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Jon Bull
Participating Frequently
October 10, 2023
Question

Photoshop 2024 unable to open PDF files

  • October 10, 2023
  • 14 replies
  • 5170 views

Similar to another user's problem but, in my case, Photoshop doesn't give an error and just freezes.

 

I use Photoshop to generate thumbnail images of PDFs created in InDesign, however this issue isn't restricted to files I've created but every other PDF which has, until the 2024 update, opened fine.

 

I've tried dragging and dropping the file into Photoshop as normal. I get the 'select pages to open' dialogue box, and this is where Photoshop freezes. I can't select the Images tab or click any text boxes or anything. The only way to proceed at this point is to open Task Manager and End Task, which feels great (it doesn't). I've also tried File -> Open from within Photoshop, and right clicking the file to open in Photoshop, both to the same effect.

 

I've uninstalled and reinstalled Photoshop 2024 with a system reboot in between, and I was able to click the 'OK' button fron the dialogue box, but Photoshop again froze before going any further, and now I'm back where I was (freezing at the dialogue box stage).

 

I'm using the latest update of Windows 11 (Version 21H2 Build 22000.2416).

    14 replies

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    J
    Jon BullAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    October 10, 2023

    Nothing so complicated! Literally just drag and drop the PDF into Photoshop, then you get this dialogue box:

    which is where I'm currently freezing. Pick which page(s) you want to open and it just opens them as images you can shrink or recolour or whatever as needed. The 'Images' radio button at the top left lets you pick the individual images out from the PDF and you can save them individually to use in other projects. If, y'know, Photoshop doesn't freeze before you can open anything.

      Liveshots
      Liveshots
      Inspiring
      October 10, 2023

      When you could, how did you give the PDF doc a thumbnail image? (if you don't mind me asking) When I started Googling the questions, I was getting Javascript and C popping up in the results. Surely not?

      J
      Jon BullAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      October 10, 2023

      I'd use Windows 10 if I could! New laptop as of early this year so it came with Windows 11. But that's an entirely separate issue.

       

      I'm just opening the PDF in Photoshop, shrinking it to the relevant pixel dimensions and saving as a jpg, nothing exciting, just a bit more control than Acrobat or InDesign. I have a workaround for that in exporting to JPG from InDesign then editing the JPG as needed in Photoshop, but the really vital thing I'm missing is being able to take the images out of the PDF.

       

      Further update: as it turns out, I can't place a PDF into an existing Photoshop file, either. I've also just gone back to v2023 until the issue's sorted only to have the same issue occurring there, too, so now I'm wondering if it might be deeper than a PS update.

        Liveshots
        Liveshots
        Inspiring
        October 10, 2023

        I'm a Win10 user, (PS v2024) and don't suffer this.
        TBH, I didn't know you could create thumbnails* for a PDF, but I did use to drag them into Photoshop to convert to images before I discovered Acrobat's own conversion tools.

        *can somebody give me a clue how this is done?

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