26 Replies Latest reply: Sep 19, 2014 10:50 AM by 42OilerBuzz RSS

    Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image

    batikdruid Community Member

      This is with Photoshop CS5.1.  It goes through the process as usual, I save it, it asks if I want to overwrite the prior one, I say yes -- but when I go to upload the new image -- it hasn't changed!  This just started happening last couple days -- what is the problem here, anyone know, anyone deal with this before??

       

      Very inconvenient!!  Thanks!

        • 1. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
          Mylenium CommunityMVP

          Well, where are you storing the files? What system do you use? Which saving method? Could it be that you are having your folders mixed up? Other than that I could only imagine security/ permissions issues that prevent the files from actually being overwritten, but that by all means should trigger some warning at the system level, even if PS doesn't notice...

           

          Mylenium

          • 2. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
            Silkrooster Community Member

            When you say upload image. I am thinking you have a web site. Don't forget that your browser has a cache.

            • 3. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
              Noel Carboni Community Member

              +1 to what Silkrooster has said. 

               

              I use WebDrive to provide mapped drive access to my own web sites, and once in a while when I upload web material it doesn't show up right away via http.  There's some caching/update process in the server as far as I can tell, which can delay the file replacement.  This seems to help keep you from having conflicts with people who may be downloading (the old version of) your file at the same moment you're uploading it.

               

              -Noel

              • 4. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                batikdruid Community Member

                We have a photo server here in house (Apple).  I work in PS and often update images for our web site.  I should be able to just overwrite them on this server - always have before.  Last week or so, it doesn't overwrite them -- even though it asks me if I want to overwrite that image and I say YES.  But it ISN'T overwritten and updated and changed.

                 

                It doesn't overwrite the image when I Save for Web and Devices or Save as.  If I just do SAVE -- it will save that .psd I changed, but I can't do Save for WEb and Devices or Save As and save the new .jpg over the old .jpg...

                 

                I have to RENAME it - or I could save it in another or new folder, which is a pain and shouldn't have to be -- corrupted something or other??

                Or do you think there could be some setting in the Apple server that isn't allowing saving over images?

                 

                Thanks for your help.

                • 5. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                  Rik Ramsay Community Member

                  If the image is selected in the Finder, or showing a preview somewhere, Apple thinks it is "in use" which won't allow you to overwrite it - this is more apparent when you are working off the server. If you use Finder (or similar) to locate the item and then open in PS from there, you will need to deselect the item in the Finder before you can overwrite it.

                  • 6. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                    Noel Carboni Community Member

                    Adobe will tell you to save your files locally then use the OS facilities to copy them to the server.

                     

                    Seems pretty bogus to me, though, that Photoshop would imply that the file was saved when it really wasn't.  Writing files from computer applications isn't exactly new technology.  Is this a typical thing with Apple systems?

                     

                    -Noel

                    • 7. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                      Rik Ramsay Community Member

                      I deal with this issue every day as I work off a server. For me there are 2 ways around it - as you mention, work from the local machine and copy to the server, or just ensure I don't have any files highlighted when I try to overwrite them.

                       

                      With the latter, PS will go through the whole process and 'look' like it's doing what it's supposed to but the file doesn't change, and you get no errors. It just comes down to Adobe/Apple apps thinking the file is "in use".

                      • 8. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                        Noel Carboni Community Member

                        Rik Ramsay wrote:

                         


                        With the latter, PS will go through the whole process and 'look' like it's doing what it's supposed to but the file doesn't change, and you get no errors. It just comes down to Adobe/Apple apps thinking the file is "in use".

                         

                        How is it possible in 2012 for an application - let alone an insanely expensive professional application - to fail to write a file yet emit no error message?

                         

                        -Noel

                        • 9. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                          Chris Cox Adobe Employee

                          Because the operating system has bugs that fail to return any errors in some cases?

                          Because the operating system has bugs that return errors when errors should not be possible?

                          Because the operating system has bugs that make it look like the save worked, even though it didn't, and never returns any errors?

                           

                          Both OSes have problems saving to file servers.  We workaround them and log them as we find them -- but there's a lot of problems.

                          • 10. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                            Noel Carboni Community Member

                            So you're saying you can write an entire file, delete the original file, and rename the freshly written temporary file, all without the slightest indication of a failure?  Even if one were to accept that (which I don't, really, but I don't know OSX very well), knowing that file writing may be problematic you don't already have double- and triple-checks after it's done in place to see that it's been written successfully?

