically proceed to the final step.

3. Saving the recovered data

The final step of the recovery process is intended for saving the recovered data. The output file can be selected in one of the following ways:

  1. By entering the name of the file and its path into the input field located in the center of the program screen;
  2. By using the standard dialog that can be opened by clicking an icon to the right of the input field;
  3. By selecting one of the previously used files from the dropdown list that can be opened by clicking a small button with a downward arrow in the right part of the input field.

Please note that the saved file will not be compatible with the PDF format and will not support compression. To bring back PDF compatibility and add compression, use Adobe Illustrator.

4. Viewing the log of performed operations

Once the file is saved, the program will display a log of performed operations listing all of the detected objects: gradients, symbols, styles, layers, etc.

You can finish working with the program by clicking the Finish button. If you want to recover data from another file, use the Back button to go back to the first step - file selection.

Options

The Options menu contains the following commands:

  • Send source file - this command enables you to send the damaged file to developers if Illustrator Recovery Kit fails to recover data in the automatic mode. The file will be attached to a new email message.
  • View recovery history - opens the recovery log file.
  • Clear lists / Source files - this command is intended for clearing the list of damaged files the program has worked with. After the command is run, confirm your intention to proceed using the standard confirmation dialog.
  • Clear lists / Output files - this command is intended for clearing the list of output files the program has worked with. After the command is run, confirm your intention to proceed using the standard confirmation dialog.