I cannot associate files with Adobe Photoshop CC

[BTJ]

Since installing Photoshop CC, I cannot associate jpg's or psd's with Photoshop CC. I have used the "open with..." dialog box (something I have done a million times, so I know what I'm doing), but after choosing Photoshop, it does not appear in the list of recommended or other programs and will not open the jpg or psd file in Photoshop.

FYI, I installed Photoshop CC while Photoshop CS6 was still on my computer. I then deinstalled Photoshop CS6 and that is when I noticed the problem.

Please help...this is extremely frustrating.

Thank you!!!

[silentstone7]

The registry change worked for me. InDesign is also in the registry right next door with the same issue. Update to the new path, and all works perfectly again. (In my case this was just changing 2014 to 2015)

[sarah_throne]

This works! Only if you're updating from CC2014 to CC 2015, just change the 2014 to 2015.

[keihtmatts]

Agreed, Sarah, but I had problems finding my way around in the registry to get to the correct registry value to change. Once I did that my problem was solved once I corrected a typo I made with my change. I still had to go into Bridge and adjust some file associations that were incorrect after CC 2015 was installed. I also found numerous file types still in the Windows association list that pointed to "Photoshop" that had to be changed to CC 2015. Most of those file types I have never encountered, but I changed them anyway.

Mucking around in the registry is threatening since there are so many dire warnings about not messing with it unless you are some kind of computer wiz. It can be done by anyone with good sense and with care. I was baffled by why the change fixed the problem in my laptop but not my desktop computer. The fix required a careful look at my change to find an extra character that I had added.

This problem has been going on for so long and through several Adobe updates that you'd think by now Adobe would have figured out how to fix it in the original installation of updates.

[summer88]

Thank you so much, middle.aged.hack! I recently upgraded my Photoshop to the latest CC5 version on my Windows 7 PC, and was having the same problems mentioned here. Your quick and easy registry-editing solution worked perfectly for me.

[ericcaS84]

Thank you, this worked for me after upgrading from CC 2014 to 2015. Modify the same key, change 2014 to 2015. I had the issue with InDesign as well as Photoshop.

[Nick Whittle]

Thank you middle.aged.hack!  Your registry suggestion worked for me! 

I just upgraded to Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 having come from 2014 (and previous) and had lost of issues with file associations.  Having fixed Bridge using the Preferences menu, I was still unable to use the right click open with functionality for Photoshop after the installation of 2015. Really frustrating when you're in the middle of a load of work!

So I edited the registry as middle.aged.hack suggested and this worked...  I always export the registry key before I edit the registry as best practice but simply changed the following key to include the latest Photoshop path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Applications\Photoshop.exe\shell\open\command from "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2014\Photoshop.exe" "%1" to "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2015\Photoshop.exe" "%1" as below:

So this certainly looks like an Adobe installer issue as its removed the 2014 application but left the string value for the open command in the registry.

[Qzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Yes - I did this, too for PS 2015 and it worked for me, too.

Thank you middle.aged.hack‌

should read:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2015\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

[GG-LG]

I was unable to associate jpg with Photoshop CC 2015.

You did find the root cause.

I navigated to the registry and found CC 2014. I changed it to CC 2015 and the problem was solved.

Thanks for your help...

[JackRC]

It worked!!!!! Me and my IT guy could not figure this out. Thanks!!

[zdenning]

middle.aged.hack's registry edit fixed the issue for me right away.

[MKErwin]

I was having this same exact problem with the new update of CC2015.  Editing the registry open command is what fixed it.  My registry was associating CC 2014 with the exe rather than 2015.  So I changed that string and the problem is resolved.  Thank you for this tip.

[ChameleonPowerInc]

middle.aged.hack wrote:

***I BELIEVE I HAVE FOUND THE ROOT CAUSE AND SOLUTION***

After looking at a new user's registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER and comparing it to the one on the original user, I found a registry value which was not changed, and should have been.

I found a key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Applications\Photoshop.exe\shell\open\command

This key was set to the path for Photoshop CS6 when it should have been set to Photoshop CC.

In other words, in my case, it was set to:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS6 (64 Bit)\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

When I changed the CS6 to a CC, in other words, so the whole key reads:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC (64 Bit)\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Everything now works perfectly.

There's no question this is an installer bug and I imagine it's going to hit anyone who upgrades from CS6 to CC. The fix is easy if you are comfortable with editing the registry but it should be fixed in the installer. This is an Adobe bug, plain and simple.

If you create a new user, since it has no keys for HKEY_CURRENT_USER it creates them properly.

I would like to thank pbody01 for pointing me in the right direction and I am curious to see if this fix works for other people.And hey, just 'cause... make sure you do a backup and especially export the registry before you go in there.

