Files in Lightroom Classic Won't Open in Photoshop

[Printdevil]

I know this subject has been posted several times on this forum but it is an issue on my new Mac Mini that I just cannot resolve and so I am reaching out for someone to help.

When I try to open a RAW file from Lightroom Classic (LrC) in to Photoshop 2025 v26.4.1 it will open the Photoshop app but will not actually open the image. However if I locate the RAW file in the Finder and double click on it, the file will open in Adobe Camera RAW.

It also appears to affect JPG and PSD files as well, as it will open a file when I select the "Edit Original" option in the pop up dialog box but refuses to open the file when I choose the "Edit a copy with Lightroom Adjustments" option.

I even went to some considerable effort to format my Mac Mini M4 and reinstall everything in the hope it would resolve the situation but no luck. I also uninstalled and reinstalled Photoshop as suggested in other posts but once again this has failed to resolve the problem.

I really need the integration with LrC and Ps to work for my workflow.

Please help.

David

[moved from bugs to discussions according to the community rules - Mod.]

[Sameer K]

Hey, @Printdevil. Thanks for posting the details. You've already tried a series of steps. 

You can try these steps to set up or recreate the link between Lightroom Classic & Photoshop 2025.

• Reset Lightroom Classic following the second (manual) method from this article: https://adobe.ly/4fOPxm4
• Uninstall Photoshop & Lightroom Classic and then install again.
• Before launching both of the apps, ensure Lightroom Classic & Photoshop have the required permissions on the macOS: https://adobe.ly/4amzwQg
• You can try launching Photoshop first, then Lightroom Classic & check if it's right.

Let me know how it goes.

Thanks!
Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

[Printdevil]

Hi Sameer,

I followed all the steps to the letter but it is still the same. RAW files do not open at all directly from Lightroom Classic but Photoshop PSD files do providing I chose Open Original option. However if I chose Open with Lightrrom Edits it doesn't open in Ps at all.

I know there is nothing wrong with the LrC catalog itself as I use it on a daily basis on my Mac Studio at work on my external drive. I have just created a new catalog on my Mac Mini hard drive just to test it and the problem is still there on that catalog as well so the issue must be with the application itself and the relationship between LrC and Ps.

This problem also prevents me from opening several RAW files as one layered Ps file, which is something I do quite often, so this issue is really affecting my workflow.

What can I try now to resolve this?

David

[DdeGannes]

@Printdevil , You stated " This problem also prevents me from opening several RAW files as one layered Ps file, which is something I do quite often, so this issue is really affecting my workflow."

I am not sure what you do to achieve this a far as I am aware LrC does not work with layers. 
Please explain how you open several raw files to Ps as layers? Do you do this directly with Ps?

Ok I see there is an option available in the edit in option in LrC to " open multiple images as layers in Ps".  What happens if you choose that option do you get an error message?

[Printdevil]

As I said, the problem I am having prevents the files from opening as a layered Photoshop file so it seems whether it is a single RAW file or multiple files it simply won't open in Photoshop.

It's so frustrating especially as this has never happened on my Mac Studio at work it just seems to be on my home Mac Mini. I know I am not the only one experiencing this but I have yet to find a conclusive solution. 

[Printdevil]

Hi, @Sameer K 

Did you see my response to say that your reinstallation explanation didn't work for me and the RAW files still will not open directly from within Lightroom Classic.

What do you think I could try next?

David

[Sameer K]

Thanks for sharing the details, David. At this point, you can try switching out Photoshop with Photoshop (beta). 

You can uninstall Photoshop 2025 and install Photoshop (beta) from the Beta Apps section in the Creative Cloud desktop app. 

Let us know how it goes. Thanks!

Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

[Printdevil]

Hi Sameer,

I have just installed Ps Beta but unfortunately that hasn't resolved it so I am still having to deal with this problem. I also tried booting up in Safe Mode but that didn't work either.

I don’t know if this is unique to the M4 chip that I have in my Mac mini as this problem has never happened on my MacStudio (with an M1 Ultra chip) I have at work.

My only workaround is to open my Nikon NEF RAW files as Smart Objects which does work! However when I close this image in Photoshop every time I get an error message pop up saying…
Error 2: photoshop is undefined.
Line: 1
->

I hope you can help reslove this as I know I am no the only one suffering.

David