Why do my raw images only open as jpeg versions in photoshop?

[defaultkmagzuvl7ru8]

I was done editing the raw version of a photo when I wanted to open the next photo. This new photo was also in raw, but it didn't open as a raw, instead it opend as the jpeg version of that photo. I tried opening it a few more times, but it still only opend as a jpeg version and yet the file name in photoshop was CR3. Next I tried opening other photo's yet the same happend once again. I also tried opening raw files on my laptop to look if it had anything to do with my computer, instead of photoshop itself, but yet again the same thing happend.

The problem can not be the files themself, because if I open them on my computer (so not in photoshop) they open as a raw.

Does anyone know what I can do to get photoshop to open my raw files as raw files again? ( I already tried to google the problem but couldn't find my specific problem or a solution)

[J E L]

Hi @defaultkmagzuvl7ru8, try this if you haven't already. Navigate to a folder where your CR3 files are located. Right click on any file and select “Open with” and then choose Photoshop and check “Always use this app to open .CR3 files.” That should automatically launch Camera Raw for all those files from here on out. Here's a screenshot from my system with some .CR2 files. Let us know how it goes!

[defaultkmagzuvl7ru8]

Hi, thanks for answering. Unfortunately, I already tried that and it opend the photos as a jpeg.

[J E L]

Okay, we can rule that out. You write, “The problem can not be the files themself, because if I open them on my computer (so not in photoshop) they open as a raw.” What program are you opening them in if not the Camera Raw module via Photoshop? Are you able to only view the file or can you make adjustments to it? Is it possible for you to attach one of the .cr3 files here and I can test it on my end?

[defaultkmagzuvl7ru8]

Sorry, I meant with "open them on my computer" that I checked that they open as a raw if I do not open them with something related to photoshop/adobe. So they only open as a jpeg when I open them with the camera raw from photoshop.

[D Fosse]

Sorry, but this doesn't make any sense. No other software than ACR or Lightroom can open raw files. There's no raw processor in Windows. Photos and Explorer will just show the embedded jpeg.

Show screenshots.

[defaultkmagzuvl7ru8]

Sorry in advance for my English 🙂 I did try my best to explain my problem.

Okay. The part with not being able to open a raw file outside of ARC or lightroom do I not fully understand, because I can open the CR3 files and jpeg files (and the photo's definitively look differently from each other) (so you are saying I do not actualy open the CR3 files? That's fine, then I probably open something else even though I would not know what. But that still would not explain why photoshop opens the jpeg versions (even though their stands CR3 in photoshop) of my file when I try opening the CR3 files)

The first two (1: Raw & 2: jpeg) screenshots are from the files that I opend outside of anything related to adobe. One raw and on jpeg, they are straight out of my camera so I did nothing besides putting them on my hard disk. The third one is from when I opend the raw (unedited) file in photoshop camera raw. In my opinion, does it not look like the original raw file. The fourth photo is of both the CR3 file and the jpg file opend in photoshop looking exactly the same. Next to those two did I put the opened files from when I opend them outside photoshop. (photoshop opens CR3 files, that I took last year, who look very differently now then they originally did and yes I mean files that I have not yet edited)

A friend of mine also tried opening my raw file in lightroom and she does get the normal raw version ( I also tried lightroom but get the same result as with photoshop).

I hope I explained the problem better this time. Also thank you all for responding.

[J E L]

@defaultkmagzuvl7ru8, okay. Can you please confirm you are using the latest versions? Photoshop: v25.0 and Lightroom Classic: v12.5. If so, uninstall Lightroom and uninstall Photoshop from your Creative Cloud Desktop app, KEEPING Preferences. Then reinstall each again, Photoshop first, to see if you can view the files properly in Camera Raw. Let us know how it goes!

[defaultkmagzuvl7ru8]

Yes I'm using the latest version and have already unistalled and installed photoshop multiple times to look if it goes back to normal but sadly with no luck.

[J E L]

It's possible that somewhere along the line, processing done to your CR3 file in Lightroom that was applied before you opened the file in Photoshop (via Camera Raw). And that's why the CR3 file looks like the JPG version. However, your friend opened your RAW file in Lightroom and saw the normal, unprocessed, version. Did you test this with a completely different set of CR3 files taken for another photo session? It seems the error is specific to your computer system, since we can't reproduce it on our end.

I suggest contacting Adobe technical support via chat. Make sure you are signed in with your Adobe ID.

— Look up your current plans here: https://account.adobe.com.

— Type AGENT in the chat box to bypass the automatic chatbot and be connected to a live person.

— Chat Link: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen

Come back to let us know if you get it working. Sorry I couldn't be more help to you this time.

[D Fosse]

There is nothing wrong here. You're shooting raw + jpeg in camera. So some are CR3 and some are jpeg. All normal there.

First of all, you can scrap those screenshots from Windows Photos right away. They don't mean anything. Windows Photos does not open raw files. It displays the jpeg preview embedded in the file. To be absolutely clear: you cannot open raw files outside ACR > Photoshop. It is not possible.

Second, there is no such thing as an "original" raw file. I think this is where you misunderstand. A raw file always needs to be processed in a raw processor to produce an image. Every raw processor will produce different results, because they are different processing engines.

The camera has a built-in raw processor, which processes the raw file automatically and produces a jpeg. It is not "original"! It is just the camera manufacturer's idea of what the file should look like. It has been processed automatically and you cannot influence the result - but it's still an interpretation, it is no more correct than any other interpretation.

ACR has never been intended to match the camera output. That's not how raw processing works. The major difference is that with ACR, you have full control over the result. You have a large number of controls that let you produce the image you want, not what the camera manufacturer wants.

There is no need to reinstall or reset preferences. This works correctly and as intended.

[D Fosse]

If it really is a raw file, it will open in the Adobe Camera Raw module. Photoshop cannot open raw files directly. If the Camera Raw module does not open, it's not a raw file. So please show us a screenshot of where it opens.

[defaultkmagzuvl7ru8]

Hey, it does open in camera raw module, but the photo just doesn't look like the actual raw photo. Instead it looks like the jpg version from my camera . I shoot in raw + jpeg.

[J E L]

Okay, this is a different issue. As @D Fosse suggested, can you show us screenshots of what you are seeing?