Backing Up Photoshop Settings and Actions Completely

[Brian_Ackin]

Hello,

I would like to know that should my Photoshop installation become unusable or if reinstalling from scratch, what folder should I backup that would include all my current settings, desktops, and most importantly, actions. If my primary actions are third party, would the core code for their complete operation also be included in this folder. I want to be able to simply copy and paste this folder and have the new PS open as before. I haven't had to do this as of yet, but just thinking of the worst. 

Is it Adobe Photoshop 2024 Settings folder or something else? 

Thank you for your attention.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

@Brian_Ackin This page covers everything you need to do to migrated presets. The most important thing is to make sure you've saved them!

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html

[Brian_Ackin]

Hi @Kevin Stohlmeyer , Thanks very much.

So, based on the last part of the page, it seems all I have to do is copy the Adobe Photoshop 2024 folder, and I am good to go for any future installations? Relying on others who have done this before, so want to be sure that's all there is to it. 🙂

Brian

[D Fosse]

Settings are in your Windows user account, and are separate from the program files.

A reinstall will not touch your preferences/settings. They will be 100% intact. If you uninstall, you can choose to keep preferences, and they will be there when you install again.

That said, you should always, always save out actions and brushes and other things you can't easily recreate. Not for a reinstall, but it could be that you need to reset preferences for troubleshooting. Then it will be wiped.

Also, Preferences are version specific. When you update to a new version you can easily reload actions and brushes if you have them saved out.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

@Brian_Ackin I personally use the Export presets feature - it downloads all my needed items.

Dragging preferences between years is never a good idea - example 2024 prefs are different than 2023. They are not 1:1 in several areas.

[Brian_Ackin]

Thanks, Kevin. This is very helpful. 🙂

Brian

[Stephen Marsh]

Always save to a preset file (.atn for action sets, .abr for brushes, .acv for curves etc.) - don't rely on preference .psp files.

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

https://github.com/MarshySwamp/Backup-Photoshop-Settings-Universal

Mac OS Example:

• /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2021
• /Users/username/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop 2021 Settings
• /Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2021/Presets

Win OS Example:

• C:\Users\username\appData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021\Presets
• C:\Users\username\appData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021\Adobe Photoshop 2021 Settings
• C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021\Presets

https://prepression.blogspot.com/2017/11/downloading-and-installing-adobe-scripts.html

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

@Stephen Marsh The custom action backup from 2017 is no longer needed. Adobe built this into Photoshop directly. Go to Edit>Presets>Import/Export Presets and it will allow you to choose which presets you want to migrate.

It puts them in a nice contained folder in a location of your choice. Great way to backup/migrate to another version.

This page lists everything that will export/import - including Workspaces (missing from the list).

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html

[PhotoMatte]

Hello!

I have an older MacBook running Catalina (10.5) and it's not updatable. My versions of Photoshop and LR (both CC 2018) no longer open and my OS is too old to download newer versions. How can I save my actions and presets without being able to open either program?

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

If you have already saved the actions, etc. you can find them in the Finder folders (listed in the link above). If you haven't saved them out of PS, you need to be able to open to access them.

[Stephen Marsh]

@PhotoMatte 

Did you take a look at my old blogpost, especially the bit for:

"The Actions Palette.psp file can often be used to migrate the entire panel/palette or to possibly retrieve unsaved actions. This is by no means a replacement for saving each Action Set as an individual .atn file."