Read only images- how to unlock

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

This is the kind of thing that drives me insane.  Hours ago I wanted to open some images in "bridge".  The images are all RAW files- images of the the Milky Way (night sky) that I wash to stack, with the idea that multiple images of the same night sky will show extensive detail when stacked, etc. The problem is they have a pad lock symbol on them.  This makes them a 'read only' image.  There is no obvious way to open these images.  Two books on photoshop provide no answers in the index.  Secondly, I want to auto- align these images, but there does not seem to be a way to do this in CS-4.  Any ideas are appreciated.

Now for constructive critisim of Adobe.  For the extremly expensive product you sell, you do a horrible, horrible job providing your customers with what they need to use the software.  Why isn't a DVD included with the software that provides extensive, detailed information needed so a question can be easily answered?  Why do you force your customers to your web site?  To use your web site I had to accept your spyware, lower my security settings, deal with password and login nonsense.  And if one does not have high speed internet, forget it- loading your site takes forever.  I've wasted hours to get to this point.

And I will never buy CS5.  I will never buy Adobe again- the frustration level is way to high.  Does anyone suggest a photo editing software that they like better than CS4?

[MarekMularczyk]

What happens when you try to open the file? Did you try to open it with Camera Raw in Bridge as well as in Photoshop? Are the Raw images yours?

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Marek,

What happens when I try to open these images is that CS4 starts.  I have a computer dedicated to CS-4/nothing else.  But when I tried auto-align using CS4 the computer crashed.  Plan "B" is to use Bridge.

In bridge there is a menu called "stacks" and this should be able to do what I am trying to do- but this does not work as the images remain locked.  I own  the images, and do not have this 'locked' problem in CS4.

[Noel Carboni]

Photoshop can't really crash your computer.  It's just an application.  You probably have basic computer problems if you're seeing system crashes.

Have you updated your video driver from the web site of the maker of your video card?  Video drivers are at the root of a lot of problems.

Just so it's clear, not everyone sees the failure you are describing.  Photoshop works very well for most of us.

-Noel

[Guest]

Adobe lawsuit coming wrote:

...To use your web site I had to accept your spyware...

Meh.

Drunk forum posting never stops being hilarious.

1) You are not addressing Adobe in this user-to-user forum.

2) Adobe sells software for graphics professionals. You are approaching Adobe as someone might approach Sears after buying a hammer and expecting to be taught how to use it.

I'm sure someone can appreciate your frustration but you might win more friends by simply asking a question and then appreciatively waiting for an answer from those that are moved to volunteer one.

[Noel Carboni]

People may understand your frustration, but as an astrophotographer surely you realize that anything you choose to do requires an investment in time and brain power to get the best out of it.  Powerful tools, such as those provided by Photoshop, can take some time to learn.  There really is no better image editing solution.

Your post above really sounds, to those who have made the investment and have years of experience, that you haven't yet done so.

As far as asking for help on your specific file lock issue, I don't use Bridge at all myself, but I can imagine that maybe you don't have your Windows file and folder security all in order.

• Are you the owner of the folder in which the raw files reside?

• Do you have "Full Control" access to that folder?  Can you otherwise create and manipulate files in there without escalating privileges?

What happens if you go into Camera Raw Preferences and change Photoshop to Save image settings in Camera Raw database?

The Help facility that ships with Photoshop is actually decent.  A quick search for the phrase "file locked in bridge" turns up a fair bit of information.  Did you look through that?  There's some info warning against using external media and network locations, for ecample.

Where are your files?  What are the protections?

-Noel

[Guest]

Noel, you are thinking too deeply on this. This person is not here to seek an answer. They only came to share silliness.

This thread is pure nonsense.

Adobe lawsuit coming wrote:

...The problem is they have a pad lock symbol on them.  This makes them a 'read only' image.  There is no obvious way to open these images...

'Read only' files mean you can read them. That is certainly an obvious way to open these images.

A 'read only' file only restricts you from saving/updating that file.

Bridge allows you to unlock a file (right click on it to see the option). This is the same control one can use to unlock a file through Windows Explorer. If you cannot unlock the file through Windows Explorer, then you have an issue with the media on which the file is stored, not Adobe.

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

I came here to illustrate a problem as well as to try get an answer. I want to open these files in Bridge.  Not in CS4.  IN bridge there is a menu for "stacks" where I want to process these images.  Attempting to open the file by right clicking as you suggest causes the image to open in photoshop- not Bridge. I own Photoshop CS4 on demand by Steve Johnson, and Martin Evening's Adobe Photoshop for Photographers.  Neither book provides the answer.  When I click on help in Bridge the program wants to connect to a Adobe web site.  The computer that is used to process these images and run photoshop is a secure computer and will never go on line- that is not its use.  This is a new computer dedicated only to CS4/image processing. And if you are a professional then your time is money.  Hours of duncing around trying to figure out a CS4 question illustrates a fundamental problem Adobe has in that they do not offer the relevant tools to quickly find an answer to a simple problem. Your answer, Marian, while appreciated, does not answer the simple question posed.