This worked for me except that I have CC 2015. So the registry spot is slightly different. I had to go under this key:

               HKEY_Local_Machine\Software\Classes\Applications\Photoshop.exe\shell\open\command

And I had to modify the key to point to:

              "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2015\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Then I was able to right click on a .png file and change the default program it opens with to Photoshop.

Thanks much middle.aged.hack!!!

[claytonb30572880]

What is the equivalent for OSX???? i'm having the same problem on an Apple machine.

[tompaq000]

Middle.aged.hack!
Thank you. As someone else said, worked like a charm. Luckily (and somewhat inexplicably) Google located this page when I searched for a similar problem after updating from Lightroom 5.6 to Lightroom 5.7.1. The solution for associating the ARW files (and any other file of course) to Lightroom lay in what you outlined in principle. Allow me to alter your solution for people as frustrated as I was with the lack of file association in Windows 7 and landing here.... I could find nothing else on the web that addressed this.
Here goes for Lightroom file association problems with Windows 7:

***I BELIEVE I HAVE FOUND THE ROOT CAUSE AND SOLUTION***

After looking at a new user's registry HKEY_CURRENT_USER and comparing it to the one on the original user, I found a registry value which was not changed, and should have been.

I found a key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Applications\lightroom.exe\shell\open\command

Double-clicking on "default", I saw that this key was set to the path for Lightroom 5.6 when it should have been set to Lightroom 5.7.1 when the updated program was installed.

In other words, in my case, it was set to:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.6\lightroom.exe" "%1"

So I edited the key to find the correct program; the whole key now reads:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.7.1\lightroom.exe" "%1"

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[MNSk8r]

This is still happening. This just happened to me when I upgraded from CC 2014 to CC 2015.

My path was a little different but using regedit.exe, going to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Applications\Photoshop.exe\shell\open\command

Type: REG_SZ

Data: "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2014\Photoshop.exe" "%1"  (CC 2014 was uninstalled when upgrading to CC 2015, that's why this wasn't working)

Modified it to:

Data: "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2015\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Restarted my system and once back up and running I went to a JPEG on the computer, Right clicked on the file.jpg > Open with > Photoshop CC 2015 IS NOW LISTED!!!

Once set, all icons updated to recognize Photoshop as the default program.

THANKS Middle.aged.hack!!!

[Sergio_confuso]

I do have the same issue,

I have windows 7 and was running CS6 and had no problem.

I did the updates on the creative cloud and upgrade my photoshop to CC.

I'm trying to "open with" and choose photoshop but it's not in the list.

Even when I go manually to go find it:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2015\photoshop.exe
it won't work ?! I looked into the RegEdit as suggested by middle.aged.hack

but mine not saying CS6 but already saying CC..

Any idea what else could cause that ?
Thanks!

[gsbatchwva]

Try this (mentioned earlier):

1. Open Photoshop

2. Drag any jpg to the PS button on button bar to pin it

3. Right-click a jpg and select Open With > Choose Default Program

Photoshop should now be one of the options to select.

[Sergio_confuso]

   gsbatchwva Your the man, that worked! thanks a million!

[raynerdavies]

THANK YOU! This is exactly the issue and your fix works! Thanks!

[milesh63228915]

Thank you!!! I have been having this issue on my work PC, work laptop and home PC... Needlessly frustrating, and still not fixed by adobe after 3 years.

Cheers!

[octap]

God bless you middle.aged.hack, you saved me of a serious break down.

[skisix01]

This solved my problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you so very much!

[9Deluxe]

Thanks so much, MAH! I meant to respond to your solution at the last update but forgot to come back. Now that Photoshop has been updated again, I had to come back again and re-read your solution since Adobe has not fixed the error yet.

For anyone who missed middle.aged.hack's solution (for Win 7), here you go:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Applications\Photoshop.exe\shell\open\command

This key was set to the path for Photoshop CS6 when it should have been set to Photoshop CC.

In other words, in my case, it was set to:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS6 (64 Bit)\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

When I changed the CS6 to a CC, in other words, so the whole key reads:

"C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC (64 Bit)\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Everything now works perfectly.

There's no question this is an installer bug and I imagine it's going to hit anyone who upgrades from CS6 to CC. The fix is easy if you are comfortable with editing the registry but it should be fixed in the installer. This is an Adobe bug, plain and simple.

[dv8kiwi]

Me too! Thanks MAH, I think you need to send Adobe an invoice .

[CraigFN_SA-CAN]

First, thank you for the instructions of how to find and edit the registry. I know my way around a computer, but I'm no software expert.

For me the "CC (64 Bit)" didn't work, nor did just "CC".  I then realized the data line resembled that of where to find the .exe file on my system under C:\ programs and discovered the folder name is "Adobe Photoshop CC 2017".  Adding the "2017" solved the issue.

Thanks!!