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imwondrin
Known Participant
February 23, 2020
Answered

Add Layer Mask and Add Layer buttons not working

  • February 23, 2020
  • 16 replies
  • 18781 views

Just updated to the latest Photoshop version. Now, I find that, after a few minutes, the Add Layer Mask button and Add Layer button at the bottom of the layers panel do not work. I use a lot of layers and masks and this is frustrating. I have to shut down Photoshop and then reopen to regain functionality. Anyone else experiencing this? Any suggestions?

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer PECourtejoie

Hello, update to Ps 21.1.2, as it fixes this very issue: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/fixed-issues.html#photoshop-desktop-fixed-issues

16 replies

Participating Frequently
April 21, 2022

I am using 23.1.0 and this is still a problem. After a frustrating while of angry clicking, I found that the Layers panel worked again after I moved the entire panel to the left side of the screen. It's weird seeing Layers over there instead of on the right but at least I can do work again. It is my professional opinion that the lower right portion of the application window is haunted.

Participating Frequently
April 21, 2022

I did more experimenting and I found out some more stuff. Windows 11 has panels that slide in from the lower right portion of the screen. After clicking on the time and then clicking it again to close the panel that slides out, the haunted lower right portion of the Photoshop application window started working again.

Windows is somehow blocking Photoshop, acting like a window is in the way when it isn't. Opening the corner panels and closing them again seems to fix it. 

I'll just see myself out now. 

Known Participant
May 25, 2023

My solution was to hit the lettre „Q” for the „Quick Mask Mode”.
Relaunching Photoshop did not help, since the project was in the cloud. 🤪

New Participant
August 29, 2020

I noticed all these weird glitches only happened when in this latest version. And the "cloud" versions.  LEAVE PHOTOSHOP ALONE!  It was perfect 2 versions ago!  If you guys are so damn bored go make Animate more user friendly or After Effects.. LEAVE. PHOTOSHOP. ALONE.  It will end up as unusbale as MS Word. I literally cant even open that program beause theyve made it ridiculously unecesseraly full of sh*t and buttons and options and extra extra intefaces. Clearly theyre bored of there. And you guys seem pretty damn bored at Adobe if you keep messing with photoshop.  

chanaart
Community Expert
August 29, 2020

Does not really help to be upset at the photoshop team! they have their road map and we are trying to help!

Chana

Inspiring
July 20, 2020

Same here.  This has been an ongoing issue for quite some time.  There doesn't seem to be a rhyme or reason as to why it happens and dragging a layer onto the stuck button does seem to reset it (thanks for that).  But this shouldn't be happening at all with a basic function that's been years in the program.

MacOS 10.15.6 (19G73)

PS 21.1.1

 

UPDATE:  Just saw prior post about 21.1.2 update.  Installing now.  Fingers crossed! 

PECourtejoie
Community Expert
July 30, 2020

Hi, and, doest it work?

PECourtejoie
PECourtejoieCorrect answer
Community Expert
April 14, 2020

Hello, update to Ps 21.1.2, as it fixes this very issue: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/fixed-issues.html#photoshop-desktop-fixed-issues

Known Participant
April 10, 2020

Me as well. what a mess.

luisnbispo
New Participant
April 1, 2020

Same here.

New Participant
March 31, 2020

I also have this, as well as the new folder button not working.

 

New Participant
March 17, 2020

A temporary solution! I'm also having this issue but there is a menu item that still work. Click "layer > layer mask > reveal all" and it will create a mask for selected layer. Frustrating but works to get masks until button is fixed.

mzampitelli
Known Participant
March 24, 2020

Thank you all. I really wish Adobe did not save money on their programmers, it's so full of bugs everything. It is disgusting! Slowly other softwares will take over if they don't solve this. 

Known Participant
March 28, 2020

Having just experienced this problem, and finding a solution from this thread (dragging a layer onto the button "fixed" it)
-- I agree. Paying for this level of software every month makes me so mad

New Participant
March 14, 2020

The same issue... I look forward to fixing this error.

New Participant
March 12, 2020

I'm also having the same issue on a fresh wipe of Windows 10 and default Photoshop settings. I have an AMD Ryzen 3700x and after talking to some work people who are on Intel chips they don't have any issues. Curious if that has anything to do with it. 

 

That said, I find Photoshop 2020 to be unusably buggy so I'm just going back to 2019. It's performance really seems to have taken a hit:

  • Selecting layers after a while takes seconds instead of being instant
  • Buttons stop working forcing a restart
  • Everytime I open the program I get a "Could not complete your request because the file cannot be found". I'm guessing this has to do with their cloud services but the one file I've saved in photoshop opens fine.
  • Everytime I open the program I get a "There was a problem with the generator". No idea what thats about.