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"Could not save (file name) because the file is already in use or left open."

Forum|Forum|16 years ago
February 1, 2009
49 replies
141707 views

Hello,
When I tried save as a file, I get an error msg:
"Could not save (file name) because the file is already in use or left open."

The file is not open anywhere accept Photoshop.

Mac Pro, OSX 10.5.6
Photoshop CS4.

I searched the forum but could not find anything even though i'm sure someone already asked it.

would love to get a solution for that.
thank you,
shlomit

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Chris Cox

If Photoshop says the file is open - then some external process has left the file open. It has nothing to do with it being open in Photoshop, or even in Bridge. This has happened sometimes when Spotlight had bugs (which have come up more than once, and been fixed in OS dot releases).

The external process could be another application, or an OS service like Spotlight.

Show previous replies

B

bluerosez

Known Participant

I am having the same problem and all my files are closed and not open in any other program, all the programs are also closed. I closed all finder windows. I am working on Snow Leopard/G5 in PS SC4.

Has any one created a fix for this?

Are we sure this is an Apple issue not a PS issue? If I call apple they will tell me to call Adobe I am SURE of that.

Thank you!

M

maplegrovebob

Participating Frequently

Hi bluerosez,

Check out Chris Cox's posts above. According to him, it is an Apple SnowLeopard problem, not Adobe, and Adobe has notified Apple of the bug.

We can only hope that an Apple OS update will soon fix the problem.

B

bluerosez

Known Participant

Thanks!

What is really extra strange is that the behavior is not consistent. The last couple of files I saved worked fine.

I hope that Adobe is following up with apple .

M

maplegrovebob

Participating Frequently

I agree with jsinger986. I have been getting both the "Could not save" and the "File has been changed" errors with Photoshop CS4 since Snow Leopard. It's real anoying. I wish someone would come up with a fix. I've never had these errors before.

Chris Cox

Legend

Snow Leopard added some new things that like to read files to create thumbnails and previews.

Apple has been informed about the problems in their code (and that the same code sometimes crashes in odd ways).

M

maplegrovebob

Participating Frequently

Thanks Chris. It might have been going on for years for some users in some situations, but it started for me with Snow Leopard.

Glad to know that you have at least let Apple know of the problem. In searching Apple's discussions, I was unable to find any threads on the issue.

A

Anonymous

Chris and all,

The problem still exists. I am running a brand new mac tower with snow leopard and all the updates, Photoshop CS4 and it still

gives that error message. I can do a file save as for a workaround and eliminate the original file, however when saving a jpg the

file is degraded each time you save it out. Hopefully whoever need to fix this bug does so. It is really annoying. Period!

Thanks for your posts. I would love to hear of a solution if one ever comes.

best regards

marc

1

1957GoldTop

Known Participant

I'm having this problem as well. In addition to that, I'm also getting a "File has changed since last save" errors (don't have the error in front me so don't know the exact message). Not at the same time of course... I'm just pointing out I'm getting two strange file related errors. This is all happening since moving to Snow Leopard.

And, to make clear, the file is NOT open anywhere else when getting the "open" error and the file had NOT been changed when getting the "changed" error.

A

Anonymous

Chris was my information helpful at all to help you reproduce my problem?

Chris Cox

Legend

I don't think our QE has had time to look at it yet.

I'll let you know when we have something.

A

Anonymous

Chris,

I noticed that this problem has been around though several versions of Photoshop and several versions MacOS. You responded to my last inquiry November 2nd and I was wondering if your QE had time to look at this problem yet?

I only have this problem with Photoshop files and no other applications or programs.

Looking forward to your response!

Thanks

Marc

A

Anonymous

I have the same issue on my mac system together with fotostation and photoshop CS3.

Also I have the same on my windows systems (only photoshop cs3)

anyone who has a solution?

S

StreetwiseCreative

Known Participant

It's an annoying Photoshop/Lightroom 2.5 bug for me. From LR, I edit an image in Photoshop and save it. A .tif is automatically created. I can jump back into Lightroom where the new Tif file shows up beside the RAW file. Now if I go to edit the Tif file in Photoshop again, I get the message when I try to save it a second time. I must shut down LR first and then I can save it. Very annoying. I'm on OSX 10.5.8

A

Anonymous

Could not save (file name) because the file is already in use or left open."

