Troubleshoot installation problems (Illustrator CS2, CS3 on Windows)

• Beginning troubleshooting
• 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. To contact Adobe Customer Services, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com, choose your country or region from the pop-up menu at the top of the page, and then click Contact Us.

Many different factors can interrupt the installer of an application, including the Autoplay feature of Windows or an application, incorrect data in the Windows registry, and hardware problems. 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, should you need to call.

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.

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

• Intel Pentium 4/5, Centrino, Xeon, Core Duo or compatible processor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2, or Windows Vista Home, Premium, Business, Enterprise, Ultimate (Certified for 32-bit editions)
• 1GB RAM or more recommended; 512MB Minimum
• 2GB 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

• Intel Pentium III or 4 processor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 1 or 2, or Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 or 4
• 256 MB of RAM and 384 MB with Adobe Bridge (512 MB recommended)
• 820 MB 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

To check how much RAM is installed, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel, and double-click System. The amount of RAM is listed on the lower half of the General panel in the System Properties window.

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 Adobe 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 the computer manufacturer.

The installer requires that you be a member of the Power Users or Administrators group. Log in as an administrator of the local machine, or as a user with administrator privileges, and then install Illustrator.

A user account may be corrupt or have security settings that prevent the installer from working properly. To circumvent these issues, create a new user account that has the same permissions as the account that you use, and then install Illustrator under the new user account. For instructions on creating a new user account, see "Create a new user account" in Windows Help.

Device driver conflicts may prevent Illustrator from installing directly from the DVD or CD. Installing Illustrator from setup files copied to the hard disk can prevent conflicts.

To install Illustrator from the hard disk (using the Illustrator DVD or CDs):

To install Illustrator CS3 from the hard disk using the Creative Suite CS3 DVD:

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

Device drivers and software that load automatically with Windows (for example, screen savers, virus protection utilities) can conflict with the Illustrator installer. To prevent conflicts, reinstall Illustrator while Windows is in VGA mode, which disables some nonstandard device drivers.

To install Illustrator in Low Resolution mode in Windows Vista:

To install Illustrator in VGA mode in Windows XP:

Note: When you install Illustrator in VGA mode, the Next and Accept buttons aren't visible on-screen in the install dialog boxes due to reduced screen resolution. Press Enter to advance past these screens.

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

Before you complete each task in this section, complete the following steps:

Note: These steps free up hard disk space and remove any damaged files (permanent and temporary) that the installer needs to overwrite but can't. Normally, the installer removes temporary files after it completes an installation. If problems occur, causing temporary files to remain, the installer may return an error the next time you try to install Illustrator.

In those files and folders, "[x]" can be any number

Hard disk problems can prevent Illustrator from installing correctly. By installing Illustrator to a different hard disk, you can verify if the original hard disk is preventing installation.

Installation problems can occur if hard disks contain damaged sectors or fragmented files. Repair and defragment hard disks by using either the error-checking tool and the Disk Defragmenter utility included with Windows or a third-party disk utility, such as Symantec Norton Utilities. You should run such utilities on each hard disk or partition. For instructions, see the documentation included with Windows or the utility.

You should run such utilities on each hard disk or partition. After you repair and defragment hard disks, install Illustrator in Low Resolution or VGA mode. (For instructions, see task 6.)

Note: Make sure that the disk utility repairs any errors that it detects. If you defragment a disk that contains errors, you may lose data. If the utility detects errors that it cannot fix, contact the computer manufacturer for assistance.

System viruses can cause erratic behavior and prevent Illustrator from installing. Use current antivirus software (for example, Symantec Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan) to check the system for viruses. Make sure that you have the latest virus definitions for the antivirus software you use. Although virus infections are rare, they can cause strange system behavior, including system errors. Running virus-detection software regularly prevents viruses from damaging software on the system. For instructions, see the documentation for the anti-virus software.

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

Try to install Illustrator on a different computer to determine if the problem is unique to your computer. If the problem is unique to the computer, contact the computer manufacturer. If the problem occurs on multiple computers, contact Adobe Technical Support.

You can see if other Adobe customers have a similar problem by visiting the User to User Forums at www.adobeforums.com . If you confirm that the problem happens on other computers, Adobe Technical Support may be able duplicate and research the problem.