Photoshop CS4 "Could not save as...because file is already in use or was left open"

I have been using Photoshop for years, and CS4 for about a year now. I have never had this error message pop up until this week. It started happening right after I did the Adobe update to 11.0.2. Everytime I try to save a PSD or JPG file now (which are the only two types of files I work with), I get this message preventing me from being able to save;
"Could not save as... because file is already in use or was left open."
I have to attempt to Save as about a dozen times before it will finally save the file. Any suggestions on what could be wrong and how to remedy it? Is it the update that caused this problem?

Turn off Caching of Thumbnails in Hidden thumbs.db Files
People sometimes report that they cannot manipulate their folders as they want to because Explorer has a thumbs.db file open. Windows 7 apparently generates these files for compatibility with older software that may expect such files to exist in folders with, for example, photos in them.
The good news is that (with Windows 7 Professional and above) you can disable this through the Group Policy editor:
Click the Start orb
Enter gpedit.msc in the search box and hit Enter.
Expand User Configuration - Administrative Templates - Windows Components.
Click on Windows Explorer.
Right-click the entry "Turn off the caching of thumbnails in hidden thumbs.db files" and choose Edit.
Enable the setting.
-Noel

Similar Messages

Could not save....because the file is already in use or was left open

I have been using PS since V5 and have never experienced this problem which continues to crop up in PSCS3. I get this stupid error message "Could not save....because the file is already in use or was left open." Even if I save as a new file which does not exist anywhere in the galaxy, I will get the same &^%$!! message. I have gone to the folders and made sure read only was unchecked in properties. I have lots of disk space and four gigs of high-end RAM. This is particularly frustrating when you are using this software to make a living and a fifteen minute project becomes a 45 minute project. I like everything about CS3 but want to pull my hair out by the roots when I pay for the best photo editing software available and it continues to screw me out of money. Adobe, are you out there? Can anyone help???
Thanks
Win XP SP2 / P4 3.2 running at 3.36 / four gig ram / buncha HDD space (more than 2TB total.
Thanks and please excuse my prosaic explosions.
Joe

Same error intermittently on different files. Windows7 64bit CS4. Saving a file in Photoshop - working from local hard drive - and got the file in use can not save error. We tried changing the name, saving as a different file type with no success. I closed absolutely every application that was running and then stopped all non windows processes from Task Manager and still file in use.
I was finally able to save by choosing "NONE" for the preview instead of Tiff 8-bit in the save options.
The bug is in Photoshop and it is putting a file lock on the preview file that it creates and then not alowing any save with the preview option checked.
After saving without a preview we could close PS and reopen then open the saved file and resave with the preview selected. Closing PS unlocked the preview file.

"Could not save x.jpg because the file is already in use or was left open...

Win 7 pro 64, CS5.0 using InDesign 7.0.4 and Photoshop 12.0.4 x64.
Using InDesign to create a manuscript with images. Right click on image to "Edit Original"
Opens image in Photoshop. Make changes, go to save.
Error message "Could not save x.jpg because the file is already in use or was left open by another application"
Using a free utility called Unlocker Assistant, it shows that the file has been locked by InDesign
The workaround is to then use Unlocker Assistant to unlock the image in in the Links folder, but this is a pain and it is happening too frequently.
Putting in that error message I get no google matches.
Anyone know why Indesign is locking the image, when it is the InDesign program that is supposed to be sending it to Photoshop for editing so it can be changed and then overwrite the original image?
Note that it is not consistent but I cannot find any pattern to determine why it sometimes fails and other times allows the altered image to be saved.

You will get a quicker response to post this in the InDesign Fourm http://forums.adobe.com/community/indesign/indesign_general

Could not save my_file.psd because the file is already in use or was left open by another app"

Since some time ago I often get this message when trying to save my PSD file: "could not save my_file.psd because the file is already in use or was left open by another application", whereas there's no application that uses the file in reality. What could cause this problem?

What could cause this problem?
If I remember correctly posibilities include the OS, anti-virus software, … and if you work across a network you are basically on your own anyway as Adobe specifically discourages this.
What are your OS, program version, …?

