"Could not save as 'filename' because of a program error." Won't allow me to save in ANY format!

[Penderecki]

I have a large file (3500x8300px) that i have been working on in Photoshop CS4 and i tried to save it after working on it for about 30 minutes and got the following message: "Could not save as 'filename' because of a program error."  I tried saving it as .psd, .pdf, .tif, even .jpg and received the same message each time.  I closed down all other software to ensure that there was enough memory available but to no avail.  I then just closed my MBP and waited until the next day hoping it was just a glitch and might work later on.  I opened it up the next day (forgetting about the save issue) and worked on the file for a few more hours and then tried saving it again. (that's when i remembered the issue...too late...the work was already done).  Nope...still won't let me save it.  I'm afraid i'll have to restart the program but cannot afford to lose this work.  Any thoughts on how to fix it?

*note: i tried 'save for web' and it allowed me to save it as a flattened image (although rather slow due to filesize) but i need it in a layered format.

ANY HELP would be much appreciated!

Thanks.

**(I'm running PS CS4 v. 11.0.2 on a MBP 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3 and have Lion OS X 10.7.2.)

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Any thoughts on how to fix it?

I’d be surprised if one could fix such an issue while the program is running.

I assume you have tried saving to another volume?

If there are not too many Adjustment Layers you might be able to save out the individual Layers as png-24 with sfw.

[Penderecki]

Yes, and i'm afraid that might be the only answer...just to save each individual layers as pngs and just write down all specs on adjustment layers and styles.  It's just that we're dealing with over 40 layers most of which have unique adjustment layers and styles.  And with a file this large, that could easily take an entire work day!  Oh well, it's looking like that might be my only option...just wondering if anyone else has had the same issue and figured out a solution.  Haven't been able to find much on any other forums.  Thanks though!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Someone else may have a better solution, so you might want to wait a bit before going that path …

Anyway, can you use »Save Preset« from the Adjustments Panel’s fly-out menu to save the individual Adjustments?

[Penderecki]

Hmmm...didn't think about that.  It would definitley help save quite a bit of time.  Thanks for that!

[c.pfaffenbichler]

And just to make sure, duplicating the file or dragging the layers to a new file will also not result in a save-able file?

[PECourtejoie]

Hello!

Did you try saving it as PSB, if the file is too big to fit in a PSD? Or duplicating the image (or opening another one), and trying to save a smaller size, to scale up the adjustment layers afterwards?

[Penderecki · Accepted solution]

Yeah i tried all of the above and none of it seemed to work.  The only thing that would work was to SFW as either .gif or .jpg (wouldn't allow png).  However, after saving the second layer as a gif, the entire program froze and i was unable to recover it.  Oh well...here goes to starting over!  (maybe i can convince my boss to upgrade to CS5.) ha.  Thanks a lot for the help!

[wind737]

Same problem, plus "cannot move due to a program error." But the fix for "Cannot save..." is to just name as same file name plus "a" or "1". i.e. file name is "header.psd" and won't save and get this annoying stupid error, which seems to happen all the time, all you have to do is rename it "headera.psd" or any other name and it will save. Then go back and delete the first one, or now you have two copies of file. There must be a bug fix for this, how about it Adobe?

[Noel Carboni]

Having to do a Save As with a different name to work around a file conflict may be a different problem than has been described in this thread so far...  Is this happening to you a lot, wind737?  If so, please describe your setup (Mac/PC, OS, version of Photoshop, etc.).  It's not a given you'll see that behavior (I never do).

-Noel

[wind737]

I have it happen ALL the time. For the first time I just had it happen with a layer which turned up an error "Cannot move due to a program error." NOTHING would work, except I saved as filenameb.psd, instead of filenamea.psd. Then had no problem moving the layer.

Use a PC, plenty of room, not the problem. It is so random, never one particular file, but so annoying, especially since there seems to be no pattern. Not always on big files or small files, just happens.

[Noel Carboni]

There's a long-standing issue in which Windows 7 Explorer sometimes gloms onto image files in the process of caching thumbnails in Thumbs.db files.  Thing is, Windows 7 itself no longer uses these files, because a new thumbnail caching subsystem has been implemented that uses a central database, but the Thumbs.db creation has been maintained by default for compatibility.  The good news is that you can turn it off via the Local System Policy editor, to get some relief from file access conflicts.