                             

                            Given my software engineering experience I can well imagine what your management thinks of projects that don't lead to gee-whiz new features they can publish in the features list.  I can also envision what the code looks like (and I'm sure I've seen and cleaned-up worse).  It's clear it's touchy given the trouble you had making it work in the background.  But you folks really need to find the time to make it even more robust.

                             

                            Please don't get irritated with me for pointing out the obvious.  Channel the energy instead into making your product better.

                             

                            -Noel

                            • 11. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                              Chris Cox Adobe Employee

                              >> So you're saying you can write an entire file, delete the original file, and rename the freshly written temporary file, all without the slightest indication of a failure?

                               

                              Yep, and have it fail at the last step without any indication.

                               

                              Yes, and they managed to find a way to avoid our double checks.

                              That's why we've been adding more error checking code.

                              We are spending time to make it more robust.  But we have to know about all the OS bugs before we can work around them (or try to get them fixed).

                              • 12. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                batikdruid Community Member

                                No kidding!  Discovering this morning that it also does the same thing in PS CS6.  Let me be clear that this never happened in the past and I've been doing this for the past 4 1/2 years at this same place, the same way. 

                                 

                                Something updated or something -- OR there is an issue with the server here but what am I going to do about that..  ?

                                 

                                If I get a chance today maybe I'll poke around it w/ Chicken of the VNC and see if there is some setting that got changed??  I am at a loss as to WHY this is happening.  Its taking up too much of my time and if there's one thing I hate its doing work over twice and thrice...  I keep getting emails from merchandising saying the images are wrong -- but they shouldn't be because they were done and saved!  How annoying is that!

                                 

                                Oh well -- keep on keeping on, glad my company paid for super expensive software and hardware like this and not me.  Doesn't happen on my home laptop with CS4..

                                BTW I have an Imac running OS X here at work...

                                 

                                Thanks for your help -- if anyone hears about why this could be happening, I'd appreciate hearing about it.

                                • 13. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                  Noel Carboni Community Member

                                  As has been implied, I suggest you change your habits to always save your file from Photoshop to your local hard drive, then copy it via Finder or whatever to your server.  Yes, I realize that's not as convenient.

                                   

                                  Seems to me I've read a thread about a hidden subfolder at the root of the server volume that needs to be managed in order to solve write problems, though not being a Mac person myself the details didn't stick.  I suggest scouting around this site for threads about failures to write to servers.

                                   

                                  -Noel

                                  • 14. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                    Rik Ramsay Community Member

                                    Chris,

                                     

                                    I wanted to add some further information about my own experience with this which might help you. I use all of the Creative Suite applications on a daily basis and I work 100% off the office server. It seems this overwrite problem is confined to Photoshop and happens EVERY time I try to overwrite a file when the Finder window has it highlighted. I can save a PDF from InDesign when the PDF is selected and it works no problem. Same with HTML files through Dreamweaver.

                                     

                                    Another issue with our setup that is probably not tied to Photoshop but yet only happens with Photoshop is if another member of my team creates a file, .psd for instance, closes it on his computer, I open it, save and then get a warning "can't save this file" (or something to that effect) - the file then disappears from the server. We have been caught out numerous times with this and now leave the file open until we can guarantee it saves.

                                     

                                    As I mention, I doubt PS has anything to do with our last issue but it ONLY happens in PS so thought I would point it out. I run CS5.5 on OSX Lion (10.7).

                                    Rik

                                    • 15. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                      Chris Cox Adobe Employee

                                      That sounds like you're describing 2 known MacOS file system bugs.

                                       

                                      We are attempting to work around those issues, while asking Apple to fix them (but not holding our breath).

                                       

                                      And yes, Photoshop does more error checking for these sorts of issues, because we've run into so many OS and fileserver bugs in the past.

                                      • 16. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                        spaceageliving Community Member

                                        I just came across this thread from a google search.

                                         

                                        I have started to have this exact same issue recently.  I think it may have started with the 10.8 server upgrade.  I am seeing the issue from both a MacPro running 10.7 and a MacBook Air running 10.8.  Both are runing CS5/PS 12.0.4.  That has't changed in a while (both of these systems were working as normal with the same file server previously).  What has changed is the server was recently upgraded to 10.8 (and now 10.8.1)--not sure if this is the issue because I can't pinpoint this issue starting exactly when this update occured.

