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Restoring a corrupted PSD file

Guest
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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My computer crashed today while photoshop CS5.1 was saving/writing to a psd file. When I started my computer back up, and tried to open the file again, It only displayed 1 layer shown as a corrupted image (As Shown Below - the Red Image). When I click on the file in the "Open" window (The Gray Image Below), the psd shows up correctly in the Preview window but doesnt show correctly when opened. I have lost all of my layers, by the way I have worked on this psd for weeks and I need some way to recover it. I have tried "corrupted psd recovery programs", they did not work. I have tried forums - I found no answer. I have tried locating the .tmp file but it is no where to be found. Does photoshop have a cache or a history? maybe for previously saved versions of psd files? Or does Windows 7, 32 Bit have a file recovery method? I have tried a windows 7 recovery method but it only recovers files from previous restore points that may be weeks old. This is very important that I do my best to fix this psd file or at least recover some layers, I have put in too much time and effort.

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correct answers 2 Correct answers

Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

The thumbnail may be fine, and perhaps even the flattened composite is fine (check that in other apps that can't read layers).

But the layer data is corrupted - and that's what Photoshop is trying to read.

This isn't "an Adobe issue", just a matter of corrupt files due to problems outside of Photoshop (bad disk, system crash, etc.).

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Community Expert , Sep 18, 2018 Sep 18, 2018

There are two kinds of people: Those who have experienced file corruption and take their precautions - and those who are about to.

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Adobe
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Explorer ,
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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This problem is identical to the one I opened a discussion on yesterday (http://forums.adobe.com/message/4164662#4164662) other than the fact that the Finder crashed while doing a search. Adobe and Apple phone support insited they have never heard of this problem before. Please contact them both to get the issue out there.

Please check out the discussion listed above and I wish you the best in trying to recover your files.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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The OP seems to be working on Windows, though.

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Explorer ,
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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Since this happened in both Windows and OS Lion, it's looking more like an Adobe issue than anything having to do with an operating system.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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I cannot address the Mac-side, but if the PC crashes, while a Save is on-going, the full file was not written, so corruption is very likely to occur.

This is a good time to do some Save_As, or Save_As_a_Copy operations, leaving the original file untouched.

When the computer shuts down while writing the file, there is not much that Adobe can do about it. There have been some calls for Adobe to implement AutoSaves, but before one goes there, it would make some good reading, to Search this forum for AutoSave, and get an idea of what that would entail, and the problems that it could cause - lot of discussion on that feature request.

Good luck,

Hunt

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New Here ,
Oct 18, 2015 Oct 18, 2015

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Restoring Corrupted files in PSD .  I think I figured it out !!!!
GO TO YOUR FOLDER with the corrupted PSD file and Right click on the "Properties" look for "Previous versions", If something pops up on previous versions, then  select it and it will come up but it will be on that particular restore date.

Try it I hope you can restore it!!

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Participant ,
Jan 18, 2016 Jan 18, 2016

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Wow, well I just posted about similar problems in a new thread.  Many of my files have become corrupt and could not opened layered.  So far I have tried what lancem36179598‌ suggested above and it worked (a slightly older version of the file of course) but this has saved me many MANY hours of work!  Of course this does not solve my issue, hopefully it will not keep happening to me.

Thanks!

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 06, 2024 Feb 06, 2024

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I had the same problem and tis fixed it. Thanks!

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New Here ,
Mar 11, 2016 Mar 11, 2016

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I Agree With you Gozgirl, I also have same issue... its all the Responsibility of Adobe, they should Resolve this Problem instead of Arguments.

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Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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The thumbnail may be fine, and perhaps even the flattened composite is fine (check that in other apps that can't read layers).

But the layer data is corrupted - and that's what Photoshop is trying to read.

This isn't "an Adobe issue", just a matter of corrupt files due to problems outside of Photoshop (bad disk, system crash, etc.).

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LEGEND ,
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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Chris,

If you have a moment, can you tell me how the structure of a Layered PSD is written. I am talking about what data is written first, second, third, etc.? This is just for my education.

With certain Video formats, the header is written first, and then the data that makes up the Frames in the file. In those, one can recover the header (first part of the file), and often some of the Frames. The file will obviously be truncated, as it was not completely written, but part might be useful. With some other Video formats, the header is the last thing written, and if it gets corrupted, or just not written, then there is nothing to recover.

Just curious, and TIA,

Hunt

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Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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Bill - you'd have to read the PSD File format specificiation, which is downloaded with the SDK.

PSD is a complex format.  But yes it has a header, followed by chunks of data for layer structure, layer contents, etc.

Photoshop does try to read the parts that are readable.  But if the header or layer structure is messed up, then there may not be enough info to read much of the file.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 26, 2012 Jan 26, 2012

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Chris,

Thank you for directing me to the "source."

Appreciated,

Hunt

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Community Expert ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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Mr.Cox, all the threads I could find referring to »safe save« seemed to be Mac-related – but I assume the design also applies to Photoshop on Windows?

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Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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Yes, Photoshop uses a safe save on all platforms, but can't guarantee a safe save on some remote file servers (because of file system functions missing).

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LEGEND ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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Would you be willing to share your definition of safe, Chris, because defending your current implementation as "safe" using any definition I know isn't justified by observation?  I'm sorry to be blunt.

-Noel

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Explorer ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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@chris dude I'm sorry but your just not getting it...photoshop has corrupted my links,thus my entire file,without the help of my pc and that's why I can say that its an adobe thing and not a hard drive thing...just saying...

