Photoshop 20 can't be set as Default app to open JPG or PNG

[Racidio3]

I see this problem has existed before, but the thread with the most recent post was for version 18. This issue is affecting me in version 20.

I cannot set Photoshop as the default application for JPG or PNG. RIght-click > Properties does not work (it's stuck on "unknown application" for both JPG and PNG, and when I double-click to open them, they open in Paint). Control Panel > Set Default Application does not work. There are various registry hacks out there, but they don't work either. Nothing has worked. I have uninstalled Photoshop and reinstalled, I have uninstalled *ALL* Adobe apps and reinstalled. Nothing. JPGs and PNGs still open with Paint and the only way I can get them to open with Photoshop is right click -> Open with, and even then I have to dig down quite a ways to even see Photoshop as an option.

Please Adobe. Help.

[D Fosse]

Join the club. I'm trying to raise some noise about this. Hopefully I can get someone to listen.

[Donovan_B]

Yep... Adobe needs a hot fix quick.. This is not joeschmoe open source software and we pay good money for the apps. In a production enviro designers have schedules and this **BUG** makes things difficult.

[D Fosse]

This is being investigated by Adobe engineers now. In the meantime, try this: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/file-association-broken-psd-after-photoshop-cc-2015-on-windows....

[lithics]

Almost two weeks later and no updates, pretty disappointing.  The first round of bug fixes are now live in Creative Cloud for Illustrator, Premiere, Bridge, etc....but no 20.0.x cumulative patch for Photoshop.  I've tried every method under the sun to resolve this issue...those listed here and several that are not.  When you right-click on a ".psd file -> properties -> general info" it says "Type of file: Adobe After Effects Photoshop (.psd)".....HUH?? And below that it says "Opens with: Unknown Application"....and no method of the 4 or 5 I've used will ever change it from "Unknown Application" to Photoshop...changing from the right-click menu, set default by program, set program by file type, registry changes, and so on.  When can we expect the first patch for Photoshop v20 to come out?

*edit - for reference on the strange 'type of file' listing when you right-click a .psd file -> properties....here is the corresponding registry entry title for application associations: "Adobe.AfterEffects.psd.16_.psd". There is no other association for a .psd file, only this strange direction to After Effects instead of Photoshop.  The only other reference to Photoshop in the file type associations in the registry (at least for me) is for the .8bf file type, which makes sense and functions as intended.

Found another suggested fix that I'd not tried yet, amazingly...and it worked.  Been trying to fix this unnecessary issue ever since updating to v20.

     milanbelgrade     Oct 17, 2018 3:38 AM  (in response to D Fosse)   

Hi everyone,

In the registry, find the address: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.psd and change the default value to Photoshop.Image.20 (mine was Photoshop.Image.19)

[surbaugh13]

Okay for mac people. i went into a finder window and i clicked on a .psd file, then i pressed the apple key and i for get info. in that window under open with i changed it to adobe photoshop 2018. i did this with .png, .jpg .tif. all files that would open with photoshop. but i also need to go into bridge after that and go to the preferences panel > file type associations and change all adobe photoshop 2019 to photoshop to 2018.

If you only do the first step, you can open the file from finder and it will launch in photoshop 2018, but if you try to launch it from bridge it will not. so you have to change both and restart. should work then.

[lifeboathq2]

I noticed that Adobe just updated my Photoshop CC so maybe this problem is now fixed for good.

Here is what I typed at the command prompt to fix this problem:

ASSOC .gif=giffile

FTYPE giffile="C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

ASSOC .jpg=jpegfile

ASSOC .jpeg=jpegfile

FTYPE jpegfile="C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

ASSOC .png=pngfile

FTYPE pngfile="C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2019\Photoshop.exe" "%1"

Note that I was then prompted to pick the image program once after doing this. (And then the change stuck!)

Also, if you don't like the file type names that show in Explorer you can use http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/filetypesman-x64.zip which is described at Change file type descriptions in Windows 7 - Super User. (This program works fine in Windows 10.)

[bobs99677775]

I found a "fix" for this that worked for me on Windows 7. It's the same fix I used to get Photoshop 18 to work when I upgraded from 17.

All I did was go to the Photoshop.exe file and changed the name to Photoshop18.exe. After I made that change, it showed up on the "Open With" list and I was able to set Photoshop to be the default for JPEGs. I was hoping that I could change the name back after the association but that broke it again.

I hope this works for others.

Bob

[tayyareci1959]

Thanks a lot. Works like charm on Windows 7 Pro, believe it will also work on other versions of Windows 7.

[Bill26728416togi]

Hi from 2022, when somehow this problem is still an issue...  (really?!?)    Spent hours today scouring the web for a solution and uninstalling apps/reinstalling apps/using ACCCleanerTool to no avail, but this simple solution described above finally did the trick.  I renamed Photoshop.exe to Photoshop23.exe as described, then Photoshop finally re-appeared in the list of apps to assign as default.  I re-assigned Photoshop as the default for .jpg, .tif, and .psd files and all seems to be working.  Thank you, bobs99677775 from four years back - you saved me!