Photography workspace keeps disappearing

[Aisla31830633dpsf]

Photoshop 26.11.2

The photograph workspace sometimes disappears when opening a .arw, after making adjustments in Camera Raw,.  i.e, the panels and toolbars have all disappeared and only the photograph is displayed in a blank window.  I use a toolbar preset that I have saved.  

The pannels and toolbars can be restored by resetting the photography workspace and reloading my toolbar preset (.tbr file), but it happens frequently and is very annoying. 

Steps to recreate:

1.  Open a .arw file by double clicking on it in Bridge > Photograph opens in Camera Raw.

2.  Make adjustments to the photo in Camera Raw (usually auto adjustments, masks, sharpening, dust removal).

3.  After adjustments are finished, click Open > Photograph now opens in Photoshop, but sometimes, the side panels (histogram, adjustments, layers) and toolbars (my own saved preset toolbar) have disappeared.  

Steps to restore:

1.  Click on Window -> Workspace -> Reset Photography. >  Default workspace has loaded with default toolbars and panels. 

2.  Click on Edit ->Toolbar -> Load Preset and load custom toolbar file. 

Please investigate and fix, this bug has been present for awhile now.  

[Sameer K]

Hey, @Aisla31830633dpsf. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll need more info to help you figure this out. Please share the system information by following these steps: 1. Open Photoshop Help > System Info. 2. Copy and paste the information into a text document. 3. Upload and attach the document here. 

Could you record a wide video covering Photoshop's UI and relevant panels? 

For now, go to the location of the preference folder below and rename it to backup.

• Windows 10/11: Users/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop [version]/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings
• You can press Press the Windows key > Enter 'Run' > Enter %APPDATA%\Adobe
• Rename the Adobe Photoshop folder by adding a .old at the end. (Adobe Photoshop 2026/Beta > Rename > Adobe Photoshop 2026/Beta. old), You can restore these preferences later if needed.(https://adobe.ly/4860qM9)
• Restart the computer.

These changes will provide a fresh start to Photoshop, much like a new installation. Let me know how it goes.

Thanks!

Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

[Aisla31830633dpsf]

Hello, @Sameer K  thank you for your reply.  I have attached the system info and a screenshot of my photography workspace (as I prefer it) as per your request.  

thanks

Aisla

[Sameer K]

Thanks for sharing the details. You're working on Photoshop v25.11.2, and newer versions of Photoshop are available via the Creative Cloud desktop app. Please update to the latest version. 

Once you've customized the workspace per your workflow requirements, you can go to Window > Workspaces > New Workspace to save your workspace preset. 

If it still resets on launch or after triggering Adobe Camera Raw, you can try the steps I've shared above and let me know how it goes. 

Thanks!
Sameer K

(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)