                                         

                                        The difficult thing about this problem is that it doesn't manifest on directories that were created prior to this issue starting for me.  When I create a new directory, then I start having this issue (where I can't overwrite an existing file).  This is a MAJOR PAIN IN THE BUTT because the once-awesome ability to click on the file you want to replace and have its name picked up in the Save for Web dialog and THEN OVERWRITE THE FILE is gone.  What's worse, there is no fail notice, so you think it is working as before, but after checking mod date on the file it is clear it is not updating/overwriting.

                                         

                                        I've done a check of file permisssions and even attempted to get permissions identical for all files in two dirs, one which allows overwrite and one which doesn't, to no avail.

                                         

                                        I was having a sorta similar issue with Coda 2 saving/overwriting files to newer directories...also seems to have cropped up in same timeframe.

                                         

                                        I will check the sys logs on my various systems and see if anything is getting logged...would love to get this issue fixed, its a major time waster to have to delete the file before writing a new one with same name.

                                         

                                        UPDATE: nothing found in the logs, but I wasn't able to turn on AFP access logging on the server by following apple's instructions.  After some further testing, I am seeing the modification date of the directory where the target overwrite file is gets updated, but the file is not written.

                                        • 17. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                          batikdruid Community Member

                                          spaceageliving wrote:

                                           

                                          When I create a new directory, then I start having this issue (where I can't overwrite an existing file).  This is a MAJOR PAIN IN THE BUTT because the once-awesome ability to click on the file you want to replace and have its name picked up in the Save for Web dialog and THEN OVERWRITE THE FILE is gone.  What's worse, there is no fail notice, so you think it is working as before, but after checking mod date on the file it is clear it is not updating/overwriting.

                                           

                                          You are damn right it is a major pain in the butt.  Some weeks we do thousands of jpgs for our ecommerce site -- it is NOT fun to have to do them over, or name them something else, or save them on your desktop or any other of these silly things we have to do.  Its not RIGHT.

                                           

                                          I checked the apple server, its MAC OSX, 10.5.8 so I can't say that the 10.8 upgrade did it, though that would've been sweet.  I'm just so ticked off right now because I just did a bunch of jpgs that didn't save (doesn't happen 'all' the time) and I really do not have time to do these over with all of the other stuff I have to do, not that I expect anyone here to care, but I am just beside myself and sick of this.

                                           

                                           

                                          Like I said, I've done this for 4.5 years on this same computer and for the last 6 months or so, this problem pops up.

                                          • 18. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                            mflint Community Member

                                            We are having the same problem. We just did some testing, and if the file is open, the saved file doesn't update. But as long as we close the file (your main file is a different name than the jpg), the file would save correctly.

                                             

                                            Although my team swears this has happened with the files closed as well.

                                            • 19. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                              batikdruid Community Member

                                              So - now I have a brand new Imac and Mavericks -- have had it about a week - no problem.  All of a sudden today it won't overwrite images on THIS computer.  Not on the server, on this computer, where I have had to make folders to save images due to last issue....  unreal.

                                               

                                              It does appear --- that it wouldn't overwrite with that folder open in Finder -- though that doesn't make sense because my action saves to two other folders, and they can't all be open...    I don't know whose fault this poor design is, Adobe or Apple but it is re-damn diculous.

                                              • 20. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                metropolitan craft Community Member

                                                I'm having the exact same problem.. 

                                                I'm not using a Server. I'm working directly off PhotoShop CS4 on my Dell Laptop.

                                                I've been able to save as PDF files plenty up until now.

                                                Now when I overwrite, or save a new PDF, it says it's saving, but won't save anything... won't overwrite, won't save new either.  It just simply won't save ANY PDF file at this point.

                                                I need to save as a Photoshop PSD in order to retain editing capabilities.

                                                The PSDs don't have a thumbnail icon.

                                                I really hope the people at Adobe Photoshop do something about this ASAP, and send us an update. thanks.

                                                • 21. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                  Noel Carboni Community Member

                                                  I think it's interesting that you have been able to save PDF with your ancient version of Photoshop, and now you can't on the very same computer - yet you think it's Adobe's responsibility and they need to do something about it.