[Noel Carboni]

You're paddling upstream if you expect to be able to maintain a modern computer system completely disconnected from the Internet.  That's just not the way these things are going.  Connecting to the net to get software updates, up-to-date help, etc. is not a bad thing - just the opposite.  Lots of people in lots of companies are working after the sale to continue to improve your computing experience, and you're avoiding the benefit of that.  For example, do you have Photoshop CS4 updated to the latest revision (11.0.2)?  Do you have all the Windows Updates?  Do you have an up-to-date video driver (as asked above)?

It's better to understand what you're doing online and to practice good techniques to keep your system from becoming infected than to just disconnect your computer completely and hope what you've already got is good enough.  There are folks who run their computers 24/7 online and never get the kinds of problems you're implying you're trying to avoid.  If you're ever curious how to do that, please feel free to ask.

-Noel

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Hi Noel.

Mike Royko once wrote in his newspaper column about his frustrations with computers.  (This was not too long before he died of a heart attack).  He said if he bought a car, he'd expect it to work.  But not so with computers.

We pay good money for products and services that do work- except when it comes to computers/software.  With these products we are expected to pay good money and then have to deal with all sorts of problems created by corporations (Adobe) who cut corners to increase profits (turning out buggy sofware).

If I buy a rifle, a boat, or an airplane, I expect the product to work as promised.  I shouldn't have to take my airplane back in once a week for" updates", a euphemiism for fixing crappy product.

So, no this computer has never been on line, and never will be.  It is a secure computer.  There are no updates- unless Adobe wishes to send out a DVD with the appropiate repairs.  Shouldn't they do this at their expense?

[Noel Carboni]

Funny thing...  My computers all work fine, and Photoshop works as promised.

A rifle, boat, or even an airplane don't begin to approach the complexity of Photoshop, yet each likely costs much more.  Plus, if you used those things, say, in an explosive environment then something exploded, would you blame the maker?

And don't kid yourself; there are recalls in real life.  What if your airplane was recalled to fix a faulty wing.  Would you be terribly put out if you ignored that then it fell off?

The reality is that using things in their intended fashion, which like it or not today includes keeping their components and those they rely upon updated, is the way to get good results.

You've been given some advice above about how to begin to solve your problems.  I'd say the first and most important thing is to get your system to where it doesn't crash when you actually try to use Photoshop.  Right now it's unstable, yet it works for others.  That says that something YOU have on YOUR computer is at fault.

How about starting by looking in your Windows event logs for the reason for the crashes/failures.  I'd say the odds are good that your video driver is crashing.

-Noel

[Guest]

Noel Carboni wrote:

...do you have Photoshop CS4 updated to the latest revision (11.0.2)?  Do you have all the Windows Updates?  Do you have an up-to-date video driver (as asked above)?...

Adobe lawsuit coming wrote:

....So, no this computer has never been on line, and never will be.  It is a secure computer.  There are no updates- unless Adobe wishes to send out a DVD with the appropiate repairs.  Shouldn't they do this at their expense?

So basically you are stating that you are recognizing that you might have a bug from unpatched software but choose to ignore the possibility that it is fixed with an update and have no interest in taking action to apply the update. You appear to want someone from Adobe to come to your basement with a CD/DVD and install the update for you.

Oy.

Please brush the pretzel crumbs off your gut and sober up before making silly forum accounts to threaten nonsense lawsuits. I seriously encourage you to pursue that lawsuit against Adobe for this. The world needs a good laugh.

...From the right-click menu, choose 'reveal in explorer' and change the file properties from read-only.

This is a Windows filesystem issue. It has nothing to do with Adobe.

Adobe cannot produce training for something that the user of any given operating system should know.

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Yeah, silly me. Adobe gets piles of my money for a program that is supposed to work- as advertised.

So, between having a secure computer that is not allowed to be connected to the internet, and no high speed internet in this remote part of Alaska, yes, I expect Adobe to take care of its customers.  Silly, silly me.  I ask that they simply mail CD with the updates so their POS program actually works.  They refuse to issue a refund for their defective product.

So this falls to the level of false and deceptive trade practices on Adobe's part.  Their product does not work as advertised.  It is defective.  They refuse a refund, or reasonable accomodation to effect a fix.  Wow.  Adobe's representative even has the gall to claim Adobe doesn't get or use mail.  Really?

You ever read about the Stockholm Syndrome, Marian?

[Guest]

Adobe lawsuit coming wrote:

...So this falls to the level of false and deceptive trade practices on Adobe's part.  Their product does not work as advertised.  It is defective...

Adobe never advertised that Bridge would stack images like you had hoped. Bridge is a file manager/browser. It is not an image editor.

