Skip to main content
E
eveliadesigns
Participant
April 26, 2017
Answered

Photoshop Running but Project Window Disappeared

  • April 26, 2017
  • 12 replies
  • 27739 views

I am running PhotoshopCC 2017 and creating a project. Then I may check Mail, go to Numbers and enter some info. Perhaps go to Safari or the scanner or just some other application. I usually Option Click the desktop to hide Photoshop. Then I go back to Photoshop by clicking on the icon in my dashboard. Photoshop shows that it is still running but my project window is gone (hidden?). Nothing I do can bring it back. I check Spaces. No project window... How the heck do I bring it back without having to quit Photoshop? I tried "show all windows" and I get, "No Available Windows".

iMac, Mid 2011 running Sierra 10.12.4

I have only one monitor

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer c.pfaffenbichler
    When Photoshop enters this state I can close, save and open document, with just the dialog boxes appearing.

    Same here.

    Affected users may want to add their +1 here:

    Photoshop: Hiding sometimes makes it irretrievable | Photoshop Family Customer Community

    12 replies

    H
    hankf39439979
    Participant
    April 18, 2020

    If I close all, a box appears in the lower right of the visible toolbar that reopens the project window 

    Erik Lingerfelt
    Erik Lingerfelt
    Known Participant
    June 28, 2019

    So, this is similar to the problem I've been having since CC 2017 (Now on 2019)...

    I described it here: Re: Recurring problem - Open windows disappear on layer clicks

    Today I had 4 pictures open, I like to work with 2 or 3 at sight, to compare colors etc... just so happened that something happens and all opened images just disappear when I click on a layer name in the layer tab. Also, the properties for a Levels (for example) adjustment layer ALSO doesn't show when I want to change the values.

    Over in my topic I also had someone help with the "Turn ON/OFF" Application Frame over on the WINDOW MENU (for Macs)... and that temporarily fixes the issue, but it just happens AGAIN right after. The only way to fix it is by restarting Photoshop. Problem is: I lose A LOT OF TIME since I have several images open, a mindset workflow being interrupted and just have to start all over on what I was doing. It's terrible, terrible, terrible.

    I have a Mac Tech formation also, so I'm trying to figure this out (if it IS some sort of conflict with 3rd party stuff).
    But we really need Adobe to help out with this.

    S
    sasklacz
    Participant
    October 23, 2019

    Probably most of us (if not all) experience this problem when working on external displays. I'm able to fix that by just disconnecting my external displays, then photoshop comes back to my mb pro, and then I can connect them back. I've noticed PS has various problems with sizing and position altogether. For me it always starts minimized on my 3rd screen on the very right edge of the screen, barely visible. 

    nicodascorpio
    nicodascorpio
    Participating Frequently
    April 30, 2019

    CC 2019 - OSX Mojave

    Stuck on one project view and clicking tabs does nothing. This is STILL happening in CC 2018 AND CC 2019. I just... I can't.. even..

    I've reset preferences and had it still happen. In most cases relegated to having only one file open at a time so more time lost besides constantly having to troubleshoot all the other bugs whether related to Adobe or Adobe+OSX.

    In addition, in Save For Web, after hitting save and choosing 'Other' in the 'Settings' drop down (e.g. if you want to uncheck "Put images in folder:") , the dialog box appears UNDER the file window, so if you don't know to drag your file window out of the way you end up with an unresponsive application.

    After 20+ years as an Adobe customer I don't understand this company's approach anymore.

    snaplitics
    snaplitics
    Participant
    June 26, 2018

    Hey guys, I have had this happen many a times. The only way around it is two ways. Hit a ton of keys tab, return, tab space. OR most likely your dialogue box is out of screen range . SO Learn the shortcut keys to moving a widow.

     

    On windows its alt + space, then "m" , you can click immediately to select the top bar and MOVE the mouse around with the left button clicked and try to bring the window in yoru view. OR instead you can use ARROW keys to move it around hopefully back to the main window.