Could not complete your request because the file is already in use or was left open by another application

the message :could not complete your request because the file is already in use or was left open by another application, comes up when i try to open a specific file in PS cs5. nothing is open and i have restarted my imac already and still no solution

Well, then you do want your layered file back and the nice thing about Macs, Time Machine does keep hourly backups on your Mac. You should be able to enter Time Machine and restore that file.
I had hoped opening your file in another app might relase it so you could open it in PS.
Gene

Photoshop CS3 error saving files - Could not save ... because the fileis already in use or was left

I have a problem with Adobe Photoshop CS3 that only started happening last night. Heres a description of the problem.
When I try and save a Photoshop file, I get the following error message:-
Could not save (filename). because the file is already in use or was left open
I have rebooted my computer, rebooted our server, un-installed & reinstalled Photoshop and also done a system restore, and I still have the problem. (The system restore actually caused huge problems I got the error message The licensing subsystem has failed catastrophically. You must reinstall or call customer support, except I wasnt able to reinstall or uninstall the product. The computer just would not run the installer. I had to undo the system restore.)
I can do Save For Web with no trouble and I can save files to the same location with every other Adobe product installed in the Web bundle, just not Photoshop.
We have 2 machines here with an identical set up (hardware and software) and the problem is only on one machine.
Even though Photoshop says it cant save the file, its actually saving the file in the following format:-
~psX.tmp where X is a random variable, either characters or numbers.
I have to manually open My Documents and rename the file to filename.psd so I can access it again.
Short of reformatting my computer (which Im not keen on doing because it will mean several wasted work hours and I will have to pay our IT people to come in and hook me back up to our network), how can this problem be fixed?
I have also Googled the problem and the only help I found was a suggestion to search for a psicon.dll file and rename it. This file does not appear anywhere on my system, so I'm at a loss.
I have contacted support about this issue, but thought it was also worth while to ask here at the same time.

I'm having similar problems with not being able to save files after editing them (and giving them a new file-name, obviously) in Photoshop Elements 4.0. I get an error message saying (for instance): "Could not save as (whatever I'm trying to name the file) because the file is already in use or was left open". Then I see a .tmp file (that I can't open)
I did a search and found that the file was being saved twice, once within Photoshop (where I'm working with it) and also in..
"C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\My Documents\My Pictures\Temporary"
I'm assuming this is the problem, but if you have any clue as to why is this happening and what I can do about it, I'd welcome any input. I've been using PSE-4.0 for years, and this problem just started cropping up. The only (cumbersome) way around this problem has been to just make my edits (in PSE-4.0) and do a "save" under the original file name, then go into explorer and rename the file. So, in short, I cannot do what I've been doing for years, editing a picture and saving it (renamed) in the sane folder (or a different one).
I can "see" the .tmp files in PSE-4.0, but they won't open.. but they will in JASC.. odd..
Thanks-
Bob

CS6 Could Not Save "filename" Because File is Locked

For many years I have been edit photo montages in Premiere Pro. When I would find a photo that needs retouching so I would open Photoshop, retouch the pic, save it, and the new image would magically appear on the PPro timeline. But in my CS6 suite, I get the error message "Could not save "filename" because file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions, or another program is using the file". And this only happens when PPro is still open, regardless of where the CTI is on the timeline, or which pic on the timeline is selected. I never had this problem with any other versions of PPro and Photoshop. I don't want to shut down PPro everytime I need to retouch a pic.

That sounds like you've found a bug in PPro where it keeps the files open and locked when it shouldn't.
Unfortunately, you posted in the Photoshop forum where we can't help much with Premiere.
You probably want to post in the Premiere forum: http://forums.adobe.com/community/premiere/premierepro_current

Trigger line requested could not be reserved because it is already in use.

Hi , I am trying to export markers on PFI0 and PXI_Trig0 on NI5450 (in the script mode)
using the following code
There are no errors when I configure using the following code.
commWrapper.ExportSignal(PXICommonGenWrapper.niFgenConstants.MarkerEvent, "Marker1", "PFI0")
commWrapper.ExportSignal(PXICommonGenWrapper.niFgenConstants.Marker, "Marker0", "PXI_Trig0")
When I run the script, I get the following error
Trigger line requested could not be reserved because it is already in use.
Property: Marker Event Output Terminal
Destination Device: PXI1Slot2
Status Code: -89126
Would appreciate any solution that enables to me configure the two triggers/markers. I use these markers to trigger another PXI card (NI5644R on PXI_Trig0) and an external piece of equipment (using PFI0 output).
Thank you.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hi Surya,
Thanks for posting this on the community page. What this error is telling you is that it can't route a trigger to your requested destination because something else has already reserved that trigger line. One pottential typo is that your second ExportSignal command specifies niFgenConstants.Marker and not .MarkerEvent. This is a simple error to resolve but there are many possible sources. Is it possible for you to share the full code with me? Or,maybe you could host a join.me session and I can look at your full setup.
Sean Ferguson
Application Engineering Specialist | RF and Reconfigurable Test

Could not save *.* because file is in use or was left open...

