How to Reset Illustrator Preferences on Windows
Why would you want to reset the preferences in Illustrator, you might ask? Well, sometimes there may be unexpected behaviors in illustrator and this might indicate a problem with the Preferences. A user may have made changes or lost panels or other settings and is unsure how to get them back. This could call for a reset of the preferences. There are a few ways to reset the preference; some of the ways might depend on the version of the illustrator there are a few that will work on any version.
1] Using the Keyboard Shortcut
This method of resetting Illustrator’s preference requires that you close Illustrator if it is open. Be sure to save your work before closing. After you have closed Illustrator, go to the icon to open it, hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift, then click on the Illustrator Icon. This will reset all the preferences to default when Illustrator opens.
The Preferences button can be found on the Options Bar at the top of the Illustrator window
2] Delete, Remove or Rename
Another way to reset Preferences in Illustrator is to locate the preferences file and delete, remove or rename it. You will need to close Illustrator to perform this. Be sure to save your work before closing. After closing Illustrator, go to C:\Users\ “Your User Name”\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Illustrator “Your version” Settings\en_US\x64. The path to the folder containing the preferences for Illustrator may be different based on your Operating system or your version of Illustrator.
Note also that the files may be hidden so open a folder and go to view then click the three dots (See More) at the top of the folder window, and choose Options. A dialogue box will appear.
In the dialogue box that appears, press the View tab then click Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives. This will allow the hidden files to show. After making the hidden files visible, you may see a folder with Adobe Illustrator Preferences or a file AIPrefs. You can choose to backup the Preferences file in another location before deleting, removing, or renaming it. Backing it up will help if you need to replace it. When you reopen Illustrator, a new default preference will be created. Read: How to Warp and Convert multiple Words to one Shape in Illustrator
3] Click Reset Preferences Button
In newer versions of Illustrator, there is a Reset Preferences button on the preferences dialogue window. Press the Reset Preferences button then restart Illustrator after you have saved your work.
What are Illustrator Preferences?
When you open Illustrator, the positioning of panels and commands are stored in the Illustrator preferences file. In addition, numerous program settings are stored in the preference file, including general display options, file-saving options, performance options, type options, and options for plug-ins and scratch disks. Most of these options are set in the Preferences dialog box. Preference settings are saved each time you quit the application.
How can I backup Illustrator Preferences?
You can backup Illustrator preferences by finding the folder where the Illustrator Preference file is stored. You can then copy the preference file to another folder. You can then replace the preference file in the Illustrator folder if you want to use those preferences again.
