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Gordon5C52
Participating Frequently
July 29, 2024
Question

P: Win Arm (Snapdragon) reports NEF as an invalid file in Add Photos

  • July 29, 2024
  • 9 replies
  • 3884 views

I'm having trouble opening NEF files from a Nikon Z8 on a Windows ARM machine in Lightroom. I've verified the same file opens just fine on a Windows Intel machine.

 

  • Z8 with up-to-date firmware, taking photos with "raw only"

  • Lightroom v7.4.1 (most up to date according to the creative cloud updater)

  • by-hand insta;led Adobe Camera RAW (v16.4 from AdobeCameraRaw_arm64_16_4.exe)

  • Downloaded and installed Nikon's RAW plugins, though I do not think those are ARM (and I can't tell if they are working).

I see:

  • In lightroom's review for import window a warning icon for each NEF file with a mouse-over message "this file does not contain a supported format (or it might be damaged).

  • The icons in windows show up with the complete picture

  • Opening the pictures in windows at first shows the proper image but then goes all technicolor lines on me.

  • I see same error in Adobe's DNG converter and photoshop (both of which have ARM versions)

I suspect the windows and LightRoom issues are distinct, but thought I'd post them here. This is a new machine, fresh install. So it is possible I've forgotten to install something. And this workflow does work on my large AMD based computer.

 

It could be not all the software is in place for the RAW format for lightroom, but it would be nice if something gave me a clue of what to look at to find that!

    9 replies

    C
    Crossrunner32
    Participant
    June 30, 2025

    hi All,

     

    About two months ago, I installed the latest Lightroom CC update. Since then, including some subsequent updates, I have experienced no issues with my Nikon Z6III and NEF files on a Surface Pro running Windows 11 Pro. My device is equipped with an 11th generation Snapdragon X 12-core processor, clocked at 3.4GHz, and a Qualcomm Adreno X1-85 GPU.

    I hope this information is helpful. Prior to this, I spent countless hours over six months working with Adobe Support. They were friendly and tried their best to assist, and ultimately, their efforts led to a successful resolution by pushing the issue to the developer team.

     

    peter

     

    M
    Markus31074345r7to
    Participating Frequently
    November 1, 2025

    I have installed today the latest update but the compressed NEF files with high efficency* are not coverd. Only, and this was also before the case, the losless compressed files work. So im forced to shoot raw + jpg to have something when I travel and back home edit the RAWs as usual. 

    A
    AndiKunar
    Participant
    November 1, 2025

    Same for me - it's really disappointing after this much time.

    Also Nikon's own tools don't work on Windows for Arm at all. I had to get DxO PhotoLab for my Snapdragon X Elite machine in order to view/edit Nikon compressed NEFs - it still runs emulated, but at least it works with compressed NEFs.

    M
    Manhal_Albasry
    Participant
    June 28, 2025

    I am having the same problem here. Snapdragon on Surface Pro 11. Any updates from Adobe?

    M
    Manhal_Albasry
    Participant
    June 28, 2025

    My workaround: Upload to lightroom web and open afterwords in the lightroom app. I am not happy though with this side way! I am working on lightroom 8.4 and this issue is older than 1 year now.

    C
    Crossrunner32
    Participant
    December 6, 2024

    I have a similar issue with a Z6iii, after Update (Nikon and LIghtroom), installed latest ARM based converter 17.0. After several talks to Adobe Chat Support, it is known, but unknown, when we will get a update. Nasty thing - to work, it is necessary to used an intel based or Browser or 3rd Party DNG converter (DNG works)

     

    M
    Markus31074345r7to
    Participating Frequently
    May 10, 2025

    What converter can you use? I have tried Adobe DNG convert but on snapdragon this also dint work. Is there a converter that works on snapdragon?

    S
    Sooks Media
    Known Participant
    October 14, 2024

    Any update on this issue? Is this something that Adobe can fix or is this a Nikon issue?

    Rikk Flohr_Photography
    Community Manager
    Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
    September 5, 2024

    From: https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-supported-cameras.html

    (*) Nikon High-Efficiency raw compression modes are currently not supported on:

    • Windows ARM64 
    • ARMv7 and x86 for Android
    Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
    M
    Markus31074345r7to
    Participating Frequently
    October 13, 2024

    Is it planed to support this files in the near future?

      J
      Joshua31679663nnp1
      Participant
      May 29, 2025

      It's now June 2025 and it's still not supported.  Seems like ARM support on Windows is still second thought for most developers since I'm sure the install base is very low.  

       

      G
      Gordon5C52Author
      Participating Frequently
      August 15, 2024

      The new version of LightRoom out today - 7.5 - seems to have fixed this. I've not had a chance for a careful test, but the import window can open these files, which is better than it could before!

      G
      Gordon5C52Author
      Participating Frequently
      August 18, 2024

      I spoke too soon - I must have tested with a different compression on the NEF - new files off the Z8 are not working at all. Same problem as before, unfortunately.

      M
      Markus31074345r7to
      Participating Frequently
      August 23, 2024

      I have the same issues with my ARM Windows machine and Version 7.5.

      Hope this will be fixed soon....

      M
      martinz607227
      Participant
      August 10, 2024

      I had the same issue with my Nikon Z8 and the new Microsoft Surface Pro 11 and was in trouble as I could not save my pictures while I was travelling. Back home again I was able to save and upload the pictures to Lightroom on my MacBook. I tested different settings on the Z8 and what seems to help is what  somebody else has suggested here to switch to lossless compression for the NEF files. I still wonder why such an error was not detected earlier by MS and Adobe.

        robertb53657074
        robertb53657074
        Participant
        August 2, 2024

        I have the same issue - it works if you use lossless compression for the RAW files. It seems that there is a licence missing for the compression library used here. But to switch to lossless compression make the files huge ...

          G
          Gordon5C52Author
          Participating Frequently
          August 6, 2024

          That is good news (that it is just a licensing issue). Oddly, it is Intel vs ARM, but that shows, I suppose, the state of the industry. It would be nice to have some official mention of this on their bug pages somewhere.

          Rikk Flohr_Photography
          Community Manager
          Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
          July 30, 2024

           

          • "Opening the pictures in windows at first shows the proper image but then goes all technicolor lines on me.""

            This is your clue. 

            That Windows shows an intact thumbnail (from the embedded preview in the. raw file) and won't open the file points towards a data corruption. 

            How are you getting your files from the memory card to the local machine?

          Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
          G
          Gordon5C52Author
          Participating Frequently
          July 30, 2024

          I'm dragging and dropping them, as I do on the Intel based windows machine, from camera or directly from the card with a card reader (i've tried both).

           

          My impression is the plug-ins that windows uses and Adobe uses to look at the NEF files were different. Hence the camrea raw package from Adobe. Is that not the case?

          Rikk Flohr_Photography
          Community Manager
          Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
          July 30, 2024

          The Camera Raw Package is irrelevant to the operation. Neither Windows nor LIghtroom use the Camera Raw plugin you've installed. 

          Load a raw file to lightroom.adobe.com and allow it to sync to your 7.4.1 installation.  What happens?

           

          Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
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