Automated Batch Destination not working properly

[saorsastudios]

I'm prefacing this with I'm VERY limited in PhotoShop.  I only minimally edit my product pictures, and anything more complicated than resizing, brightening or cloning out ugly spots in the background is pretty much beyond me.  If you can help, talk to me like I'm too old to just "know" computer stuff.  I am.  LOL.  Thank you.

I've taken screenshots to explain because I'm not actually sure how to describe it.  I work on multiple files at a time.  I have several actions combined in a set that  I can either use from the panel or under "file/automate/batch".  These are commands I've been using for years.  Actually, used them this morning.  Was fine.  Then, I did something weird on my screen- moved & shrank PS window by accident.  Had to drag it around to get it back properly situated.  I opened up my next series of photos and discovered that for whatever reason, one of the automate/batch commands was not sending my files to the appropriate folder.  I do not know what I could have done.  As I said, I did 9 photos just before the screen thing happened.  So now, as you can see in the series of screen shots, if I change destination in one action in the set, it changes the entire set.  This has never been this way previously.  Oh, & I updated PS this morning, but before I started working.

Not quite the order I was trying for.  

1st Pic- Command for Reduction with destination properly set.  It should come up this way.

2nd & 3rd pics are of my sidebar where I created the actions (3 or 4 years ago?) and what I use for a random single photo.

4th pic is for InProcess command.  Destination is set to None.  It SHOULD be set to the file which is set in the action in the side bar.

5th is the correct destination I set manually.

6th picture is NEW image with the Reduction command now showing a destination of the file that is specified in the In Process Command. It should be None.  When I change it, it will then change all others in the set.

(I didn't expand a couple of them because they are all set to None, and they all change too.)

When I reset the destination manually, it resets the ENTIRE Set.  This has never happened before.  Please

help?  I have no idea how to correct this.

[Stephen Marsh]

Firstly, do you have previously saved .atn file copies of your action sets/actions? If so, try reloading them.

If you don't, then you should save them to .atn and back them up ASAP!

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/01/photoshop-custom-action-file-backup.html?m=1

What you describe isn't expected behaviour... Finally, try resetting your Photoshop preferences after backing up your actions.

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/photoshop/using/preferences.html

[saorsastudios]

Hi, and thank you.  I believe I do have one on a thumb drive.  Can I just replace the file on the computer with the one on the thumb drive?

[saorsastudios]

I can't get the upvote thing to work.  Clicking but no response

[saorsastudios]

Unfortunately I must have wiped that thumbdrive.  It's not there.  So will I have to redo them all?  

[Stephen Marsh]

Unfortunately I must have wiped that thumbdrive.  It's not there.  So will I have to redo them all?  

By @saorsastudios

Yes, it is strongly recommended that you backup your actions, to both your local drive and then copy to external drives. Select each set in turn and save to .atn as detailed in my blogpost (later Photoshop versions can also save actions directly from an action rather than a set, but I still prefer to save the entire set).

[saorsastudios]

Ugh.  Pls see my reply to kglad.  I didn't realize it was the wrong reply box.  This format is new to me.  TY

[Stephen Marsh]

What you describe isn't expected behaviour... As I suggested earlier, now that you have backed up your actions, reset preferences/settings:

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/photoshop/using/preferences.html

[saorsastudios]

I "saved" my Site Set using the save function from the menu in the panel.  I then went to the edit/preferences/general and reset preferences.

It is still exhibiting the exact same behavior.  I do not understand. I supposed I have to uninstall and reinstall Photoshop and do it all again?

[Stephen Marsh]

Reinstalling may not help if it's a corrupt preference issue, reset the prefs manually or wipe them when reinstalling:

https://helpx.adobe.com/au/photoshop/using/preferences.html

Backing up and then resetting preferences is quicker and easier than uninstalling and reinstalling.

There are multiple posts on this topic if you search the forum, some methods are quick, others are more involved.

[saorsastudios]

Good morning.  I did reset the preferences. 

However, I also went to the other computer and tried the same set of actions on THAT computer.  I hadn't used PS on that computer for well over a year, and at that time the process worked flawlessly. I got the exact same results. Changing the destination target on one action changes it on all actions within the same set. The two computers have never been connected in any way.  I became suspicious when I copied the .atn file from that other computer to a thumb drive, then to the one I've been working on & nothing changed. I'm therefore assuming it's either a bug or a change in the PS program.  I appreciate your time.  

[kglad]

in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.

<"moved from using the community">

[saorsastudios]

Ok.  I'm utterly frustrated.  I copied my settings from another computer (Win 11- this one is Win 10). Using the menu in the Actions panel, I imported the .atn file, which held the same settings.  The behavior is the same.  Change one action destination, they all change.  Then, I deleted all the actions and the set, and remade it using the info I wrote down before deleting them.  It is still doing the same thing, even after completely re-doing them.  What next?

TY for your patience with me.