Photoshop CS6 icons sometimes do not appear on Macintosh

[clinton_dyches]

Yes, this is a question.

I've been using my trial of Photoshop CS6 Extended for 10 days now. I have run into a peculiar problem - when saving a file Photoshop does not display any sort of icon. No thumbnail, no generic, nothing. It's not a huge problem, I can always open the image but not by double-clicking on the icon: it's just not there.

I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem and if there is a resolution to it - or is it just a bug? I didn't have this problem with the beta version and I've repaired all permissions on my hard drive to see if that was the problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Clinton

[conroy]

I thought you were describing the visibility of icons in Finder windows and on the Desktop since custom file icons won't be displayed in an Open dialog in any case. Open dialogs rely on the preview icons that are generated by the system, so a layered PSD/PSB without Max Compat will have a solid white, black or gray icon (depending on doc bit-depth) preview icon.

So, since re-installing OS X, you find that you can safely enable Ps CS6's custom file icon creation. Good, that's like my OS X 10.6.8 system where Ps CS6 custom file icons have never caused a problem, although I've recently stopped taking the risk of having them created. Realize that the lack of trouble on your system now (and my system) does not prove that the problem that's happening to unfortunate users (like yourself in the past) isn't related to either the existence of Ps CS6 custom file icons or the creation process of these icons.

[Kurt Lang]

Open dialogs rely on the preview icons that are generated by the system, so a layered PSD/PSB without Max Compat will have a solid white, black or gray icon (depending on doc bit-depth) preview icon.

Correct. Only desktop icons are shown for such files.

Realize that the lack of trouble on your system now (and my system) does not prove that the problem that's happening to unfortunate users (like yourself in the past) isn't related to either the existence of Ps CS6 custom file icons or the creation process of these icons.

That one I have a hard time agreeing with.

1. Install the CS6 suite, icons break.

2. Reinstall the OS, all icons return to normal.

This tells me it's related to the OS, not Adobe's software. If it were something to do with PS CS6, then reinstalling the OS would not be able to completely eliminate the problem. It would continue to be sporadic. As noted, I've had no problems at all in Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion when reinstalling the OS after the CS6 suite. This has been true for months, and thousands of images.

[conroy]

There has never been evidence that merely installing the CS6 suite does damage to the system.

The non-displayed icon problem has been reported as happening only if Photoshop CS6 is, or has been, saving files to which Photoshop attaches a custom file icon. The manifestation of the problem may require two things to be true: one being the creation or existence of a Ps CS6 custom file icon and the other being a specific configuration of the OS. Re-installing your OS may have eliminated the second factor and therefore the presence of CS6 custom file icons is harmless in your system.

[Was DYP]

1. Install the CS6 suite, icons break.

2. Reinstall the OS, all icons return to normal.

This tells me it's related to the OS, not Adobe's software. If it were something to do with PS CS6, then reinstalling the OS would not be able to completely eliminate the problem. It would continue to be sporadic. As noted, I've had no problems at all in Snow Leopard or Mountain Lion when reinstalling the OS after the CS6 suite. This has been true for months, and thousands of images.

If I understand you correctly.

You believe installing PS CS6 is messing with the OS and causing this problem. So reinstalling the OS after a PS CS6 install fixes the problem and returns normal creation of custom icons from PS CS6.

[scoop_hk]

How did you reinstall the OS.

From the App Store?

Latest version or does one have to install all updates?

Is their a possibility of losing files or customizations?

Sharon

.......................................

Sharon Cooper

Creative Art Link

Creative Art Mix Limited

[Was DYP]

conroy wrote:

There has never been evidence that merely installing the CS6 suite does damage to the system.

The non-displayed icon problem has been reported as happening only if Photoshop CS6 is, or has been, saving files to which Photoshop attaches a custom file icon. The manifestation of the problem may require two things to be true: one being the creation or existence of a Ps CS6 custom file icon and the other being a specific configuration of the OS. Re-installing your OS may have eliminated the second factor and therefore the presence of CS6 custom file icons is harmless in your system.

Is there any evidence that the mere presence of CS6 custom file icons is harming your system or is it the icon creation process that is harming your system. I have only seen the later.

