How can MAC users restore the actions from the previous PS CC to 2017 CC?

[jamesd90971121]

Generally I really like Photoshop, except when it comes to updating to new versions. So now updated to PS 2017 cc but have none of my actions.

Where can I find them and how to re-install?

Many thanks

James

[gener7]

FAQ: How do I migrate my saved presets from an earlier version of Photoshop or import/export them?

They are usually in your old Photoshop folder under Presets.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

gener7, my presets/actions folder is empty, whether this is CS6, CC, CC2015 etc.

/Users/username/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop ???/Presets/Actions

However or here:

Mac:

/Users/username/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop ??? Settings/Actions Palette.psp

Win:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Photoshop\???\Adobe Photoshop ??? Settings\Actions Palette.psp

jamesd90971121 – Presuming that the old assets are still around, I personally would manually save out each individual action set to a new .atn file from within your old version of Photoshop so that you have a proper backup copy of the individual actions, rather than trusting that your .psp file will never be reset or corrupted etc. Having a backup of both .psp and .atn files can’t hurt, however only having the .psp is living life dangerously! Why? Clear/reset the the actions palette with no backup of your .atn or .psp file and you have lost all of your actions! If you have the individual .atn files they can always be manually loaded back in, shared with other users etc.

[gener7]

Have you checked this location?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Thanks gener7, yes, the default factory actions are there – but no custom actions! This is probably why I always advise to manually save actions as both an individual .atn file and to make a backup of the Actions Palette.psp file! EDIT: Actions do not appear under the presets manager either, so the old fashioned methods appear to be the only option…

[gener7]

Odd any chance they would show up in a Time Machine backup?

[jamesd90971121]

Haha, I went to Timemachine and tried opening an older version of PS. "You can't open this version as it's in a Timemachine backup" , so what is the point in that? haha

All ok now having found them in a Dropbox. But, wouldn't you think with all the smart brains at Adobe that this stuff should copy over automatically? It sure would save a lot of time

[gener7]

Ok, I'm glad you figured where they were. You can store your own presets anywhere, but I wonder if doing so outside the expected folders thwarts migration?

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Hi gener7, yes I have always saved my presets “anywhere”, ever since they were first introduced in Photoshop 4. However I can now see why others have an expectation that the application’s presets/actions folder is used… This is where users could elect to manually save their actions and easily restore them if they are removed. As I have so many actions, I have always preferred to work outside of this preset folder and store my .atn files elsewhere so that they don’t clutter up the action menu. I thought that folks were saying that this was an auto-save location, not manual… when it is manual and up to the user. The preset manager does not handle actions and using the migrate option does not appear to pull through the actions from the previous version even if they are saved in the preset/actions folder.

Looking at this old documentation, there used to be a script to migrate presets, including actions. The actions did need to be in the default application preset/actions folder for the script to migrate them:

Move actions, presets, and workspaces in Photoshop CS4, CS5, CS5.1

However with the new built-in preset manager in later versions of Photoshop, it appears that actions are no longer supported?

So now I know why everybody expects actions to be in the application preset/actions location, however this may or may not be how a given end user elects to save the files, which explains why my folders are blank.

[jamesd90971121]

Thankfully I remembered I had backed them up to a Dropbox and am now happily back in action.

Thank you!

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I half-forgot that xbytor has a script in xtools (ActionsPaletteToFiles.jsx) to export out each action set in the actions palette as individual .atn files, saving the manual labour of individually saving out these assets!

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I have just added a blogpost detailing the finer points of action file saves, migrations etc.

Prepression: Photoshop – Custom Action File Backup & Migration

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

They are not there for CS5, CS6, CC, CC2015, CC2015.5 etc. TimeMachine should reflect this, however I’ll check…No custom actions!

How do custom actions get there in the first place?

[gener7]

Try plugging in .atn in Spotlight. That brought up a lot of Action files I didn't know I still had.

You should see an "Open in Finder" option where you can see where they are.

[Stephen_A_Marsh · Accepted solution]

I know where I keep my actions and it is not in this location, however I keep seeing advice to look in the presets folder, so others obviously have the expectation that actions should somehow be stored here... Curious minds need to know!

[jamesd90971121]

Very misleading indeed