Layers Panel

[scrapbooker918]

I am using PSE 2021 on windows 10.  Periodically the thumbnail in the layers panel just shows the checked pattern rather than the items I have in that layer.  What can I do to prevent that from happening?  I didn't have this problem before.

[Greg_S.]

Can you post a screenshot of your layers panel both before and after this happens.  What are the specs of your computer? Have you tried updating your graphics driver?  How often does this happen.  How many layers do you normally use?

[scrapbooker918]

Hi Greg,  Screen shot of before - don't have one for after.  Graphics driver is updated.  This just started happening and is intermittent.  I usually have a ton of layers open but haven't changed anything in how I scrap or the number of layers used.  Even when I had two or three different objects clipped, they would all show and now they don't sometimes even when I only have one layer clipped or one sheet of paper.  It's driving me nuts because it never happend before and I have been using PSE for over 10 years.

[Greg_S.]

What do you do when it happens?  Are you able to get the thumbnails back?  Do all of the thumbnails show as a transparent checkerboard? If you undo your last action (Ctrl+Z) does the thumbnail come back?  If so, does restoring the last action (Ctrl+Y) change the thumbnails again?  If so, does it make any difference what the last action was?

I've never seen this issue reported before so I'm not sure what else I can tell you.  My only suggestion would be to try resetting the preferences file. Go to Edit>Preferences>General tab and click the Reset Preferences on next launch button.  And if it happens again, come back with a screenshot of the layers panel in this condition.  And also give us a screenshot of the History panel when it happens.

[scrapbooker918]

Good Morning Greg!  I have attached another screenshot.  When I first imported the picture it showed correctly in the layers panel.  I then did a correction using the Enhance-Auto Smart Tone and clicked ok when I was done correcting.  When I have corrections done, it no longer shows in the layer panel.  What can I do to correct that?  That may be where my problem is because I use this feature a lot.  Any suggestions?  It really is a pain not seeing the photo is the layers panel.  It just started happening which  makes me think some setting go changed in error to cause this.  Thanks for your help!

Also, I need to change my email address to [address removed by moderator]. Did it on the Adobe website but not sure it carried over to here.

[scrapbooker918]

Greg, This is driving my nuts so I feel compeled to pass it on! lol  I just did another pic same way and after correction it shows up in layers panel properly!  

[scrapbooker918]

Elements brought in are not showing on layers panel.  I'm ready to give up and go back to PSE 2019

[Greg_S.]

OK.  I see what you are saying.  But you haven't answered my questions or told me whether you have tried my suggestions.  Since you say this has only just begun, I strongly recommend that you reset the preferences file.  In theory, that takes the program back to its out-of-the-box condition.

In your screenshot, you show that you have several open files and at least 3 being edited.  I'm wondering whether there is a memory leak.  How much physical RAM do you have?  And do you have your scratch disk on your system drive?

And I have removed your email address from your post. We don't like personal information to be displayed on the forum.  It's for your protection.  Any change you have made on the Adobe.com site should carry over to the Community Forum.

If resetting your preferences file doesn't work, you may want to contact Adobe Support.  You can start a chat session by clicking on the blue Contact Us button under the Support menu at Adobe.com. Or you can contact Support by telephone using the numbers listed here: https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/phone.html.

[scrapbooker918]

Thanks for the link.  Yes I did reset the preferences but nothing changed.  I do have scratch disks set up.  I don't know how much ram but when I had computer built my computer guy said I would never run out of ram or have a memory problem.  I had computer there a month ago and he updated everything at that time.  Thanks for your help, I will go to Adobe.  I don't seem to have that problem with PSE 2019.  Have a great day!

[Greg_S.]

I'm just curious whether toggling Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y after the thumbnail disappears fixes the issue.  Or what else you do to fix it e.g. close and reopen the file.  And did the problem only start after your computer guy updated everything?  😉

[scrapbooker918]

Ok, I tried Ctrl Z and it took it back to the original image.  Ctrl Y took it back to blank screen.  The problem didn't start immediately after he upgraded everything.  Just started about a week ago.  Interesting, if I close out of the layout and reopen, the thumbnails show the pic in the layers panel. I was thinking and there was a windows update a few days ago and I think my problem started after that.

[Glenn 8675309]

WILD IDEA #THX1138:

Search your entire computer and delete all copies of "DS_Store".   In the past, with other programs, it may interfer with the display of thumbnails in some programs.  It's a mac file, and not used, or needed by windows.

While your'e at it:  DELETE ALL COPIES OF "THUMBS.DB" from your computer.  It's used to help display thumbnail images in programs and your file explorer.  Sometimes they become corrupted and start messing with things. 

Windows automatically recreates them as needed, no there is nothing to worry about by deleting them.

 

[scrapbooker918]

Glen, you have exceeded my knowledge!