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Is is possible that a professional application like Photoshop doesn't autosave? Even if a file is unsaved?
Photoshop just crashed after about an hour's work, and I (like an idiot) hadn't saved the file yet.
I investigated where PS keeps autosaved files, and yes there is a recovery folder in the /Users/xxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2020/AutoRecover directory, but there was no file there.
How can this be? WHY would this be? This is a professional application! It should save incrementally! Disk space is cheap! AfterEffects does this.
And if there is a way to do find the file, please clue me in. I've combed the net and it seems like Autosave isn't a feature of Photoshop....
And if PS does impliment it in the future, why wouldn't they make the Autosave directory and it's actions configurable like other programs?
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There is a feature called Background Save. That is what creates the Auto Recover file availability.
However - the feature requires you do to an initial save to initiate the process.
Not saving a file for over an hour upon creation is a bad process to begin with.
Then they learn to save often or rely on the background backup after an initial save.
Everyone has had this happen once.
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Any help here would be amazing. I am a seasoned photoshop user and learned back in the earliest days of the program. I'm working on a new MacBook Pro and have been playing with a new digital drawing pad. ALL of my new photoshop files disappeared. I saw them in the Recent Edited Files list but when I tried to open, it told me it couldn't open them because they weren't there. I searched everywhere, using every possible method: spotlight, Siri, manually clicking through folder after folder. I tried to find the autorecover folder in the Adobe Photoshop 2020 folder - it does not exist. There is nothing there - no folders or files of any sort. These were saved files. I've never had this happen before. If I accidentally forget where I put a file, I know how to find it. This is crazy!
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I have a problem with PS 2021 frequently crashing. Sometimes it crashes immediately upon opening the file and sometimes after working on the file. Even when I have already saved the file, it often does not provide a recovered file after crashing. It is very frustrating and is interfering with productivity. I have tried reinstalling PS, trashing preferences, running maintenance regimes, to no avail.
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You can find Background Save under Preferences/File Handling "Automatically Save in Background every XX minutes".
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Yes, it's there, and it was on, but there were no versions saved in the AutoRecover folder after the crashed. And you have to jump through hoops to get to the AutoRecover folder. And then when I got there, there was NOTHING there.
No matter what you're doing, when you start a new file, or open a file it should start autosaving. Period.
Every other piece of professional software that I use for image creation does this.
Adobe should look at the Auto save implimentation in Nuke and After Effects. And simply impliment it in PS. It's ridiculous that we pay yearly for no progress on the simplest feature.
I wouldn't consider this professional software without that feature.....
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https://www.adobe.com/products/wishform.html
you can file a feature request here.
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Once you save a document for the first time the background save kicks in.
Until you make an initial save, Photoshop wont write to that folder.
If Photoshop were to crash, it auto opens the recovered document for you.
You shouldn't have to go to the AutoRecover folder to find it.
Again, its bad practice to not save a newly created document for an hour.
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I think you're incorrect. I checked the folder after I did an initial save, and there was STILL nothing there.
So I think it's a problem. I think it's broken. And WHY wouldn't it save an unsaved file for recovery?
That's just bad design. Like I said, you can start a new file in Nuke, and before you can even save it it's autosaving and "untitled" version. Granted, there's only one, but it works like a charm. I've never had a catastrophic crash where I've lost more than 15 minutes work.
And as far as bad practice, we're human....the machines should be helping us, not the other way around.
IMHO, this is a terrible thing that it not only autosaves one version. Now I realize that compositing sofware is saving a script, not the image data itself, but surely there must be a way to make this better.
I'm going to send a wishform.
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I have this problem too. Saved file multiple times and still nothing in auto recovery file on my mac
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Autorecovery is crash recovery. If Photoshop didn't crash and operated normally, there's nothing there.
After a crash, the recovered file opens automatically the next time Photoshop starts.
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You do realise that the purpose of having an autosave feature in software is for users who forgot to save for one reaon or anotyher who then go on and have a crash! Not for users who actually saved the work! It is meant to be a back stop. A failsafe!