[Kurt Lang]

You believe installing PS CS6 is messing with the OS and causing this problem. So reinstalling the OS after a PS CS6 install fixes the problem and returns normal creation of custom icons from PS CS6.

I can't confirm where the cause is, I can only report cause and effect. You'd have to go back a fair number of pages in this topic to find it, but I extensively tested multiple scenarios of installing OS X 10.6, 10.7, and 10.8 with the CS5 or CS6 Master Collection, erasing the drive before each test so no old files could skew the results. In every instance, icon creation broke after installing the Adobe suite after a clean install of the OS. In every instance, icon creation went back to normal after reinstalling the OS.

How did you reinstall the OS.

With Snow Leopard, from the original DVD, and then applied all available updates. For Lion and Mountain Lion, I purchased both from the App Store and then created my own bootable flash drives. Each is at the latest version of 10.7 and 10.8. Though there are a few updates not in the App Store downloads. Actually, I never used Lion day to day. It was just too weird with what Apple tried to do with Autosave and the near elimination of Save As. Mountain Lion is what Lion should have been.

Is their a possibility of losing files or customizations?

Assuming everything works as it's supposed to, no. But always, always have a full backup on hand first just in case.

[Kurt Lang]

whenever I do post actual provable facts which undermine Cox's arguments, Cox almost always deletes the post.

Well, that's why they get deleted. Unless you have access to Adobe's source code and can point directly to the problem, you do not in any way have provable facts. You have assertions and allegations based only on observation.

As I pointed out for my own testing, I also have no proof. Only what happens "when I do this", followed by "doing that". I couldn't tell you where the actual cause is.

[conroy]

Kurt,

You've got it completely wrong. I do not consider my guesses to be facts and I wasn't talking about things inside Adobe's code. When I say provable fact, I mean provable fact.

It's not your fault that you don't know which posts I'm talking about. They are deleted before you get a chance to read them.

[Kurt Lang]

Okay, but please consider if there is an actual issue with how PS 6 icons are written, as you've often noted, then why isn't this problem far more widespread? I would think the majority of users would be seeing icons dropping out, not a small percentage. Yes, I am part of that group that did indeed see them dropping out, but fixed it every time with a reinstall of the OS. The problem never returns, so it's very difficult to believe the icons are being written "incorrectly". The problem points to the OS not reading the icons.

[conroy]

Kurt Lang wrote:

Okay, but please consider if there is an actual issue with how PS 6 icons are written, as you've often noted, then why isn't this problem far more widespread? I would think the majority of users would be seeing icons dropping out, not a small percentage.

I'm not understanding why you would expect the majority of users would be seeing icon problems.

If, and I only say if, the icon problem manifests only when there is a specific configuration of the system (in conjunction with Ps CS6-created icons), for what reason do you suspect that configuration should be one which exists for the majority, instead of a minority, of systems?

[Kurt Lang]

I'm not understanding why you would expect the majority of users would be seeing icon problems.

As I said, an actual fault in the creation of the icons themselves would have to be far more widespread. Such an issue can't be limited to certain systems. Bad icons are bad icons and should affect virtually everyone.

If, and I only say if, the icon problem manifests only when there is a specific configuration of the system, for what reason do you suspect that configuration should be one which exists for the majority, instead of a minority, of systems?

It would indeed affect a minority of users, just as the odd desktop icon color issue I mentioned above affects a small number of Mountain Lion users. But Chris, Adobe in general and Apple have all tried to find the issue. They haven't been able to. Chris has told us that the icons are being created exactly to Apple's instructions. Apple has told Adobe that the icons are indeed being created correctly. So I can't find any fault by Adobe here.

I know that's no consolation for users such as yourself who have no workaround, but I'm not sure what else you expect them to do.