                                                   

                                                  Did you stop to think maybe something's wrong with your computer?

                                                   

                                                  Please provide a lot more details and maybe someone here can make suggestions to help get you going again.

                                                   

                                                  -Noel

                                                  • 22. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                    metropolitan craft Community Member

                                                    Not sure of your antagonizing tone, Noel- if you're actually trying to help or just be irritating.

                                                    More details.

                                                    So everything seems fine with my computer- no other issues going on there.

                                                    So many other people are having this problem too... so I'm baffled at why you would suggest it's my computer.  It's a new machine. XPS. however, if it is a problem with my machine, it doesn't seem to happen with any other software I'm running.

                                                    So let me get back to the issue:

                                                    Another detail to the puzzle is this:

                                                    When I go to CLOSE a file in Photoshop that I've been working on--

                                                    It will ask me if I want to save, normal.

                                                    I'll say "yes".  And go through the save routine.

                                                    But The file won't close- it will stay open as if nothing has happened. If I try to close again, the same procedure will happen. So it won't let me close the file either. 

                                                    I would have to close the file with No Save in order to close it- and that ends up erasing all my changes.

                                                    • 23. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                      Noel Carboni Community Member

                                                      I'm sorry, I don't mean to be antagonizing.  But what is it that you think Adobe has done that makes them responsible for fixing a problem that's clearly just occurred on your computer?  You yourself said you were saving files successfully before.  And no, there are not a lot of others with the same problem.

                                                       

                                                      As a Windows and Photoshop expert, I'm quite willing and eager to try to help you solve or work around it.  I think you can forget about Adobe releasing any kind of patch for Photoshop CS4, though.  They just don't do that.

                                                       

                                                      We're going to have to get into much finer details here...

                                                       

                                                      Just so we're on exactly the same page, can you do a series of screen grabs showing exactly what's happening, from the moment you try to close the file to the point where you "go through the save routine"?  Show the entire screen (i.e., don't crop them), save them as JPEGs and, post them in a response here.

                                                       

                                                      You mentioned something about wanting, or not wanting, to use PSD files...  Can you be a little more specific about that as well?  Are these files that are failing to save PSDs?  PDFs?  Or both?

                                                       

                                                      -Noel

                                                      • 24. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                        metropolitan craft Community Member

                                                        thanks for your concern... 

                                                        I've already found the workaround-- and that is saving as a PSD, which I described pretty clearly above.

                                                         

                                                        The PDF saving capability is not working though. Incidentally, have you not read the whole above thread?...  I mean the problem is right there from many people before me.

                                                         

                                                        Do you actually work at Adobe Photoshop?  How are you an "expert"?

                                                        The issue is, I'll repeat:

                                                        I save as PDF. either by renaming or overwriting existing file.

                                                        I hit save.

                                                        The window disappears. Usually there is a small pause where the pointer turns into a wheel. That doesn't happen. There is no pause. The dialogue window simply closes after I save. And nothing is done.

                                                        The file is not saved.

                                                         

                                                        I can save in other formats though.

                                                        I have a lot of other work to get to now. So I don't have time to pursue this anymore.

                                                        • 25. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                          Noel Carboni Community Member

                                                          This thread got out of control long ago and most folks describe something different than what you're seeing.  Only one other user has even mentioned PDF.  And you may think you've been clear but you haven't been.

                                                           

                                                          There are ways to get thumbnails for virtually all kinds of image files, by the way.  Look into the FastPictureViewer Codec Pack, Ardfry Codecs, or Sage Thumbs.  Shown here, Windows 8.1 File Explorer with the FastPictureViewer Codec Pack on task.

                                                           

                                                          ExplorerFPVCodecs.png

                                                           

                                                          -Noel

                                                          • 26. Re: Photoshop won't save/overwrite an image
                                                            42OilerBuzz Community Member

                                                            I just had the same thing happen here on my computer. I'm not saving to a server, just my hard drive. The psd's would overwrite, but when I went to overwrite a jpeg, it never did. In fact it saved it with a time stamp for the day before, at a time I wasn't even on my machine - but with no changes made. I tried shutting down, and restarting, but am getting the same issue. The only workaround was to save a whole new file with a new name.

                                                             

                                                            Very frustrating to say the least.