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"Again, its bad practice to not save a newly created document for an hour."
Kevin, give it a break...the man is asking a very pertinent question. I lost a lot of work I had saved many times in PS. He's asking for a reasonable feature in a professional app.
Please be professional, not preachy. We'd all appreciate your ASSISTANCE.
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Anyone ever get anywhere with this? I've updated my Photoshop about 5 times since Autosave stopped working. I update - forget that this is still an issue. Lose some work when it inevitably crashes. Ask Google where the autosave files are - find the folder & discover there's nothing in there. Again. Check all my preference settings - everything is set up how it's supposed to be - think that has solved the problem. Go back to work, few weeks later need the autosave version again & lo & behold - still empty. Rinse & repeat ad infinitum. Photoshop USED to do this absolutely fine. Hasn't worked for about 4 years. [cursing removed by moderator]
Kevin you're definitely incorrect. Photoshop TELLS you it's doing all the saving in the background (& YES, I did save the file first) but no matter how you set the preferences up, my photoshop no longer autosaves ANY back ups whatsoever. Any ideas..? Also, any ideas when they might get around to fixing this?
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photoshop no longer autosaves ANY back ups whatsoever.
By @Julien25251423ni7r
You misunderstand. Autosave is crash recovery. If Photoshop didn't crash, there's anothing there.
Autosave is not backup, and it's not error recovery.
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I'm having the same problem. Photoshop crashed and I had already saved it initially (many times in fact over an hour or so).
I open Select and Mask and Photoshop crashes. I check the Autosave folder in Appdata and there is *nothing* there. Not one single file.
Any ideas?
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Thank you very much for this. For years this feature has been working fine until recently. Lost many hours of work and PS was crashing more than usual. Finaly found this, followed the direction and saw that "automatically save in backrgound" was not checked. I don't know how it got unchecked. Maybe it happened in an update? I don't know. I'm pissed silly at Adobe right now but happy I found your help. Thank you
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Photoshop froze 4 times in the last 2 days and locked up my iMac. Could not force quit the app or restart my computer. File was not saved.
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Happened with me, too. I've had a number of serious issues with Photoshop in the last few weeks....can't force quit or restart, marquee tool won't select what's selected, program crashes and closes with no autosave (despite having background save set up in preferences, AND saving the original file). I'm losing hours of work. MS Paint is looking real good right about now.
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I'm not sure about Mac , but on Windows, if the scratch disk is different to the system disk, then Photoshop also creates a PSAutoRecover folder in the root drive of the primary scratch disk. That is the folder where the autorecovery files are saved. There are deleted when Photoshop closes down correctly.
Dave
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To build on Dave's post - you shouldn't have to find the Autorecovery folder.
If you file was saved and autobackup was running, when Photoshop crashes it will auto open the backed up temp file.
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I have the same issue! I didnt pay attention to the recorved file poping up ! Now I cant find the file! why cant it be easier like everyother software. Adobe sucks with autosave
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Unhapilly it doesn't open - it is opening old projects I was working days before. autoback up was running as far as I know, the autorecovery preference settings were checked on
Something is wrong ! - my file was previously saved - it crashed abruptely - waited a recovery - comes up an old file?
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DISK SPACE IS CHEAP.
WHY DOES ADOBE HANDLE PHOTOSHOP AUTOSAVE THIS WAY?
IT'S RIDICULOUS. JUST RIDICULOUS.
AND YES, I'M YELLING.
It's perfectly apparant that the factions inside ADOBE do not talk to each other. The autosave for After Effects is so elegant. Why not do the same thing for Photoshop? Or at least make it the USER'S prerogative how to handle autosave.
PROFESSIONAL compositing software Nuke, even autosaves an unsaved file! Why not?!!!
It seems like such a simple thing. Arrrrrrgh.....
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Hello, check out this free third party script: https://waffledoodle.artstation.com/store/3bYW/increment-save-photoshop-script