You have failed to describe how any of your personal problems have anything to do with Adobe or their business practices. All you have demonstrated is that you had no idea what Bridge was supposed to do and you had no idea what you were supposed to do with a read-only file in Windows. You cannot blame someone else for your own ignorance. All that you have achieved is a public announcement of how little you know and how much less you want to learn.

[PECourtejoie]

Hello!

If you post in this thread, you are connected to Internet, you can then download the updates you need then burn them on a CD, and apply them to your non-networked computer (check if they are cumulative, so that you might not need to download them all.)

Isn't an internet connection listed in the system requirements?

What other software manufacturer does send you CD/DVD with updates?

Sometimes, trade magazines come with the updates, but it's been a while I have looked at their DVD contents.

Given the fact that Photoshop can be used to do pretty much anything related to imaging, they cannot provide you with a DVD that would cover all cases, (like a windows issue of not changing the status of files that came from a CD/DVD. Just look at the number of hours of training are available at tv.adobe.com... how do you fit that on a DVD?

Hope that you will solve your problems.

[Paul Riggott]

"Stacks" in Bridge means something totally different to what you are trying to do. You need to use Photoshop.

"Stacks" will group the selected files together within Bridge, it does not edit/merge them.

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Thanks, Paul.

That's the best answer offered.  Although, for the fun of it at this point, I'd like to figure out how to unlock the images.  Its an academic point, now.

[Guest]

Adobe lawsuit coming wrote:

...Attempting to open the file by right clicking as you suggest causes the image to open in photoshop- not Bridge...

I made no comment about opening the file by right clicking. I was pointing out how to get rid of the lock icon. You can open the file whether it has a lock icon or not.

Perhaps you still need to work off the hangover. 

I'm certainly no Adobe promoter/defender but blaming Adobe for a lack of training options seems really silly. Having a learning disability is tough on its own but to come here swinging at Adobe is not a great way to open the mind to enlightenment.

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Hi Marian,

Placing the cursor on the padlock symbol and right clicking does not remove the padlock.  Tried that yesterday.  That is the way a good program would work, yes?

[Guest]

What does right-clicking do on your computer?

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Right clicking on the icon presents a drop down menu with 14 subjects/items that may be selected.

Sort

Open with

Test in Device Central

Open in Camera Raw

Purge Cache for Selection

Copy

Copy to

Reveal in Explorer

Add to Favorites

Batch Rename

Develop Settings

File Info

Label

Sort

None of these "unlock" the image.

[the_wine_snob · Accepted solution]

For Read Only files, go to Windows Explorer, and Select those files. Rt-click on them, and choose Properties. Near the bottom will be Attributes. Is Read Only checked? If they are Read Only (and not locked due to permissions, etc.), if you uncheck that, then the files will no longer be Read Only. One common reason for them to be Read Only, is if they were copied from a DVD, or CD, though it sounds like you processed these in ACR, from the original Camera RAW files. Is that correct?

For files that have become Locked via other means, there is a great little utility, Unlocker, that should be able to Unlock the files. Not needed IF they are just Read Only.

Good luck,

Hunt

[Edit] As it only took me 8 tries to post this, it is coming up late, but NOW I see that Marian had provided the same solution, and an hour before. That post was not showing, when I started trying to post this. The forum is getting more wonky each day!

[Adobe_lawsuit_coming]

Thanks Bill,

This worked.  I was trying to bring the filesinto Bridge through a DVD.  When I moved them from the DVD to the "c" drive, and then opened them in Bridge, they were not locked.  So that solved that part of the problem.

When I tried selecting on all (six) images- to stack them- the program crashes.  Multiple attempts to resart- and it still crashes.

Going on line is not an option with that secure computer, and as I am in a remote part of Alaska there is no high speed internet that many take for granted.  A 35 MB download/update is not possible.

[the_wine_snob]

For the crashing issue, take a look at this ARTICLE. Though it was written with video-editing in mind (more intense, than PS work), there are some good tips. Cannot recall if you have Win7, but if so, be sure to see Black Viper's Win7 Tune Up Tips (but you'll have to visit that site from a computer with Internet . Matter of fact, you'll need one of those to view my article).

Good luck,

Hunt

[Noel Carboni]

How does a person who clearly has no idea how to use technology and chooses to blame everyone else for his problems actually survive?  I should think you would be one to take ownership of a problem and deal with it if anyone would.

No one thought to tell you to move your files off a DVD because frankly no one imagined you could be so clueless that you wouldn't realize anything on read-only media is, well, read-only.

And you've been told several times that "Stack" isn't what you think it is in Bridge, yet you don't acknowledge or follow-up on that.

You've also been told your computer needs updating, but you don't follow-up on that.

You make ignorant statements like "high speed internet is not available in Alaska".  Ever hear of Hughesnet?  Satellite dishes work up there too.

People are trying to help you out of the goodness of their hearts, yet all you do is come back with attitude.

Just what are you contributing?

-Noel