Unable to save due to program error - Photoshop is basiclly unusable

[Andrew Dobell]

This feels like the latest in a string of issues with the latest photoshop. Now I can't even save my work. 
I've just lost an hours work due to this. 

I noticed it was buggy yesterday, where I'd get to a certain zoom point, and it would basically stop zooming any further in. Brush strokes would take a minute to appear, and then Photoshop would refuse to do some basic actions, stating it had a program error. 
Today, it ended up with me near the end of some work, going into camera raw filter, and it wouldn't do it. Program error message again. 
So I went to save, thinking I'd close and restart, and it wouldn't save it. Again, this program error. 
No matter what I did, what format I tried, anything, it just wouldn't save it. 
I ended up having to close the artwork without saving it. Work lost. 

I'm getting so fed up with this latest version of PS. It's so buggy and laggy, it's ridiculous. It's not fit for purpose right now. 

Sorry for the rant, but I'm so frustrated with it. 
Will this be fixed???

[Mohit Goyal]

Hi there,

We're sorry for the "Program Error" issue. Could you please disable the discover panel in Photoshop and let us know the outcome.

Here are the steps to disable the Discover Panel in Photoshop:

• Quit Photoshop
• Navigate to the following location:
• macOS: Navigate to “/Applications/Adobe Photoshop 2021/Adobe Photoshop 2021.app/Contents/Required/UXP/”
• Windows: Navigate to “~\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021\Required\UXP\”
• Rename the “com.adobe.unifiedpanel” folder to “~com.adobe.unifiedpanel”

Thanks,

Mohit

[flashtastic1500]

Any solution that doesn't involve quitting PS and losing hours of work?

[Susanne5EDC]

Same happens with my program as well. I have no idea how this can be happening.

[ipv1]

This has been happening when saving my PSD file pretty often. Switching to a different layer, or brushing on a layer, then saving usually works. 

A NEW ISSUE that just started today: When using the healing brush tool, I'm getting the same "Could not complete your request because of a program error." 

Mojave 10.14.6 

Adobe Photoshop 22.1.0

[cherylm77896237]

Same "program error" message as Andrew and others have experienced. Problems started mid-morning. Followed all the suggestions listed, including disabling the Discover Panel, but documents still won't save.  Document also zooms in at random, then freezes. Please fix this bug!

[cherylm77896237]

Update: Just contacted the Help center. This is a known issue, and should be fixed in the next update. In the meantime, they suggested I reinstall Photoshop 21.2.4. I  tried that, and my files seem to be saving again.

[Aleksandr5D90]

Thanks for the update, I'd like to chime in and add myself to another frustrated user having randomly lost time and work dealing with this error every day since the update. I'll follow this advice and try to reinstall an earlier version while waiting for an update, whenever that may be.

Side note, it's kind of wild that such a critical issue (literally not being able to save your work randomly lol) was set loose on customers. I'm lucky the time and effort lost was on personal work, couldn't afford to suffer lost progress on paid work. Really disappointing Adobe, for all the money you get in mandatory subscriptions 😕

[Andrew Dobell]

Yeah, it's crazy. 
I've taken to loading Adobe Creative Cloud and launching the previous version of PS that's still on my PC while I wait for an update. 

[flashtastic1500]

After many attempts at saving (due to a lot of work that would be lost) I hid one of the layers and it saved fine. Weird behaviour. I've also rolled back a couple of updates to 21.2.4 and (fingers crossed) things are working. In future I'll be taking Adobe's rushed updates with a large pinch of salt before rushing to install them.

[flashtastic1500]

I'm having the same issue as from today (18th December 2020). It's random too. It did save once and also managed to save by copying the layers to a new doc but now it's totally stopped saving (v21.1.0) I did roll back to that version but same issue.

It's totally unacceptable that Adobe seem not to properly test their releases. Instead, relying on us paying mugs to do their work for them. I've just lost two hrs of my time on this. To be hones, if I ever get a stable version of Photoshop I might just stick with it and not upgrade.

[flashtastic1500]

That's 22.1.0, not 21.1.0

[benjamin.colombel@gmail.c]

Exactly the same for me. This week, i cant' even count the number of hours i've lost. I'm really fed up as i can't now even save my files. Not for all of them, sometimes it just crashes randomly. Now, when i use the fonction to load files into stack i have aprroximately 20 sec to save my file. If not it craches. And most of the time when i reopen this file i can't save it. I've tried to save for web as a jpg. It seems to work but then when i repopen the file it's blank. Of course i've uninstall and install again the software. I've tried to uncheck the graphic processor use in the preferences, i've tried a lot of things but nothing is working. 

I can't wait for all those problems to be fixed as i can't even work. Please Adobe, do something because i feel that i'm not the only one whose getting really angry. After More than 10 years of use, i've never experiences so much trouble with this software !!!

[Guest]

Not a fix, but a workaround. I want to share in case it helps someone else.

I've been having the same issue on one of the files I've been working with. For me, it seems to be triggered when I've used the nudge function in this particular file. However, I've found this workaround which is working *so far*.

To save, make only the background layer visible. Make sure all other layers are deselected and not visible, (you can option-click (Mac) on the visibility button next to the background layer to turn the visibility of the other layers off, and again to turn them back on). Then save. Option-click to restore visibility as before and keep working. Continue to use the workaround as needed.

It's a bit of an inconvenience, but it should at least allow you to save progress on the file.

Later, when wanting to save with correct layers visible, save using the workaround, then close the file and quit Photoshop. Reopen the file and turn the layers back on and save before you do anything else.

[Devon, CMI]

This is intolerable. I am having the same problem other have described, plus I cannot flatten or save as any file type.  I am on a PC running Adobe Photoshop Version: 22.1.0 20201125.r.94 2020/11/25: 4b16c876033 x64. There is no such folder “~\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021\Required\UXP\”

I need an immediate solution.  I am a professional illustrator with 13 years experience and I have work due today.

[Andrew Dobell]

I open the Adobe Creative Cloud app, the little multicoloured app you use to update the software, and it has the current version, and the previous version of PS on there. 
I open the previous version, (Version 21.2.4) and it works fine. 
I'll try using the new version once I know it's been updated. 

I think using an earlier version of the software is the only way around it, until it's updated. 

[flashtastic1500]

I agree, if you can roll back a version or two via the Creative Cloud Desktop app then that works. On the latest version I did managed to eventually save my file. In desporation I hid the background layer (it was a named layer, not the background default one) which worked. The older versions seem to be fine and I haven't missed anything other than the bug so far.

[Devon, CMI]

Thank you for this suggestion.  I installed 21.2.4 and it has worked normally. I also managed not to lose work because of autosave.  Even though I couldn't actively save, the changes I'd made were there when closed photoshop and opened it in the previous version.  I do hope Adobe will fix this problem soon.

[Alyssa5FE2]

I've literally been dealing with this issue for about two weeks now. The amount of wasted time I have endured. I'm beyond pissed off. Still no solution.