Hi Chris Cox and Folks,

In regards to this saving problem which I have as well:

I don't have any other programs open and no other programs are using these files that I am having problems with.

I also am not using Quark or Indesign. I don't have bridge open.

Only have Photoshop 11.0.1 open on a Mac Pro Tower, 2x2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel with 10 GB 800 MHz DDR2 F8-DIMM running OSX 10.6.1.

This problem started for me when I upgraded to Snow from Leopard.Could not save (file name) because the file is already in use or left open."

Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Thanks

Marc

A

Anonymous

Ooops...looks like Apple recreated the psiicon.dll and the aiicon.dll problem that plagued Windows users for years and that will still bite them in Windows 7 if they have the thumbnail view turned on for their folders...

Mac users...try using list view instead of cover flow, check to make sure you don't have something open in Expose or Spaces (you might and you just don't remember it)...at least Mac users can do a Save As...Windows users are just screwed as there is no way to do a Save or Save As once you hit the Microsoft bug...

J

JenNilesArt

Participant

That is amazing. I went to Finder (on my Mac) and sure enough, I had it set to show preview of the files. I switched to List view, then went back to Photoshop and tried to save the document, and it worked!!!!!!

I

Ief_DR

Participating Frequently

Sorry , but it's a photoshop-problem. When I place a PSD-file in Indesign, this file isn't opened in Indesign, just placed.

Chris Cox

Legend

Sigh.

Photoshop is showing you that message because SOME OTHER APPLICATION has the file open. (the message wouldn't make any sense at all if Photoshop itself had the file open, even if you ignore the fact that Photoshop does not leave files open)

You identified InDesign as being the culprit -- for some reason InDesign keeps the file open when it has been placed.

Now you need to ask in the InDesign forum if there is some way to avoid that, or if the InDesign team can fix the bug.

Again, this is not a Photoshop problem in any way.

Photoshop is just reporting an external problem to you - caused by some application other than Photoshop.

Now that you have identified which other application is causing the problem for you, you need to let the folks working on that application know about it and see if they have a fix, or can fix it in an upcoming release.

M

mraza08

Participant

Hello i have similiar problem.... I tried to save the file with other nam. in other directory...but not success...whenever i am trying to save it will pop up a message displaying could not save because the files is reade or in use..... and will create a file named something like this. ~psBB72.tmp... Please any solution... thanks

I

Ief_DR

Participating Frequently

I have the same problem using InDesign and Photoshop together. When I place a .psd-file in Indesign and option + click on it the image opens in Photoshop. When I try to save it, from time to time I get the message: "could not save ... because the file is already in use or was left open". When I close the Indesign-document I can save the PSD-file.That's not normal.

I get such messsages since CS2. I'm on a mac OSX 10.5.8

Chris Cox

Legend

Folks, you've identified that some OTHER application has the file open. That's why Photoshop reports the error message.

Now please tell the folks working on that OTHER application to fix the problem that has them keeping the file open unnecessarily.

Photoshop can't fix code in other applications.

R

robertdenton

Participant

Ok, ok... I've seen this dance before. I read Adobe employee messages blaming Apple, yet, not one other application on my computer, including ones which manipulate images, have the same problem. This to me simply points to an Adobe problem. How have all the other application vendors avoided this problem?

I'm having this problem too. Snow L, all updates, CS4, all updates...

I do not have a similar problem in any. other. application. on. any. computer. I use.

Sorry for the tone but it's hugely frustrating.

sincerely,

Robert

--

Photoshop user since 1.0, Illustrator since v88.

_

_David_-_

Participant

I have seen this problem with 10.5 and Adobe CS3 in interaction with Quark 7.5

If you make a new account for testing, you should see that (with the same files, copied to /Users/Shared and then to the new account Desktop) the issue does not occur.

I haven't pinpointed the exact file/s in question, but after setting aside the ~/Library/Preferences/Quark

folder, and all user-level prefs with "adobe" in the name, the issue was resolved.

N

Neil_Keller

Known Participant

As for being in use in other apps, as I recall, if I have, for example, a QuarkXPress page open; one that contains a graphic now open in Photoshop, and I wish to edit and save that file, I will get a similar message.

Neil

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