"...not a valid Photoshop document" error when opening Mac cc file on PC

[TiER1VideoSuite]

I get a "Could not complete your request because it is not a valid Photoshop document." error message whenever I try to open up a PSD file created on a Mac using Photoshop CC on my PC using CC. Other people have been able to open the file from the same location, so the files aren't corrupted. Anyone know how to fix this?

[Jeff Arola]

Does the psd file have the .psd extension?

If you try File>Open As>PSD in photoshop cc on windows, does that work?

Do you have windows set to Show file extensions?

(uncheck Hide extensions for known file types in the folder options)

[w&h]

I get a "Could not complete your request because it is not a valid Photoshop document." error message

whenever I try to open up a PSD file created on a Mac using Photoshop CS6 on my iMac using CC.

I have tried checking and unchecking the hide extension for known file types

I stil have the same problem.

Is there another soultion?

[teknishn-dfwcp · Accepted solution]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I wanted to share my experience and solution in case anyone else runs into this.

The other day, I spent many hours editing some photos for a client. I saved them all and closed Photoshop. When I tried to open the .PSDs, they all came up with this "Not a valid Photoshop document" error. I was freaking out. I could see the thunmbnails and previews with the MacOS Finder and could see the images just fine in Lightroom, but couldn't open them in Photoshop CC.

Finally, I remembered that these were NOT supposed to be .psd files! They were supposed to be TIFFs. What happened was, when I edited them from within Lightroom into Photoshop, they opened as TIFFs. However, when I did "save as", I wanted to name them similarly to some other files I had. I clicked on one of the existing files to copy the file name in the Save As dialog to make it easier to name the new file I was saving, but I didn't realize it was changing the file extention from ".tif" to ".psd" as well. The older MacOS (version 9 and earlier) didn't rely on file extensions fo identifying file types, so it didn't hit me right away that this would be the problem. When I changed the incorrect .psd file extension to .tiff, the files opened in Photoshop just fine.

SO... if you run into this "Not a valid Photoshop document" error, try figuring out if it's actually another file type (.jpg, .tif, .png, etc) by either getting the file info from another program or just experimenting with different file extensions. Chances are good that your file isn't actually corrupt, but just named improperly!

[anssik_]

Thank you a thousand times. This was EXACTLY what I was suddenly going through with one file. Thank you.

[robertolding]

Thanks technishn-dfwcp ... your suggestion worked for me.  Although I found it strange as I originally saved the file as a .psd.

[mckeephoto]

This was my problem exactly! And, switching the name from a .psd to a .tif was the trick to get it to open.

Now, the question I have is why was photoshop confused? It was a 500mb, multilayered composite that was deliberately saved as a .psd file. But, photoshop wouldn't open it until I changed it to a .tif.

Weird.

Thanks for the cure!

[Chris Cox]

You didn't save the file as PSD, you save a TIFF file and mistakenly changed the extension to PSD (which is not the same as saving a PSD file).

[elle bohême]

THANKYOU!! I am up against a deadline and needed to open some composites that I had done, and got the "not a valid ps doc" error. All I did was make a duplicate just to make sure I didn't lose the file all together, and changed the extension in Finder to .tiff. Then I dragged it straight into PS (CC). Worked like a charm!! Many thanks to you!

[Jorge28153072es2o]

So I worked on a PSD file for 16 hours and I don't know it's a PSD file? Is it an "solution" or an ar5e trying to be the smart?

[Jerry_Hoffmann]

Many of the images that I get from our suppliers have had the extension changed.

I have found the freeware IrfanView software will tell me what the real format of the image is, convert it to the correct format, and save it.

Just drag the image onto the desktop shortcut and a popup gives you the info.

Only thing it doesn't work with are ".eps" files.

Saves me a lot of time trying to figure out the correct extension for the files.

[calibrashuns]

I seem to have this exact same problem but none of these suggestions have fixed the problem. I have tried changing the extension to .tif but it still refuses to open in any program, yet this sound slike this described problem. I have tried repairing with a PSD repair specific app too but it does not read the file (I am assuming because the computer thinks its a tif file). I am desperate to get the art back but I am at my wits end at this point because nothing works. I'm working off of windows 8  pc.

[fairyface5]

I found that the file I was trying to open was originally a lightroom document, and on my new computer I didn't have lightroom installed.

[Guest]

Eu recomendo que você selecione este software para saber como abrir o arquivo PST corruptos em Photoshop de uma maneira fácil http://www.photoshoppsdrepair.com/pt/corrigi-corrupto-arquivo-em-mac.html

[lisab26078114]

If none of this works, try opening it through Bridge! Worked for me!

[B Simpson]

I logged in after not logging into this site for years to thank you for this. It saved me hours of re-work.

[frenchpress325]

YES. I had a .psd that was actually a .tif. Thank you for the save!

[raythevideoguy]

Not true.  I have a bunch of PSD files that have worked for ages.  I recently had to re-build my computer, and now I get that error with ALL my PSDs, which open fine on other machines

[ManuDC]

Same! Can please someone help?

[jilltrujill]

Im having the same problem but the file in question is an actual psd file that i created and edited several times without any problem until yesterday when i tried to open it and the error message popped up. The file extension says "Adobe photoshop image.18" but so do all my other psd files (i am able to open all those files without any problem though) I am working on a pc and the files dont show the extension in the name so I cannot just retype the extension from .psd to .tif. is there another way to do this?

[actrask_momentum]

If this happens so much, can you guys have a more specific and helpful error prompt when it happens?

Thanks!

[analytical_life5DAD]

Could not complete your request because it is not a valid Photoshop document.

[ManuDC]

I just switched to the new OX: Catalina. When I open a recently made psd (which I only use next to jpg) I have the same problem. I tried to re-safe it in psd, but it doesn't work. So my filetype is for sure psd and I don't know how to solve it. 

[Keena]

Same. I know they were PSD files, not tiffs.

[David Knowles]

Worked for me. Thank you.