Illustrator files changed to text files

[bannor1]

Hi guys. Not sure where this should be posted but since this is an illustrator issue I am putting it here. A few years ago when we began backing up data to CD's my coworker was the one doing the backups using Toast and an old Mitsubishi burner at the time. He did run the verify function also. Well a few times that I had to retrieve a file from way back including today I find the files have an icon with a big T indicating that it is a text file? Today I tried to open them with anything and popups said they were in an unknow format and could not be opened. Other times I actually had success in opening but when opened there was a whole page of jibberish in a text box.
Has anyone ever experienced this? Thise has not happened to very many of the files and since I have been doing all the backups for the last two years I have not hads any problems.
Just curious as to what changed the files to text files.
Bruce

[soilworker]

Sounds like a frustrating issue. What type of files are you opening.... ai or eps??? What version of Illustrator are the original files in??? What version of Illustrator are you opening them in??? PC or Mac ???(sounds like a pc to me but I could be wrong)

The gibberish you're seeing the in the files that do open is post script code. I used to have that problem years ago when I'd try to open an eps from another program like freehand or coreldraw in Illustrator and the files weren't saved correctly from the other programs. Regardless it's never fun to deal with. The files could be corrupt since eps files corrupt very easily (if they are EPS files and not AI).

Have the files bounced around between MACs and PCs??? Here's an idea that's more likely to work if you're on a PC. I've found that PCs are very dependant on the extension showing at the end of the file name... if it's not there they can get confused especially if the files have bounced around between different platforms. The icon can show up wrong and the pc doesn't always know what format it really is. Try duplicating the file(s) and then add the extension to the end... try eps and ai.... perhaps even PDF. Even if the extension already appears, write over it.... I've seen a ton of people manually add the extension as part of the file name instead of letting Illustrator append it... it's not a very good idea to do that. Anywho, add the extensions (warning: the icon might change to the correct icon when you do this) and then try to open the file(s).

Here's another possibility. When you get the error message and you click okay or whatever pops up, does a blank page open? If so, leave that page open and try placing that very same file onto that page. That's worked for me before. I know these are outlandish ideas but you've got an odd problem my friend. Beyond these two ideas I don't know what to tell you.... I'd have to venture a guess and say the files were corrupted.

Good luck.... let me know how it comes out for ya....

~Ciao,
Soilworker

[almaink]

They may be have been compressed with an obsolete application altho I can't think of one with a T icon. What if any extension is on the files?

[David]

Originally Posted by bannor1

A few years ago when we began backing up data to CD's my coworker was the one doing the backups using Toast and an old Mitsubishi burner at the time. He did run the verify function also.

were the back-ups done on a PC?
It sounds like they lost their type/creator info.

here's a nifty freeware app that will help you check and change the type and creator code.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/15448

For an .eps file:
Type: EPSF
Creator: ART5
It is case sensitive and should be typed just as it is shown

for an .ai file:
Type: PDF
Creator: ART5


hope this helps,
David