     

    Hope it helps

    Snaplitics - The Best Website Builder

    conniev90293648
    conniev90293648
    Participant
    March 21, 2018

    Go to the window menu and turn off Application Frame. This fixed my issue.

      S
      susanjNH
      Participant
      May 30, 2018

      hooray!

      S
      simon_lucas
      Inspiring
      August 31, 2017

      Had this issue on Sierra on a Thunderbolt 3 MacBook Pro with older Apple Display. What started it seemed to the user in our studio having to stop using the external monitor that was causing hardware issues. After that, all the windows in InDesign CC 2017 were invisible even after quit and restart.

      What fixed it was: In Mission Control, turn off 'Displays have separate spaces' and turn off 'auto switching of spaces for open windows by the application' (the second option from top). I suspect just the latter option might fix it by itself. I suspect the second space was invisible and the InDesign windows were in it. Hope this helps.

        cornicellophoto
        cornicellophoto
        Known Participant
        June 26, 2017

        Same thing here on Mac since the latest update. Have to quit Photoshop and restart to get the workspace back.

        Z
        ZachRosing
        Known Participant
        June 23, 2017

        Would anyone from Adobe care to chime in and let us know when this will be fixed? This is happening daily for me.

          c.pfaffenbichler
          Community Expert
          c.pfaffenbichlerCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          June 26, 2017

          This is a user Forum, so you are not really addressing Adobe here, even though some Adobe employees thankfully have been dropping by.

          Official statements might be posted over at feedback.photoshop.com

          Photoshop: Hiding sometimes makes it irretrievable | Photoshop Family Customer Community

          P
          Pixelated Reality
          Participant
          June 8, 2017

          Plus one.

          When Photoshop enters this state I can close, save and open document, with just the dialog boxes appearing. Document itself and app interface is nowhere to be found. Menu bar i visible.

          Z
          ZachRosing
          Known Participant
          June 8, 2017

          I am NOT able to save or close the document--I can't see any of those dialogues.

          nealbridgens
          nealbridgens
          Inspiring
          June 8, 2017

          Oh I don't see the dialog boxes, I just know they're there and hit the appropriate keys. It's blind computing.

          nealbridgens
          nealbridgens
          Inspiring
          May 25, 2017

          I am having this too. On two different macs (everything fully updated).

          I use the "Hide other" (command+Option+h) quite often (almost automatically). I'll also option click out of other apps to hide them. Seems to be nothing I can do to bring it back.

          I have the menus and can switch documents (check beside) and can save (although completely blind — no dialogue box I have to do it by memory).

          Very irritating and I sometimes loose work because of it.

            E
            eveliadesignsAuthor
            Participant
            May 25, 2017

            Hi Neal,

            Thanks for posting this! I still don't have a definitive answer/fix for this irritating problem. Reading on-line a suggestion from Adobe was to run your Macintosh in "Safe Mode" which turns off 3rd party "extensions" and is suppose to run Photoshop cleanly. But if I do that, I loose my graphic's card and a few others things I NEED to work with. I did trash my Fetch (by Softworks, file transfer) Short Cut app and I am waiting to see if this No Windows Available happens again. Let me know if you find out anything.

            Evelia

            nealbridgens
            nealbridgens
            Inspiring
            May 26, 2017

            Thanks. I'm defiantly not planning on working in safe mode.

            Unfortunately this is a sporadic problem, so I can't really directly recreate it. Just every now and then I try to switch back to photoshop and it does this.

            I had seen it a number of times on my old system and had kind of written it off as a random quirk, but recently had my system disk take a dive (halfway through rebuilding my backup disk — thank you seagate) and had to do a complete rebuild from new.

            Then I saw it on the new system (Mac Pro 5, 12 x 2.93 GHz 6-Core Intel Xeon), and thought it might be the computer.

            Then the other day I had it happen on my MacBook Pro (Retina i7 2.2, 15-inch, Mid 2014) and knew it was a thing.

            Show more replies
            Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
            Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices