Could Not Save Because...file already in use or was left open by another application error message

[evie22]

HI. I'm getting very annoyed by this error message I'm getting it too often. This happens about 50 of the time I'm trying to save a PS file as  a PDF, and it's wasting so much time. Plenty of room on the disk, plenty of memory, yet if I don't do anything for a few minutes, it will save fine. This happens w/ Save and Save As. Windows 10 user. Frustrated.

Help, please!

Message was edited by: Evlin During

[Dean_Utian]

Are you saving to a local hard drive, external drive or network?

I'd also check the properties of the file to make sure it is not read only (check in File Explorer - right click on the file and go to Properties).

[angie_taylor]

If you don't have the file

open in another application it could be that somebody else on the same network has it open? Or it could be a file permissions issue? Have you checked the File permissions?

[MountainWalker]

An extremely annoying bug, has nothing to do with another application, the error appears out of nowhere, can't believe in 2017 photoshop has such serious bugs.

Anyway I've solved it by closing all my open pictures and turning all my open directories into thumbnails, I believe the pictures that are open on windows are the problem, why it has to do with photoshop? no clue.
I use windows 10 with photoshop cc 2017

[mglush]

When you save the file to a pdf, do you have an existing pdf that you are saving over? If so, that could be your issue. If the file is open when saving to a pdf, it can't write over the existing file and you will get an error. Make sure the files are closed, and let us know if you are still having  issues.

[davidf62270262]

same issue, I have Adobe Pro and trying to add comments but keeps on throwing me out. It's on my own personal network so no one else is using it...

[LonePine]

I have this same problem on two high-end Win 10 Pro workstations running CC 2019. I create a new PS file on the local drive. Edit it. Try to save it. I get this error about 50% of the time. "Could not save "filename" because the file is already in use or was left open by another application." If I keep hitting ctl-s (10 times or more) it may eventually save or I do Save As (this sometimes works). Or I have to save to a different name. Terrifically annoying.

The only application that has a lock on this file is PS! This has nothing to do with networks, other users, storage paths, folder formats or icons or any other nonsense. It is a PS bug and has been there for the last several updates. You cannot fix your machine or your installation! It is a bug that Adobe needs to fix!

[KR Seals]

I am also using a Win 10 high end machine, i7-8700 with lots of drives for storage. I'm not seeing this problem at all.

In the Adobe Creative Cloud app, you will find a place where you can install earlier versions of PS. Install 2018 and see if the problem persists.

[LonePine]

Thanks KR. This is a new machine with a clean install of CC 2019. It

should work 'out of the box.' I have work to do. I can't keep screwing

around with this stuff every other day. Rolling back workflows is not

trivial. I am not paid to be an alpha or beta tester. Adobe needs to

take responsibility for QA.

[KR Seals]

I don't see how you would have to roll back "workflows". Just reinstall the previous version. I think your workflow would be the same unless you absolutely have to have some of the new features in 2019.

[Rod_Barber]

The only workaround is to save the file with a new name and then restart your computer and then (if you want to keep the file name) open the alternate file and save as the original file.