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

[Shlomit Heymann]

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

[Chris Cox]

No dance, just the plain and simple truth.

Photoshop is reporting the error, when other applications ignore the error (and do bad things), or just fail with a less specific error.

And we have seen this in other applications (even seen it caused by some of our other apps, which we try to get fixed).

We've seen it multiple times in MacOS as various bugs in the OS get introduced and fixed over time...

We currently have a few bugs open with Apple about related bugs (all subtly different, of course).

I'm sorry you are frustrated, but the Photoshop team cannot fix something happening outside of Photoshop.

And that message means that something outside of Photoshop has the file locked.

[Guest]

Chris,

are you in contact personally with Apple or anyone in your team and if so, have you heard any updates about fixing this problem?

Thanks.

My best,

Marc

[Chris Cox]

We file the bug with Apple, and pretty much wait for them to get back to us.

If it goes a while without any activity, we may prompt them for an update.

But I haven't heard anything from Apple about these bugs in a long time.

[Guest]

Thanks Chris,

I hope you get to prompt them again soon.

My best,

Marc

[Woodytech]

This is something I've seen Microsoft Office do many times when multiple people are collaborating on a document. Of course in this case, it is by design, and you are dealing with what seems to be an Adobe/Apple issue. To test, show all of the hidden files on your computer by going to Applications/Utilities/Terminal and typing this:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder

Then navigate to wherever that file is normally saved and see if there is a 'hidden' file with a similar filename or extension. If its there, you've found your culprit. Delete that bugger and you're off and running. If you want to go back and hide all of the files when you're done, type he same thing into terminal but replace 'TRUE' with 'FALSE'. killall Finder can also be done by relaunching finder from the dock or force quit menu.

I haven't seen this issue yet with Adobe, but creating temporary hidden files is something that Apple and Microsoft do frequently

[Chris Cox]

In Photoshop's case, we try really hard not to leave hidden files laying around, and not to be blocked by any hidden files that other apps might leave around (we create new, unique names for temporary files).  We even unlink temporaries so they'll be cleaned up in case of a crash.

[robertdenton]

Mmm, OK. Thanks.

I can't confirm or deny. Only express my frustration at such an expensive product having such a show stopping bug.

I'm starting to use alternatives. Can't replace it yet but that's the general course.

[Chris Cox]

"I can't confirm or deny. Only express my frustration at such an expensive product having such a show stopping bug."

All Photoshop does is report the EXTERNAL problem to you.  The problem is OUTSIDE of Photoshop.

Please, direct your frustration to the responsible party or parties.

My replacement is MacOS 10.5.8 - still much more stable.

[robertdenton]

Wow.

[Ief_DR]

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]

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.

[mraza08]

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

[Chris Cox]

Please read the existing posts in this topic for the answer.

Short version: some other application has the file open.

[Deluxive State]

Updated to Snow Leopard. Have never seen this problem, but now it happends all the time. I have deactivated Spotlight on my documents and scratch disks, but it still have the same error.

This is when i create a new file (after saving one time of course), not an old file. It seems like a 10.6 bug. But it's darn annoying.

[Jan_Suhr]

There is a problem with both Photoshop and InDesign, then we can blame wich ever it is.

1. I open a .psd file in Photoshop CS4 by double clicking it in Bridge

2. This image is placed on a page in a open InDesign document.

3. Doing some changes in Photoshop on the image.

4. Trying to save and get this error message (this topics subject)

5. Deleting the image from the page in ID doc, it is the only one in the document.

6. Can't still save file.

7. Closing ID completely and now I am able to save the file.

I tried turning of Live preflight in Indegisn but that didn't help.

So probably the fault is InDesign or the MacOS. I didn't have this problem with CS3. It is a stupid problem because this type of workflow is pretty common and one would expect it to be solved by now.

Jan Suhr

Stockholm, Sweden

[Chris Cox]

Please tell the InDesign team about this problem.

They need to hear it from customers.

[annettemsturgeon@sbcgloba]

I only use bridge and CS6 and I have the same problem.  No other app is open.

[Guest]

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...

[JenNilesArt]

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!!!!!!

[Guest]

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?

[StreetwiseCreative]

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

[Guest]

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

[Chris Cox]

My first guess is that Snow Leopard is holding the file open while (or after) gathering metadata or creating a thumbnail.

This has happened in previous MacOS releases, and Apple has fixed it soon after being notified.

Is the folder containing the file open in the Finder?

[Guest]

Chris

I haven't been aware if the folder containing the file has been open on the desktop but I just opened a folder containing a new document I made and will be working on it tonight and let you know if I can repeat the error.

Also I will check next time the error happen is that file is open on the desktop.

Marc

[Chris Cox]

If you can come up with good steps to reproduce the problem - then we can reproduce it here and narrow down which process has the file open (then write up another bug for Apple).