~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Illustrator [Version] Settings/en_US/DataRecovery
He typed in the following path, a hidden directory deep within the macOS Library system: adobe illustrator recovery file location mac
He pressed Enter, and a folder opened. Inside, amidst a clutter of temporary data, he saw a file. It didn't look like a standard .ai file. It was a generic document file, but the timestamp matched the exact second his app crashed. This was the phantom save. This was the file that had saved his career that afternoon. and a folder opened. Inside
Sometimes Illustrator remembers a crashed file even if the recovery folder is empty: amidst a clutter of temporary data