Unlinking Linked Smart objects

I feel your frustration which landed me here. Just came across this issue today when I wanted to duplicate the effects I created on a font and found when I copied and pasted the psb that it would update all the psbs in the image. The quickest way to fix it when you have many duplicates is to right-click the image and select revert to layers. It then automatically groups that image in folder. You can then reconvert it back to smart image, and it will now be separate from the file you copied it from.

Ideally, however, if you are starting from scratch, the next time you copy a smart image and don't want it to be connected to the original, right-click and select "New smart image from copy" and then the layer will be independent from the original. 

You're welcome!

Have a great day.

I found a new work around

1) Select the smart object layer you wanted to unlink.

2) Right Click > New Smart Object via Copy.

Now you will be having wo layers one smart oject and a copy of it.

3) Delete the previous smart object (which was already present).

4) Double click on the smart object copy. Change your desired image. Save.

Now check the result.

I've discovered another fix for this, though it does take a bit of time. I have a bunch of linked .psb Smart Objects that I can't rasterize because I still need them to be editable, and I also can't convert them to Smart Objects because they are skewed at a certain angle, and converting them skews them permanently. However, I discovered that if you Save As, rename the file to something slightly different, and then Copy + Paste in Place each layer (with any attached masks), it creates a new unlinked layer. Hope this helps!

Incidentally, there is a tutorial Video and Text at this link:

<Work with Smart Objects in Photoshop >

Good luck.

You can unlink a smart object by rasterizing it.  Try doing this:

Activate your Smart Object, and  then go to:

Layer > Smart Objects > Rasterize. 

Make sure you have made a copy of the file before doing this just in case this is not what you want.

Good luck.

There are two way to Place image into a document Place Linked... or Placed Embedded...   If in your design you are planning on creating new smart Object layers  using  leayer>Smart Objects>New smart Object via copy it means you want independant smart object layers.  To really have independant smart object layers the object must be embedded objects not Place linked files.   If they are placed linked files  it like having a shared object, Like when you dupe a smart object layer, there a single object.  It just that your independant object layer are both linked to the same file external file.  If that singel external files is changed both smart object layers will get updataed at some time.  You object need to be embedded,  an embedded file copy not a link to an external file.,