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

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Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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Photoshop did not corrupt your links. Photoshop did not corrupt anything.

All Photoshop did was save a file to disk.

Your computer lost power, and the data that Photoshop wrote to the disk got corrupted because it was not yet written to the disk, or got overwritten by garbage when your system lost power.

No, there is no rational way you could call this an Adobe thing.

It's all about your system, and the disk corruption that happened when your system lost power.

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Explorer ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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How long does it take an i7 processor to safe a file then?coz my save was successful and already done with and now the adobe photoshop file says:"file has been corrupted"....I'm not an IT expert,but I'm just calling it like it is...I feel adobe can do more to help out its users and I'm not the only person who feels this way...like what about the people that didn't lose power and just simply wanted to open their files and got the same problem...?I hear what u are saying,but it's just not a plausible answer for me...either way,whether ur right or wrong is not the point,the point is,there is a clear problem with the loss and corruptionm of data which leaves us users completely miserable...

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

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Guest
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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@verheem777 dude if you say that you're "file saved correctly" then it would have been safe on the disk and easily reopened. Any subsequent crash would not overwrite the file you successfully saved to disk. The fact that your computer powered off is a sign that your entire computer (not Photoshop) is bonked. Photoshop does not shut down computers. Hire a competent computer professional to review your system and repair whatever problem it has.

You likely have disk errors, especially with hard shutdowns.

verheem777 wrote:

....I'm not an IT expert,but I'm just calling it like it is...

That is why you should not be calling it like you think it is. You should be calling an IT expert.

Sent via my keyboard - because desktop computing needs junk advertising too.

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Explorer ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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@marion seems like this blog is becoming a battlefield instead of a help...I'm not looking for people to tell me stuff they know nothing of like in which state my computer is what 'definitely' happened coz clearly no one knows that answer-I am looking for a solution to an evidently common problem...I can assure you that my pc is not bonked in fact it's brand new,top of the range and completely virus free so yes maybe everybody has a 'bonked pc/mac' and Adobe is not a manmade program and prone to flaws...whatever...I'm over this...peace out designers...till some next ridiculous 'pc crash'

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

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Guest
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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The discussion becomes a battlefield with you discount greater problems with your own system and believe it could only be the fault of Photoshop.

Quit blaming everything but the real problem. You have disk errors, wonky hardware drivers, or bad RAM causing your system to shut down by itself. If your computer shuts down on you when you step away then it is most definitely bonked.

Sent via my keyboard - because desktop computing needs junk advertising too.

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Explorer ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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It shut down becoz of power doll!but clearly you're the expert on all things relating photoshop and computers...so why have a forum where people can blog when clearly equally narrow-minded bloggers can counter their cries for help with in your face complete IT bs to intimidate them and make them out as fools...whatever you say is obviously law...and if I were to mention the other millions of issues I have encountered with the adobe suite it would probably also just be my pc right?becoz I'm now the 'anti-adobe' poster u have targeted to take on...FYI I may not be an IT expert but I'm not a complete idiot you know...I have been working on the suites for years now...but seeing that you know all there is to know,and obviously being so confident to accuse me of only wanting to believe that the fault is with adobe and not my pc,let's just close down the forum due to you knowing everything of nothing and bulldozing the thread into a forced direction...so dear fellow users of adobe,please note that adobe is flawless and all of our issues are clearly our own stupidity and lack of knowledge...and oh yes,'bonked' pc's and macs.Thanx for the insightful help...last time I'll ever voice an issue online!I suppose the site wasn't created to help people with real issues but to clearly be a platform where we can just very naively insist on knowing all and smother the opinions of others!Thank you to those that actually were helpful and concerned with helping...as for you dear IT-know-it-all...thanks for enforcing your opinion so bluntly.I'm so signing of this site!

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

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Guest
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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No one here is trying to intimidate you. We're trying to teach you.

Your directory structure got bonked when you lost power. This is not rocket science. You need to run a disk check to try to recover the location where your safely saved file probably still exists.

I don't care if you or I are pro or anti Adobe. I'm not defending Adobe. That has nothing to do with troubleshooting your bonked computer. Why are you bothering with insane red herrings? It is nonsense like that which makes you look like that "complete idiot".

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Explorer ,
Feb 09, 2012 Feb 09, 2012

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Then the "complete idiot" is signing off...oh and for future reference Marian Driscoll,if you want to teach someone something you must do it in a meek spirit of teaching,not an offensive in your face force of opinion...then maybe other people won't "make themselves look like the idiot"on their quest of trying to sort out actual problems...I so didn't get the part where you wanted to teach us anything,in fact,I just find the whole thing obscenely rude,and because of that I am so not taking anything in. In fact your teaching method just encouraged me to write off this site altogether!The 'rocket science' comment so just peeved me off and really not necessary...guess I confused the Adobe site with the NASA site,oh stupid me...here I was asking a simple question which turned into a MENSA battle...I lost ALL of my work and I am kind of not in the mood for this,so seriously thanks for peeping me off even more and 'teaching me the ways of a true blogger'...seriously not one of your comments were done in the right attitude and I felt you were trying to be a "show off" with all your "rocket science",instead of the 'teacher' you claimed to be...but anyway,this is not changing your or my opinion and it's also not recovering my work...so leave it at that whatever,if you meant well,thanx,but if you didn't,whatever!Peace out!

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

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