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wayne31075547w2zc
Participating Frequently
August 19, 2026
Answered

"The command is not currently available" (using actions)

  • August 19, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 35 views

My action works once then states when I use it second time the command select is not currently available, all previous actions disppeared , trying to create the same way I’ve been doing it for 10 yrs doesn’t work ???

If I close PS then reopen the action works once , then if I click the action again on a different image the command select is not currently available 

    Correct answer Anshul_Saini

    Hi ​@wayne31075547w2zc,

    Thank you for the details. I understand how frustrating this must be, especially when it's a workflow you've relied on for years. The fact that it works once after a fresh launch but fails on the second run with "The command 'Select' is not currently available" points to a specific state issue rather than a general corruption.
     

    Here are some targeted troubleshooting steps:

    • Re-record the action with explicit selection targets. Over successive versions of Photoshop, certain selection commands have become more context-dependent. If your action includes a step like "Select All," "Select Subject," or "Load Selection," try re-recording it with the following approach:

      • Before the Select step, explicitly include a "Make" layer target step (click the specific layer in the Layers panel while recording) so Photoshop knows which layer context to apply the selection to.

      • This forces the action to re-establish the document state each time, preventing the "stale state" issue on the second run.

     

    • Insert a menu-based Select command instead of a shortcut-recorded one. When recording your action, instead of using the keyboard shortcut for your Select command, go through the menu path (Select > All, Select > Subject, etc.). Actions recorded via the menu tend to store more complete state information than those triggered by shortcuts.

     

    A couple of questions that will help narrow this down further:

    • Which specific "Select" command is in your action? Is it Select All, Select Subject, Load Selection (from a channel), Select Color Range, or something else?

    • Are you running this action manually (clicking Play) or via File > Automate > Batch on multiple files?

    • Share the Action file and a couple of sample files. You can upload the files to Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or a similar service and send me the download link via DM.

     

    Let us know how it goes.

    Best,
    Anshul Saini

    3 replies

    wayne31075547w2zcAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    August 21, 2026

    Thank you for the reply and information, I followed the videos  on YouTube and their system works fine. I will try to work it out with the info’ provided I just can’t understand why Adobe has altered so many things that have been working perfectly for many years. Improvement yes, but change for change sake is pointless and frustrating.

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 20, 2026

    A full screen capture showing the action in list mode with the error message and layers panel visible would help.

     

    There’s obviously a mismatch between the current action step and the current document state.

    Anshul_Saini
    Community Manager
    Anshul_SainiCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
    Community Manager
    August 19, 2026

    Hi ​@wayne31075547w2zc,

    Thank you for the details. I understand how frustrating this must be, especially when it's a workflow you've relied on for years. The fact that it works once after a fresh launch but fails on the second run with "The command 'Select' is not currently available" points to a specific state issue rather than a general corruption.
     

    Here are some targeted troubleshooting steps:

    • Re-record the action with explicit selection targets. Over successive versions of Photoshop, certain selection commands have become more context-dependent. If your action includes a step like "Select All," "Select Subject," or "Load Selection," try re-recording it with the following approach:

      • Before the Select step, explicitly include a "Make" layer target step (click the specific layer in the Layers panel while recording) so Photoshop knows which layer context to apply the selection to.

      • This forces the action to re-establish the document state each time, preventing the "stale state" issue on the second run.

     

    • Insert a menu-based Select command instead of a shortcut-recorded one. When recording your action, instead of using the keyboard shortcut for your Select command, go through the menu path (Select > All, Select > Subject, etc.). Actions recorded via the menu tend to store more complete state information than those triggered by shortcuts.

     

    A couple of questions that will help narrow this down further:

    • Which specific "Select" command is in your action? Is it Select All, Select Subject, Load Selection (from a channel), Select Color Range, or something else?

    • Are you running this action manually (clicking Play) or via File > Automate > Batch on multiple files?

    • Share the Action file and a couple of sample files. You can upload the files to Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or a similar service and send me the download link via DM.

     

    Let us know how it goes.

    Best,
    Anshul Saini

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