OK, I mentioned this when it happened with .eps files, and rather than get a single useful tip(Except for 'choose a new file name'), I got a series of responses from people telling me how I should be saving in .tiff and 'eps files aren't any good anyway, etc., etc... IN other words, no help, just a bunch of opinions on what I was doing wrong in the first place.
Well, now I have had it happen with a .tiff file. I opened the file, did some work, and went to re-save it, and I got the error that it could not save the file because it was in use, or had been left open.
Anybody got any suggestions on why this is happening?
Mac OS 10.4.1
Dual 2.66 GHz Dual core Intel Processors
2 Gb RAM
Photoshop CS3

OOPs I forgot to paste the Adobe help message so here it is;
understand that you receive an error when you try to edit Lightroom
images in Photoshop® CS3.
If you have not already done so, update to Photoshop Lightroom 1.3. In
Photoshop Lightroom, choose Help > Check For Updates. You can also
download the update from the Product Updates page on the Adobe website.
Try specify Photoshop CS3 as the Additional External Editor in your
Lightroom preferences:
- Click the Lightroom menu and choose Preferences.
- Click the External Editing tab.
- Click the Choose button under the Additional External Editor
section.
- Browse to the Photoshop CS3 application file and click Choose. If
Lightroom gives you a warning, select Use Anyway.
- Select an image in the Lightroom Library module, click the Photo
menu and choose the second option for Edit In Adobe Photoshop CS3.
If this does not resolve your issue, it is possible that files from
Photoshop CS2 are interfering with your workflow. To completely remove
Photoshop CS2 files from your computer, follow the instructions in the
following document on our website:
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=331404
<(>&<)>sliceId=2
If this does not resolve your issue, it is possible that your Lightroom
catalog is damaged. To test the integrity of your catalog:
- Launch Lightroom while holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard.
- Check Test integrity of this catalog
- Click the Select button.
If you have a large number of photos in the catalog, Lightroom may take
some time to complete the testing process and finish launching.
If that does not resolve the issue, quit Lightroom, launch it the same
way and create a new catalog in the Select Catalog window.
If you continue to experience the issue, try the steps in this general
troubleshooting guide on our website:
http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=333653
<(>&<)>sliceId=1

Help please! "Could not save as *** because the file...."

I'm getting this error message when I try to save my files and it is happening often enough that it bothers me. This is very sudden - within the last week or two. I have Photoshop CS5, using Windows 7. I get the error message "Could not save as *** because the file is already in use or was left open by another application."
I haven't done anything new to my computer or installed anything new, I've been using CS5 successfully since this summer when I first installed it on this brand new computer. Not sure why it's doing this now.
When it happens, it does leave a .tmp file behind with each instance. I saved one this time just in case it's needed to determine the problem - normally I just delete it and try again. When I try multiple times, it eventually saves. But when I'm a professional photographer and have 100's of images to save, I just can't deal with this problem. Can anyone help? I'd be grateful!

Are you saying you've disabled Spyware Doctor and it now works? I'd toss that software out in a heartbeat if so. Anti-malware software that interferes with your normal operation of your computer is not something to be accepted!
Microsoft's Windows Defender is a decent substitute. I also personally prefer Avast Pro antivirus. Both are unobtrusive.
-Noel

When I close Photoshop CS6, the following message appears: "Could not save Preferences because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions, or another program is using the file.

When I quit Photoshop CS6, the following message appears:
" Could not save Preferences because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions, or another program is using the file. Use the ‘Get Info’ command in the Finder to ensure the file is unlocked and you have permission to access the file. If the problem persists, save the document to a different file or duplicate it in the Finder."
If I try to change the Workspace in PS6 from Essentials to any other Workspace, the following messsage appears:
"Could not apply the workspace because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions, or another program is using the file. Use the ‘Get Info’ command in the Finder to ensure the file is unlocked and you have permission to access the file. If the problem persists, save the document to a different file or duplicate it in the Finder."
I have checked the Sharing and Permissions section of the "Get Info" panel accessed from the Finder and I have set Read and Write Privileges for my user account for Photoshop CS6. System and Admin are also set to Read and Write.
I have a MacBook Pro with OS X Version 10.9.5 and have all available updates for Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 5 and Bridge CS6.
I tried uninstalling the program and downloading it again and reinstalling, but nothing changed.
Can you help?
Thanks,
cjpnm

