Participating Frequently

Question

Raw File Deleted/Vanished after modifying it on Camera Raw and clicking "Done"

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
November 14, 2022
10 replies
5666 views

I opened a .CR2 raw file with the latest version of Photoshop, which subsequently opened the Camera Raw a[[. I did my various edits on the file and finally clicked "Done". To my horror, the file subsequently was NOWHERE to be found! It was gone... I searched everywhere and it's gone for good. This is extremely upsetting as this was a very valuable photo... 😞 I tried reproducing, and could not reproduce it.... I noticed the file missing immediately after I clicked "Done" in Camera Raw. In addition, the other files that accomodate an edit to a raw file were not there as well.

Version: Adobe Photoshop 2023

OS: Windows 11

Windows

K

KT Leyds Creative

Participant

I am having the same problem!!! I've accidentally clicked 'Done' twice now when editing .NEF files in Photoshop's camera raw. To my shock, when I went to open the .NEFs again from the original folder, thier new sidecar .xmp files are there (which I also cannot seem to open again in photoshop) but the original .NEF files are nowhere to be found??? Everyone on the internet seems to think im an idiot but they are DEFINITELY missing, I cant find them anywhere on my computer let alone the folder where they should be!!

M

MK Personal

Participant

This has now happened to me twice. My expectations are that when I open a RAW file, Adobe does its dance and opens it in ACR for basic edits. When done, I click OPEN and the image opens in APS and all is good. First time this happened, about a week ago, APS started but did not open the file. I went to the file manager and found the file in its expected directory. I opened it again and it started ACR with my edits, great! I clicked DONE (OPEN not available) and APS opened the file as expected. Took the issue as nothing but a one-off glitch.

Today, I opened the file in ACR for the first time, did my edits, and OPEN was not available. Other options were DONE and CANCEL. Didn't want to cancel so I clicked DONE. APS opened blank. Checked the file system and the Raw was gone, no XMP file existed. Found this thread and subsequently checked the TRASH BIN. My RAW was there but I think this was because of my transfer from card to storage system. All edits are gone this time. I have to start over. Could have been worse but this is not why I spend a lot of money on Adobe products.

Trust is a terrible thing to lose. Once lost it's, difficult, maybe impossible to get back. I can't risk losing my photos or worse, client photos. Not planning on using ACR anymore. Too bad, its a good tool, but if this is even a 1 in a thousand chance, it's not worth the risk.

C

ChrisTriTone

Participant

This is a major bug and is the cause of a lot of lost work. I make sure I save my ACR settings in an .xmp file before I press the done button. Then, when the adobe glitch machine (AGM) does its thing I can retrieve the file in recycle bin and reapply the settings from the xmp.

D

defaultvt3awgr5oe2i

Participant

Same just happened to me and, like you, found it in the trash. WTF!

B

Berline_thel94

Participant

The same thing just happened to me! 😢 I had just finished a photoshoot, and while editing a raw image, I clicked "OK," but the file never opened and has completely disappeared. I've checked everywhere, including my recycle bin, but it’s nowhere to be found. I’m honestly afraid to keep using the software now. Does anyone have any advice on what to do?

A

Atelier Ekström AB

Participant

See my comment above. I could recover the deleted raw-file by using a software that restores deleted files on the harddrive. I used something called Recuva if I remember correctly.

S

SeemsRojical

Participant

The same thing just happened to me with Photoshop 2024. I have the xmp file but not the original RAW photo.

S

Sam354123631oo9

Participant

The exact same thing just happened to me...I was editing a photo in Camera RAW on a Mac and accidentally hit Done instead of Open. Once I realized my mistake, I attempted to reopen the file and it was gone...completely. I searched my Mac and it was nowhere to be found. After reading the comments here, I looked in my Trash and there it was. Very, very strange and clearly not what the Done button is supposed to do.

L

Lumigraphics

Legend

Read my comment above.

A

Atelier Ekström AB

Participant

This just happened to me aswell. I opened a .raf file directly from the SD card (I know.. I know...). Did a quick edit in Camera Raw, and pressed "done". The file were nowhere to be found on the SD card! The .jpg was still there (i usually shoot RAW+JPG), but the .raf was missing. It was not in the trash bin either (since it being a SD card).

In the end I downloaded a file recovery tool called "Recuva" and managed to find that the file indeed was deleted on the SD, card. I managed to recover the file with the program. Screenshot of the Recuva UI below.

This is a SERIOUS bug. It shouldn't even be possible.

c.pfaffenbichler

Community Expert

If you can reproduce the issue I guess you should post a bug report over on the Camera Raw Forum.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/camera-raw/ct-p/ct-camera-raw?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=en&tabid=all

MichelBParis

Legend

Version: Adobe Photoshop 2023

By @nektariosk99045490

If it's Adode Photoshop Elements 2023 (version 21), then, clicking 'Done' will exit the ACR plugin dialog and close the raw file. The raw file will still be there, unchanged for the original raw data, but with a companion xmp sidecar file as described above.

In that case, just click 'Open' instead of 'Done' so that the rendered version opens directly in the normal pixel editor of PSE to create a rendered jpeg, tiff, psd or other photo format version (instead of closing the raw file).

N

nektariosk99045490Author

Participating Frequently

The version was not elements. I want to make this clear.

I perfectly understand the workflow with ACR. I have been using it for years.

I was able to find the file in my recycle bin. somehow, after clicking, Done ACR moved it into the recycle bin.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

You noticed the file missing how? In which software? If you click 'Done' in Camera Raw, then an .XMP sidecar file will be saved next to the raw file. The raw file itself will never be changed, let alone be deleted. Camera Raw has no routines for file management, so it couldn't delete a file even if you wanted that.

If you are looking for the image in something like Bridge or Lightroom, then it may have moved in the grid if the grid was sorted by 'edit time' or something like that. It could also be filtered out of a view if that view is filtered on 'no edits'.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

N

nektariosk99045490Author

Participating Frequently

Thank you I was using Adobe Photoshop 2023 (not Elements). I have been using the camera raw workflow for years, so I understand it well.
I was able to locate the file in my recycle bin. Somehow, after clicking Done, Camera Raw moved it into the recycle bin. I could not find the edit files (acr) so all my edits are gone.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

I find it very hard to believe that Camera Raw moved a file to the recycle bin. Like I said, Camera Raw can't move files even if you wanted it. I can't tell you what did really happen, however. Anyway, it's good that you found it again.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

Bojan Živković11378569

Community Expert

So, your .cr2 file is missing? Have you tried to find it on your system? Whatever you tried to do, Photoshop or ACR will open duplicate or copy of your original raw file. You can not save changes back to raw file. Photoshop nor ACR can not delete your files without some script or similar. Look again using Bridge for example because by default on Windows you can not see thumbnails only image names.