Do you have Windows 7?

If ao, and you have no legacy apps that need Thumbs.db files, you can do this:

Click Start, type gpedit.msc into the search box, and hit Enter.

When the Local Group Policy Editor comes up, navigate into:

> User Configuration

> Administrative Templates

> Windows Components

> Windows Explorer

Right-click the entry Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files and choose Edit.

Enable the setting.

Log off Windows and back on.

-Noel

[wind737]

Sorry, as regarding the program error I should have also listed that I use Photoshop CS4, on pc. I wish it were associated with something, some event or large file or something, but seems very random.

Happened continuously on this file today, until I did a save as under a different name. Then works like a charm.

[Chris Cox]

We have seen some cases (including one yesterday) where you can't save because of problems with the metadata in the document.

In those cases, even FileInfo may not open on that document.   (yes, I'm now trying to make the metadata handling a lot more robust)

A workaround is that you can copy the document (or layers) to another new document and clear the metdata, then save.

[wind737]

I just got another "Cannot move because of Progam Error" while working on a relatively large file. This time I closed Bridge (exited just Bridge) and that seemed to work. Still, takes time for it to reopen Bridge again. So, yes, I would suspect metadata handling to be the source. My husband noticed too, when he was using Bridge and working with a large amount of metadata on a lot of  photos, would get the error that it would not allow him to write to file. For example, applying a keyword of "aerial" to 93 images, would not apply to all and he'd get the message that it could not write to a particular name or file number. He would close Bridge, reopen, redo action and it works. This usually occurs after working on a lot of keywording.

Thanks for your attention to this, BTW, he is using a Sony Laptop, 8 mg ram, Windows 7, Bridge CS4.

[graziam]

Hi Guys

Has anyone figured out how to resolve this Issue? Mine was working fine until about 3 days ago out of the blue I started getting this error?

I am on a Mac and I am using Photoshop 22.4.2.

I have tried all the crap recommended by Adobe on this page: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/program-error-opening-psd.html - The only one I havent done is going back on Photoshop version - which sounds like a lengthy process and a copout from Adobe.

[devon5CCE]

Ddi you resolve this?! 

Keep having the same thing

[Benagain]

Depends on your setups - but I know sometimes when I've had this issue I had to group a bunch of layers together and rasterize them, then crop them down so that they fit the size of the canvas before I could get it to save.

[Charles_Lehnert]

I'm running Photoshop CS4 on a MacPro with 10.7. I got the, "could not save" error with both files I had open. I was able to "save as" to a drive that I have networked from another computer.

[wind737]

Did you try to save as with another name, i.e. filename_a.psd and save as filename_b.psd? that is the only thing that has worked for me. And it will save to same drive.

[douglasmenezes]

I managed to save the PSD!

I had the same problem while working on a big file. Was getting the "Could not save" msg, tried saving in other formats / filename and it didn't work. So i took an old external hard drive, plug it in, and saved the psd to the hard drive. That done, I restarted and copied the file back to my internal HD and everything works.

BTW I'm on a macbook pro. And was also getting a "scratch disk" error when trying to copy and paste graphics from illustrator.

[wind737]

Just got another frequent saving error: Could not save because _____file is already in use or was left open. DUH! Yes I know it's open, I am working on it and trying to save my work, and once again, have to create another one, and this is not a large file. Any suggestions of fixing this one too?

[Chris Cox]

It was in use or left open by another application.  You fix that one by figuring out which other application has it open.

The file isn't being kept open by Photoshop.

[Chris_Tarantino]

Chris, I've seen this happen with only PS and Bridge open.

Usually on a network though so I always assumed it was Bridge updating a thumbnail in its database or the server updating.

[Chris Cox]

And with the Finder/Explorer open, and antivirus software, and .....

Photoshop is informing you that another application has the file open, because the OS says that another application has the file open.

Again, the OS says that a different application has the file open, so Photoshop can't use the file right then.