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Inspiring
April 2, 2024
Answered

I closed the Toolbar on the left side, how do I restore it?

  • April 2, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 77352 views

This is the only place I found to ask a ? for Photoshop 24.7.3

Can someone please help and direct my ? to the proper place?

I can't find the proper place to ask a ?

I accidently closed the L side bar with crop, magnifying glass, eraser, clone, etc.... and can't find where to open it again.

Some how it separated itself from the background work area and can't get it reattached so moves with the background work space.

Thank you for help!

Mac OS 14.3.1

Correct answer Ged_Traynor

@rene.franken@hotmail.be have a look at the correct answer by Sameer K to see if it helps

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-bugs/photoshop-tool-icons-are-missing/idc-p/14079878#M112305

3 replies

Participant
June 26, 2024

Dear ADOBE... would you please stop messing with our tool bars, selection tools, cropping tools, TRANSITION CONTROLS, etc. ???????? You are wasting our work time as we have to go searching for things. I realize that you all need to make it seem like you are upgrading the products, but this is not helping—SO PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, JUST STOP IT!!!!!!!!! UGH

Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 27, 2024

@ROSEANN35665725gu18  To be fair, you would have to admit that selections are much more accurate and easier to make than they ever used to be.  Functions like Remove Background, Replace Sky, and the Object Selection tool are almost like magic tricks.  Select & Mask has quietly got better and better in the background in the years since it was introduced.   Overal, Photoshop is masively different to the pre-subscription versions, and we are able to work way more quickly because of it.

 

You mention the Crop tool, and I do remember being annoyed when it's behaviour changed (was that CS6?), but I would HATE to go back to the old way now.  AFAIK, there are still legacy options for Free Transform and the Crop tool,  Being on a constant learning curve is what makes life interesting, but I accept that sometimes the timing sucks.

NTC AnnAuthor
Inspiring
August 27, 2024

Thanks for the reply!

Yes, the new tools are fantastic but I do not understand why you have to take away how the program works. For example, the "show transform control," why did you change the way that looked or functioned? Before it was a simple box and now you have to go to a dropdown to check and uncheck it. It doesn't sound like much but when you have to do a quick update for a client, and you need to turn on the tool but have no clue where it went it can be extremely annoying.  Simple things like that. Or Adobe can just have an option for users: <<Do you want your interface to stay the same or be upgraded to allow for the new features >>

By giving users the option to switch, then they are better prepared to explore, as opposed to when they are on a deadline and have to search for everything or watch a 5 minute video so that they can get up to speed.


Hi. Thank you for your response... don't completely understand it...
What worked before computer got hacked - then taken down and rebuilt... not
everything is back to normal.
1. 1 thing is can't figure out how to lock my windows... color, character &
paragraph, etc... won't lock to the R side of the work space... even though
reset workspace.
Instead they come up as floating like on desktop... and won't attach... so
if I close that images I am working on.... they stay floating on the
desktop

2. + I can't figure out how to get more than 1 window to open at a time. If
I click on 4 images I want to open so I can move things from 3 of them to
the 1 main one... it won't let me. It will only open 1 at a time.

If you can please help me with those 2 things = thank you!!!

I am not deleting tools... just trying to get my Photoshop 2024 to work
like it did before hacked badly.


(PS... Just letting you know about how I got hacked so you can share with
friends and family... the hackers were soooo good!!)
A week ago Sunday, they hacked Facebook trying to steal $20K from my bank
and when the supposed Facebook Support (which = turns out does not
exist)... the 2nd day they said... now go to bank and take out $30,000 and
bring home and I am sending an agent who will take it and scan it and
return it in 5-10 min... that's when I called police!!! So now my FB is
locked up and can't access it to change password or anything... sent
overnight to Meta corp. to TRY and get help... hope they will....)
Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 3, 2024

Gene's answer is a better fit for just the tool bar being missing, but worth remembering screen modes.  Hitting the F key will cycle through the three screen modes.  The last of the three Full Screen Mode  removes all tools and panels leaving on the Ruler, if it happened to be on.  The Tab key will also toggle the toolbar and panels off and on.

Participating Frequently
July 25, 2025

This is the real problem.

Every time I have to go to preferences / interface / change the color to get my menu back in normal mode.

 

 

Ged_Traynor
Community Expert
Ged_TraynorCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 25, 2025
gener7
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 2, 2024

Window menu > Workspace > Reset (workspace name) will restore and dock (attach) your Toolbar and Panels.

It's a great way to get everything back to normal.

 

You can also try:

Window menu > Tools  It's at the bottom of the menu. See that it's checked on.

Participant
August 21, 2024

Thank you so much omg you just saved me hours of frustration! Adobe products stop working if you sneeze in the wrong direction, I'm not sure why the States are so obsessed with them.