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Shlomit Heymann
Shlomit Heymann
Inspiring
February 1, 2009
Answered

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

  • 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.

      49 replies

      Show previous replies
      Chris Cox
      Chris CoxCorrect answer
      Legend
      February 3, 2009
      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.
      Shlomit Heymann
      Shlomit HeymannAuthor
      Inspiring
      February 2, 2009
      As I wrote, it is not open anywhere.
      I just copied it from my camera card to my pictures folder, looked at it inBridge and opened it in Photoshop.

      This is an old issue
      Just google it and you'll see i'm not the only one...

      http://tinyurl.com/da4em5
      [long URL replaced]

      :)
      (i just saw there is a link to the same issue in CS3 here how come I was unable o locate it when i searched here?)
      N
      Neil_Keller
      Known Participant
      February 1, 2009
      I'd also guess that the file is open or in use via another application.

      Neil
      _
      _derek_Kimball_
      Known Participant
      February 1, 2009
      Try closing your "Preview" application. If you are like me and you set psd's to automatically open in Preview rather than Photoshop for easy and quick viewing purposes, it will not allow Photoshop to save if the file is also opened in it.
        K
        Kid Red
        Participant
        December 13, 2011

        I came here for the same issue, in my case closing Preview worked. Oddly enough, I did not have to file open in preview, but closing that app worked for me.

        A
        Anonymous
        September 21, 2012

        Adobe had always responded with it is a Windows fault, not Adobe.

        And has qualified Windows personnel ever contested that claim?

        (Not to worry, by the way, similar problems seem to happen on Macintosh ocassionally, too.)


        No, not occasionally, it happens all the time if you have the file selected in the Finder and are using column view with the preview on.

        I beleive Chris when he says that it's not directly a Photoshop issue, but I question why Photoshop (and occasionally InDesign when exporting a PDF) are so sensitive to this issue when no other app I use cares whether the Finder is displaying a preview or not. If Illustrator and InDesign can successfully save their documents when the Finder is showing a preview, why can't Photoshop?

        (This is just one more example of the many many supremely aggravating inconsistencies between Adobe apps, all of which belonging to the same "suite.")

        A
        Anonymous
        February 1, 2009
        It may be another Leopard-related problem because I have never seen it happen on my G5 on OSX 10.4.11.

        You are not working across a network from a Server are you?
        M
        mckayk_777-PN6kWE
        Participating Frequently
        November 20, 2010

        This also happens on a stand alone machine, it is a real pain.

        Shlomit Heymann
        Shlomit HeymannAuthor
        Inspiring
        February 1, 2009
        This is a repeated issue in photoshop,
        I would love to solve it for once.:)
          A
          Anonymous
          February 1, 2009
          It may be what you will have to have if you want to save that file!

          8/

          You can always delete the first file and re-name the second one after you have saved it.
          Shlomit Heymann
          Shlomit HeymannAuthor
          Inspiring
          February 1, 2009
          thank you, yes, i know the workaround but this will create another file and this is not what i want or need :)
            A
            Anonymous
            February 1, 2009
            Try "Saving As" to a new name.
            A
            Anonymous
            November 15, 2010

            Such useless and dumb answer. Obviously, the user is complaining about a bug or issue regarding Photoshop. I use both OSX and Vista, and I have the exactly same annoying problem in my Vista. It happens 8 out of 10 times I press save. The only way I found to solve the problem was to install a cool piece of software called "Unlocker", so everytime the damn photoshop tells me it cannot save the file, I just go there and unlock it, then save without problems.

            Still, it is very annoying to do get this error message all the time.

              Chris Cox
              Chris Cox
              Legend
              November 15, 2010

              Please read the previous responses.

              The user is reporting an error caused by another application.

              The bug is still in some OTHER application, and as you can see from the previous responses, sometimes the Finder, Spotlight and Coverflow can cause this problem.

              Photoshop is just reporting the error to you, that the OS reported to Photoshop, because some OTHER application had the file locked.

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