Layers panel suddenly showing or hiding all layers when I try to select just a few

[vickyk80628969]

I'm having an extremely frustrating issue that only just started happening a few days ago, it's wasting a huge amount of my time.

I have a file that has about 35 layers for a 2 sided document - every time I print the file I have to hide half of the layers, to print one side &  hide the other half to print the other side.  As recently as a week ago I could show & hide whatever layers I wanted using the layers panel.  Now when I click on them, I can show/hide maybe four when all of a sudden ALL of the layers are affected.  It now happens EVERY time I try to show or hide layers.  I turned off auto select (even though I don't think it's related to the issue) and click on them extremely slowly and carefully, but the same thing keeps happening and it seems to be getting worse.  I have able to get it to work once or twice, but that seems to be a random occurrence.

Maybe I accidentally activated some feature that causes them to show/hide all at once?  I know I can do this by clicking and dragging over the show/hide buttons, but I am definitely NOT doing that.  

I know I could just split the file into two parts but I prefer to have them all in one file to make it easier to line things up. I would also rather not to have to do that since it worked fine a few days ago and I don't understand why things are getting worse/harder as technology supposedly is improving.

Does anyone have any suggestions?  I hope I explained the issue well.

Thanks very much!

If it makes a difference, I'm using Photoshop 2021, version 22.4.3 and Mac Catalina version 10.15.7.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you please post screenshots with the pertinent Panels (Toolbar, Layers, Options Bar, …) visible or better a screen recoding showing the issue? 

What have you done for all-purpose trouble-shooting so far? 

Restoring Preferences after making sure all customized presets like Actions, Patterns, Brushes etc. have been saved might be a good starting point:

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

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/basic-trouble-shooting-steps.html

Have you considered stuffing the two arrangements’ Layers into two Groups? 

[vickyk80628969]

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll see if I can get a screen recording if quicktime will post here.  I did try putting the layers in groups and will do that once everything is set up, but right now I'm still adjusting placement and need to be able to move the objects around in small increments to line everything up.

As for troubleshooting,  I did open another file that also has a lot of layers and did not have this problem, which tells me the issue is probably unique to this file - do you think copying everything to a new file might work?  Honestly I don't know why I didn't think of checking another file sooner.  

None of the preferences seem relevant, nor do the photoshop troubleshooting suggestions although I didn't spend an enormous amount of time reading through them because I thought this might be a gllitch related to an update (since I've never encountered this problem before).

I'll post a video either later tonight or tomorrow when I have a little more time. 

Thanks again!

[vickyk80628969]

Actually I found that last night I was so caught up in trying to figure out why this issue happened that I didn't realize I wasn't using groups properly.  As I was reading through these replies I kept trying different things and I do think that using groups will be a good workaround.  

[Bojan Živković]

"I have to hide half of the layers"

Have you considered to use Window > Layer Comps?

"Now when I click on them, I can show/hide maybe four when all of a sudden ALL of the layers are affected."

Perhaps you have clipped layers? Please post screenshots as requested by @c.pfaffenbichler .

[vickyk80628969]

Thanks for your suggestion, I'm not familiar with Layer Comps and will look that up.  I don't think they're clipped, some but not all have image placeholder frames (not a photoshop expert here) - maybe that's the culprit?

I will try to get a screen recording, but here's a screenshot of some of the layers 

[vickyk80628969]

Hi again, I commented above as well but you're right, I think grouping the layers will be a good workaround after all.  I still don't know why the issue was happening (unless it was due to the frames) but it seems to be just that one file (I hope).

[Leslie Moak Murray]

Are you using a pen tablet, and is this the only "mass selection" issue you're having? I ask because it happened to me once, and it turned out to be the Wacom pen that was doing it.

-edit- Didn't mean to disparage Wacom pens - I had dropped it a few times and something on the inside must have been  messed up. A new pen solved it.

[vickyk80628969]

Thanks Leslie,  

Unfortunately I'm not using a pen tablet, and I don't think it's the mouse either since I tried another file that has a ton of layers and did not encounter this problem. 

I appreciate your suggestion though.

[melissapiccone]

Layour comps are your friend, learn how to use them. Also - Groups are your friend. When I do a 2 page spread I put each page in it's own group. The page groups have tons of sub-groups as well but turing one eyeball on and off is much easier than a bunch.

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/layer-comps.html

[vickyk80628969]

Thanks - I'm not familiar with layer comps but will definitely check out that link.  I generally don't use a lot of layers so I'm not an expert (obviously).

I had tried groups before but in messing around with it now, I see that I was doing something wrong & they could definitely be a good workaround.  I think I was just getting so aggravated last night and hung up on "why is this suddenly happening?" that I didn't try using groups properly.

I appreciate your help, thanks!