[Rick Meikle]

It would seem to me that the best way to get a handle on it would be for someone from Adobe/Apple to go look at a problem system. (Or have it come to them.) This whole topic is like the joke about the blind men each describing the part of the elephant they have hold of. Adobe/Apple can't recreate the problem on their own systems, so that's where it stops. Imagine if that's how auto mechanics worked? (OK, maybe some do, but you get the point.) I suspect the bigger problem is that there just aren't enough affected users to warrant doing more. The best policy for a user caught in this predicament is to find a workaround (or simply put up with it) and be patient while the Mac OS and Adobe CS both evolve through time. That approach pisses off some users who only see their own point of view. What's interesting is that no one workaround works for everyone--perhaps with the exception of reinstalling the OS, which I have not needed to do. (It's only come up twice for me and Cocktail as part of my standard troubleshooting routine resolved both instances.) I don't recall a problem that was so elusive and hard to pin down in over 25 years of making my living on a Mac. (Well, maybe color management before Adobe allowed CMYK values to be preserved.) Still seems very odd that Adobe can't make Photoshop CS6 do the same thing that CS5 or other CS apps do. (Chris Cox's assertions about other apps having the problem notwithstanding. It needs some substantiation, especially with respect to other or older CS apps.)

[Kurt Lang]

Hmm, I'm not seeing that. Everything I've posted today still shows, including after a refresh.

[Kurt Lang]

Ah. I wasn't looking for your posts or others, just mine.

[Kurt Lang]

To be honest, I don't recall what all of them said. I quickly read, then delete the email notices as soon as I get them, then come here if I have anything to add. Can't go back and review earlier posts.

[Kurt Lang]

At the moment, I see the statement which you know will be removed. But the problem is, it's just a statement without anything to back it up. There's no link to this guideline, or an explanation of why they do not comply.

[Noel Carboni]

With all due respect, some of you might want to reconsider antagonizing the folks who provide this forum and who have the power to delete things.  It IS their site, after all.

I think they know about the problem by now.

Yes, the problem is ongoing.  Yes, Adobe knows about it.  No, not everyone agrees on what's causing it.  And contrary to what you might think, no one is free to say everything they want.

If you just leave it at that everyone will be happier - trust me.  None of you is doing any good for yourself or the product by raising irritation in others.

-Noel

[conroy]

Kurt Lang wrote:

At the moment, I see the statement which you know will be removed. But the problem is, it's just a statement without anything to back it up. There's no link to this guideline, or an explanation of why they do not comply.

I most certainly have backed up the statement which you saw. I previously posted a link to the guidelines, a relevant excerpt from the guidelines, and an explanation for the statement.

[MoonRunner_1234]

Conroy & Kurt, you two are the most active on knowledgable here, I don’t know if this has any relevance or if it has been reported previously but I just noticed that Graphic Converter version 8.x.x does not write any custom icons, only generic ones. Version 7.x.x works just fine. Unlike with Photoshop, there is no workaround like restarting or logging out, it just does not write custom icons.

[conroy]

Hi MoonRunner,

The problem being discussed in this thread is not one of icons not being written. The problem here is that after custom icons are written then absolutely no icon is being displayed for some files; even the generic icons are not being displayed. Your Graphic Converter failing to write custom icons, hence only generic icons being displayed, has nothing to do with the the problem in this thread.

[enigma51564]

I have reinstalled Mountain Lion and the problem disappears, but it does eventually return, at least on my Mac Pro. I'm not real excited about the prospect of reinstalling Mountain Lion every time this crops up again.

Here is something I have discovered in terms of the disappearing icons. They frequently seem to disappear when I run an action to perform some repetitive function like using a filter on a batch of files. When I return to the desktop, most, if not all of the files that were processed and saved have lost their thumbnail icons. I'm usually working with jpegs. If I open one of these same files without the icon, select the background, copy, paste it in as another layer, then flatten it back to one layer, and save it, the proper thumbnail image returns. Don't know if this information might give anyone a clue as to what might be happening here, but thought I would share it nevertheless.

[scoop_hk]

Thanks - was considering a reinstall of the OS - but won't since it comes back eventually!
Jpgs as well as psd files are invisible have bit tried your system with jpgs yet.

[conroy]

Donald_Gudehus wrote:

Looks like you found another solution to the problem!

The only "solution" is to never allow Photoshop CS6 to create custom file icons.

[Was DYP]

conroy wrote:

The only "solution" is to never allow Photoshop CS6 to create custom file icons.

And that is exactly what I have done for over 6 months now and not one incident of icon corruption created by any "other software".