Photoshop CC won't open DNG or other Raw files

[Pohanginapete]

For years now, I've been processing photographs in Lightroom then sending them to Photoshop (CTRL E) for final editing. Recently, after updating to the latest versions of Lightroom Classic CC (7.2 release) and Photoshop CC (19.1.1 release), Photoshop stopped loading the photographs and opened an explorer window instead, requiring me to choose a file to edit. However, the list of accepted file formats not only does not include .dng files, it includes no other Raw formats except Photoshop Raw. If I try to open a .dng file (created by Lightroom), I get the error message 'Could not complete your request because it is not the right kind of document.'

I tried reverting to the previous version of Photoshop CC but the problem persisted. This is a major loss of functionality in Photoshop CC and I'd greatly appreciate any help in trying to fix it. Thanks.

[ramanb16]

I am experiencing the same issue. ADOBE pls help rectify this error.

[D Fosse]

Can you open Bridge Preferences > File associations and check that DNG (or camera native raw format) is really set to Photoshop 2018?

[Pohanginapete]

Yes, in Bridge the file association for Digital negative (.dng) is set to 'Adobe Photoshop CC 2018'.

I updated Photoshop CC 2018 yesterday and the problem still persists. My guess is that Photoshop is somehow not linking to Adobe Camera Raw.

[D Fosse]

Skipping Lightroom for a second - can you open raw files through ACR?

If you can, this is likely a Lightroom problem rather than a PS problem. Check Lr preferences for "external editing", if everything looks normal there, try to reset Lr preferences, or uninstall/reinstall.

[Pohanginapete]

Thanks for the help. Pardon my ignorance, but how do I open ACR? (The Creative Cloud interface only tells me it's up-to-date and doesn't give me the option of opening it.) Photoshop used to include the Camera Raw filter but no longer does so, and when I try to open a .dng or other raw file in Photoshop, it tells me it can't do it because the file is not the right type. In Bridge, if I try to open a .dng or other raw file in Adobe Photoshop CC 2018, I get the same error message.

I don't think it has anything to do with Lightroom. Photoshop's File Open dialog no longer includes the .dng filetype.

[D Fosse]

OK, so ACR isn't working properly here. I'm not sure if it's possible to uninstall/reinstall separately any longer - anyone?

ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) is the raw converter plugin in Photoshop. This is what opens raw files into Photoshop - Photoshop itself cannot read raw files.

Lightroom has the ACR engine built in, so it works as a standalone application. But when you send a raw file from Lightroom to Photoshop, it is actually the ACR plugin that processes the file and opens it into Photoshop. It just gets all the settings from Lightroom, and then opens the file silently. There is no need for the ACR interface to open in this process.

[D Fosse]

Ah, I see others are having the same problem: https://forums.adobe.com/thread/2463341

[Pohanginapete]

Thanks for that explanation — appreciated. I've uninstalled Lightroom and am reinstalling it now. All going well, the reinstallation should be finished in an hour or so, and I'll post an update on whether that fixed the problem.

[Pohanginapete]

Lightroom Classic CC has reinstalled, and the problem has NOT been fixed.

[Pohanginapete]

In Photoshop CC 2018, I opened Edit>Preferences>Camera Raw and got this error message:

I checked two places for the ACR plug-in (which Creative Cloud insists is up-to-date; see screen clip below):

1. C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018\Plug-ins — this folder contains nothing except a 'Generator' folder

2. C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe — this has no 'Plug-ins' folder

Where is the ACR plug-in supposed to be located? How can I find it, and if I can, how do I tell Photoshop to look there for it?

[Pohanginapete · Accepted solution]

OK, I have solved the problem, which appeared to be that Photoshop could not find the Camera Raw plug-in (ACR). I downloaded the Camera Raw plug-in installer from this Adobe webpage, unzipped it, closed all apps and ran the installer. I then restarted the computer and Photoshop CC 2018 now finds the ACR plug-in and I can once again send raw files directly from Lightroom to Photoshop.

[Dechilito]

I'm having this problem now with the latest Photoshop (20.0.3) Lightroom (8.2) and Camera Raw (11.2). The message from Photoshop when I try to open a .dng file from Lightroom is that Photoshop cannot find the file, though it certainly is there. This is tragic; I have ten's of thousands .dng files that I cannot work with Photoshop now. PLEASE help!

[brich4d]

I have a similar problem with two different Macs. Both can't open a DNG off a network drive. Copy to a local drive works. A local network drive such as a Drobo works. I have found a work around for Photoshop and Bridge that might help but it doesn't work in Lightroom. If you change one setting in Camera Raw in either Photoshop or Bridge by increasing or decreasing a value in any choice I can get it to open in Photoshop. Return settings to previous problem settings and the problem still exits. For example, change Clarity by increasing or decreasing your number by 1. If its at zero, put it to +1 or -1. And then chose open. Return that value to zero and it again doesn't work. I have done this to two different Macs at my place or work, operated by myself and another employee and the results are the same. This only happens if the drive is not local. You can change anything from color temp, tint, exposure, blacks and whites and even highlights and shadows by a tiny increment and it works here. Again, return settings to previous problematic settings and the problem returns.

[brich4d]

I have problems solved the issue of Dechilito and myself that the issue is with Camera Raw 11.2. Installing 11.1 over it has solved all my issues with accessing dng files off of a network drive

[Dechilito]

I did what brich4d said and re-installed Camera Raw 11.1 and the problem has been solved. It seems, then, that the problem is with Camera Raw 11.2. Hopefully Adobe will fix this soon. Thanks a gazillion, brich4d!

[SimonFremont]

I had the same problem following an upgrade of camera raw to 11.2. Photoshop opens from local drive however does not open raw files from a network drive. Downgrading to camera raw 11.1 solves the problem. Now just  get a compatibility warning when asking lightroom CC to edit a file in Photoshop CC. Let's hope Adobe patch this problem soon.