Photoshop cannot save to local file server

[colin-p]

I upgraded to Big Sur yesterday. I also upgraded PS to 22.2.

I immediately noticed that PS was no longer able to save files back to our local file server (connecting via SMB). I am logged into the file server as an admin user. I can save files to the server just fine in other programs (AI and ID). PS can save new files to the server, but opening an existing file, changing it, and then saving back to the server gives me the ever useful "program error" dialogue.

I tried downgrading PS to 22.1 and the same error occurs. Guessing it has something to do with Big Sur. PS has Full Disk Access enabled. Any ideas?

[jane-e · Accepted solution]

See this help page. Photoshop does not support saving to a server.

"Adobe Technical Support only supports using Photoshop and Adobe Bridge on a local hard disk. It's difficult to re-create or accurately identify network- and peripheral-configuration problems."

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/networks-removable-media-photoshop.html

This is the recommended workflow:

"Technical Support strongly recommends working in Photoshop directly on the local hard disk. To prevent data loss, save files to your hard disk first. Then transfer them to the network or removable drive in the Finder or in Windows Explorer. To retrieve files, copy them in the Finder or in Windows Explorer from the network or removable drive to your hard disk. You can then open the files in Photoshop. This workflow avoids problems that occur when network system setups or removable media device drivers are incompatible with the operating system or Photoshop."

~ Jane

[colin-p]

Wow. Just wow.

Another nail in the coffin. This is [cursing removed by moderator] ridiculous.

Thanks for the info.

[jane-e]

Hi @colin-p 

This is not new. Saving directly to a network has never been supported, as there are too many network configurations, each with their own potential issues.

~ Jane

[colin-p]

Saving to and working off of a file server has worked 100% fine for us for the past 8 years. And now it doesn't. 

[jane-e]

Some folks have said the same thing here in the forums, then spoke to their network administrators and found out a change had just been made to the network. I am not saying this is your situation.

All I know is that Adobe does not support saving directly to the server, and that if you are having issues, then following their recommendation for the workflow is the best way to protect your files. I'm sorry to bear that news.

~ Jane

[D Fosse]

It's not ridiculous. It's common sense. Saving directly to a server has always been considered risky and bad practice. Corruption happens, files are lost. 

Where I work, I keep telling people to work locally, then copy over. Doesn't seem to help much. We've had a couple of major corruption events where we lost almost everything, and corrupted files keep popping up all the time. So they blame the IT guys, or whatever application they're using. But they really should be blaming themselves.

The thing is - you can mostly get away with it for 50 kB Word and Excel files. But Photoshop files are big. Large chunks of data are written over a slow connection. The save takes a long time. That alone increases the risk of file corruption hitting any one file, if a random corruption event happens every x GB on average. It's simple statistics.

I long ago decided to stay well out of it. I manage my own storage and have my own backup regime, and then I have an open photo server where I put copies of all the finished files. That's how much I trust it. And yes, I survived all those disasters where people lost their work.

[colin-p]

@D Fosse The ridiculous part is that Adobe is forcing this on its users. I should be able to choose whether or not I want to take the risk of corrupted files. I've been in this industry for over 20 years, and now Adobe is essentially telling me I don't have a clue how to manage files.

We have never had corruption happen. Maybe we're lucky. But it should be OUR choice on where to save our files. NOT adobe's.

[jane-e]

---

@colin-p wrote:

"But it should be OUR choice on where to save our files. NOT adobe's."

---

Hi

As users who volunteer on this forum, we can only tell you why you are getting the error message and that Adobe does not support saving files on a server. We have done that. There is another forum for feature requests and bug reports that is maintained by the product developers.

You might want to report it here if you want Adobe to hear your views: https://feedback.photoshop.com/

~ Jane

[colin-p]

I understand that. I am not blaming any of you for Adobe's shortcomings. I also do appreciate your help. I am sorry if I came off in another way.

Thanks again for your help.

[jane-e]

No, that's okay, and venting here is always okay. Unfortunately, we can't make changes. We can only tell you of the stories we've hear about those whose files get corrupted when saving directly to a server and how to avoid that corruption. The other site is read by the product developers — they don't follow this site.

~ Jane

[Lumigraphics]

Adobe does not support working directly off a server macOS has issues with SMB, especially older Windows servers. Its... complicated and may sometimes work, sometimes not.