You may get better help in Photoshop General Discussion
The Cloud forum is not about using individual programs
The Cloud forum is about the Cloud as a delivery & install process
If you will start at the Forums Index https://forums.adobe.com/welcome
You will be able to select a forum for the specific Adobe product(s) you use
Click the "down arrow" symbol on the right (where it says All communities) to open the drop down list and scroll
If FINDER means Mac, read below (and try to give more information when asking a question)
Mac 10.9.3 workaround https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1489922
Enable Mac Root User https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1156604
-more Root User http://forums.adobe.com/thread/879931
-and more root user http://forums.adobe.com/thread/940869?tstart=0

Photoshop CS 5.5 - "Could not save [filename] because the file is locked..........."

Hi,
We have a few iMacs here all running 10.8.4 - we have PhotoShop CS 5.5 and all the artwork etc is saved on a shared server ( Windows 2008 r2) and we are forever getting these problems......
Only in photoshop we get the following error message......
"Could not save [filename] because the file is locked or you do not have the necessary access privilege. Use the 'Get info' command in the finder to unlock the file or change permissions on the file or enclosing folders"
Can't see this been an access issue so really don't know whats causing this other than the fact it's just server based...
Please please please somebody help.

I have been hqving this issue on windows after I upgraded to internet explorer 10 and using outlook (hotmail.com) to attach images to an email.
After a file saved via photoshop (i assum any programe not just photoshop will cause this problem) is attached in outlook to an email, IE10 will not let go of that file. meaning if you update the image in Photoshop and try and save over the existing jpg you previously attached it will give this error, file locked or file permissions needed etc.
Just posting this info incase you are using email to attach files and then getting these permisssion problems.
I work around it by closing the outlook browser tab (the email), so it lets go of the file, I can then save ontop of the file no problem, I then open outlook as needed.

Whenever I close down Photoshop CS5 I get the message: "Could not save Preferences because the file is locked or you do not have the necessary access privileges. Use the get info command in Finder to unlock the file or change permission on the file or enc

Whenever I close down Photoshop CS5 I get the message: "Could not save Preferences because the file is locked or you do not have the necessary access privileges. Use the get info command in Finder to unlock the file or change permission on the file or enclosing folders." What on earth does it mean? How can I stop this message from appearing?

See here:
I cannot save recent images.

PS CS4 could not save because the file is locked

I saw this post, my problem is very similar, but this solution does not solve my problem:
http://forums.adobe.com/message/2121454#2121454
Everytime I try to save a photoshop file I get the "Could not save becasue this file is locked" -- and then I go to save again and it does save, becasue the file has disappeared from where I had originally saved it!
This is VERY irritating, as it is not happening EVERY time I try to save a photoshop file.
In reference to the previous post about this, I do not use Spotlight, and often I do not have anything else open when working on these photoshop files.
I am using CS4, and this occurs when saving files both on and off a server.
I am afraid I will at some point end up losing a file.
Any suggestions?

No anti-virus software (they cause far more problems than they solve, at least on a semi-secure network), I don't leave Bridge running. iTunes is running, so is InerTrak (time tracking software)... so it has to be Spotlight or Time Machine unless Activity Monitor will lock files. Or it could be Quicksilver, which creates indices like Spotlight.
First thing I'm doing is adding all my hard drives to "Prevent Spotlight from searching these locations" and we'll see if this comes up again.
Could it be the Finder? Does the Finder lock the file while reading the thumbnail?
I'm surprised that there's no way to tell what process has locked the file.
OK, last bit: Why doesn't Photoshop lock the file when it's open so that other programs won't open it?

Could not save preferences because the file could not be found (Windows) then Error 1 on PS,AE,PR,ID

I was trying out Photoshop, everything was running fine then one day when I close it I get an error:
"Could not save preferences because the file could not be found..."
Now when I boot it I get the Configuration Error 1.
After Effects still boots, but it reset all my preferences there. For example the workplace layout was reset, all my saved Output presets were removed and my memory-cache and performance settings were reset again.
Premiere and InDesign get the error too and won't boot.
This is the second time it has happened, I'll try wiping every Adobe program and reinstalling all over again, but it had run fine before for a while and it randomly happened.
Any idea how to fix this?

Nope I havent touched the Documents folder.
Forgot to mention that I'm on Windows 7

Photoshop CS4 "Could not save as...because file is already in use or was left open"

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