P: Can't open PNG files

Report · Mar 28, 2014

We can to view the png file in finder mode.
When we try to import png file, in the Photoshop, we receive the message:
"Could not complete your request because the file-format module cannot parse the file."
Mac OS. Maverick
Photoshop CS6
CapturadeTela20140328C3A0s11.1-75d35570-ac61-41e4-8fb2-60b2893fb83b-2126930524.png

Report · Oct 25, 2016

This is a fairly old post but thought I'd add to it. I'm on Window 10, CS4 Photoshop and could not open any png files.

I got the could not parse.... error message. Drove me crazy for days!

Turns out it was my antivirus bitdefender and the ransomware protection setting that is designed to protect your photos and documents.

Turned it off and problem disappeared!

Report · Mar 21, 2017

how do you fix the extension if it has been saved incorrectly? I am getting the parsing data message when opening a file saved as .png. I inherited this file so am not sure about how it was saved. Can I access this file? It's not the security, because I already checked that. Thanks for your help!

Report · Apr 04, 2017

The easiest would be if you just tried opening the file with another software, like this maybe: http://www.paintshoppro.com/en/pages/png-file/ and if the same or similar thing happened, you would know the file is broken or corrupted and needs repairing. If not, than it's a software issue.

Report · Apr 06, 2017

This issue has to do with a broken plugin in Photoshop and seems to effect PNGs that have had their extensions changed. A workaround is to simply rename the file, and it should open. For example: foobar.png --> foobar1.png. Alternately, you could open the file in photo preview and export it as a jpg, which Photoshop should also open.

Report · Sep 10, 2017

my photoshop cs6 64 bit can't open and save as to .png file

Report · Sep 25, 2017

I've had the same problem with many PNGs. From reputable sources. They'll open in every app except PShop, and yes -- I tried the renaming thing. No luck.

Report · Nov 27, 2017

This is a new issue for us in 2018 CC. Some .pngs work, some don't. Can't find a rhyme or reason. Only fail.

Report · Jan 17, 2018

This is a slightly different issue than some of the other described here but here goes. I'm generating png images through pypng in Python.

The files check out as valid, can be seen by Finder and opened in Preview (I'm a Mac).

If I open the file in Fireworks, disable a layer and then re-enable the layer without making any other changes, and finally save the file, I can open it in Photoshop.

If I run the file through ImageOptim (which uses a number of different png optimization tools) or try to save it through Preview, it still remains unable to be opened.

The open source tool pngcheck - http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/apps/pngcheck.html also considers it a valid file.

It seems that Photoshop's png reading library is somewhat buggy or incomplete because all other sources seem to see the file as valid and free from corruption.

I'd be happy to provide an example file if any Photoshop devs want to take a look at it.

Report · Jan 17, 2018

Sure. If you can post a PNG, we can take a look

Report · Feb 19, 2018

Hey, i think this problem can fix using FormatFactory.
save as img to jpeg

Report · Apr 12, 2018

Got the same problem. Do you have a hint how to solve it?

Report · Apr 12, 2018

HI Guys,

got the same issue. Files will open anywhere but not in Photoshop. It is just a normal png. - It will not open.
Can you help me? Here's the file. Already reinstalled PS...

RackMultipart2018041264688kg7x-4f0cf66a-a7e6-4d78-8ac1-625092710540-1725045753.png

Report · Apr 12, 2018

I saved it from your post and it opened fine in Pshop CC 2018 (latest update). Though I have noticed that posting a file inside a post can often mean something gets monkeyed with in the process.

I can't remember the workaround I used for the problem I originally posted to here, so maybe they cleaned up the glitches in the PNG filter?

Report · Apr 12, 2018

B.W. Tan, see my comment above about using Fireworks. If you have access to Fireworks, open your png with it, disable a layer, re-enable the layer, and save the file. It should magically become valid to Photoshop after this.

Report · Apr 12, 2018

Jeffrey, sorry for the late reply. I didn't initially see your response. I'll have to remember exactly what I was doing at the time. I'll follow up with an example file then. What is the best way to provide that to you?

Report · Apr 12, 2018

mmh. I also use the latest version and tested already with colleagues... do you use a mac-version?

Report · Apr 12, 2018

Yes I did. Did you try a 'SaveAs' from the image in the thread from your browser? If it opens fine, that would kind of prove that something got changed in the posting process.

Of course, a pretty quick and 'dumb' workaround is to open the file in a browser, alt-clk to 'copy image' and paste it from the clipboard as a new document into Pshop. But I do remember having the problem of saving from PShop as a PNG, but not being able to re-open.

Some suggested changing the extension to JPG, but that didn't work for me. And in any case, that would remove alpha transparency, which is one of the reasons most people use PNG (logos, etc.). That and the lossless vs lossy compression and the compression artifact problem with JPG text/linework.

Report · Apr 12, 2018

That's the point. We use a whole library with transparent png and some of those icons are broken. I just wanted to fix this or find out, what happened.

Affinity opens it just fine

Report · Apr 12, 2018

RackMultipart20180412119259dqu-a9c476f5-c006-4070-acd6-a675eea6d4ca-242089094.png

Report · Apr 12, 2018

I'm pretty certain that some conversion happens in the posting process. I test posted my png, downloaded it, and then removed the comment. Large images will get scaled. My PNG also became readable by Photoshop after posting and saving it from the post.

Report · Apr 12, 2018

thx for answering Just wrote - I opened them in Affinity Photo - everything's fine. -

But that is still not an answer. That's a bug I think in the library. Wondering why and when this happens since we have several icons that have been affected

Report · Apr 12, 2018

Jeffrey, here is a link to my files. This will expire in 30 days.

https://ufile.io/tfhpk

The zip has 3 separate PNG files in it.

qr-pypng.png is the original file generated by a Python script that uses pypng. Photoshop cannot read this file.

qr-imagemagick.png was a test I ran using the command line imagemagick. I used a simple "convert qr-pypyng.png qr-imagemagick.png" command to generate it. This file now will open in Photoshop. It would be nice to not have to do the extra step though.

qr-fireworks.png is an export from Fireworks. I was originally using my method described above but found that the png size was growing from ~37k to over 400k. Export produced a smaller file that Photoshop is happy with, but it is still not as small as either the original or the imagemagick conversion. Again, I don't like the extra export step necessary here to make it work.

Report · Apr 12, 2018

For a whole library, you might want to look into getting a batch image converter utility.

Report · Apr 13, 2018

Could you zip up the PNG and post it via a URL to CC files or dropbox? That would ensure nothing is modifying the file before we get it for troubleshooting.

Report · Apr 20, 2018

I'm also having the "cannot parse file" error on .png images. "Not actually a png" isn't likely in this case because most of them are images I generated using Photoshop's "Save for web and devices" dialogue, and then when attempting to reopen them, I get the "cannot parse file" error. I can open them in all other applications, just not photoshop. Frustrating.

P: Can't open PNG files

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