Trying to fix Photoshop files

[digiday]

Hi experts,

I have a group of layered Photoshop CS PSD files that were saved on a Mac back in 2004 and then burned to DVD... most of them open fine now on this PC with Windows 7 in Photoshop, GIMP and IrfanView.

But a few of these PSD files open but only display a message on a plain white background that says, "This layered Photoshop file was not saved with a composite image" in four languages.

Unfortunately I am in a location where I can not get back to the Mac computer and Firewire drive that these files were originally saved to and I am currently working on this PC with Windows 7, Photoshop, GIMP and IrfanView, but these files won't open here.

I'm wondering if anyone knows a trick, a bit of internal code editing, or any application that might get these files to open and display at least a flat version of what they contain, if not the full set of layers that were originally saved.

Thanks for any help,

digiday

 

[Mike Connor]

There is no way to open them. That error means that they were not saved in "maximum compatibility" mode. In order to use them in the programs you mentioned you will have to save them again in that mode.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[digiday]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply.

But I have other PSD files that were saved the same day and the exact same way on the same Mac in Photoshop that will open in this Photoshop and GIMP... they were all worked on, saved and burned to DVD the same way in the same batch.

Not to disagree with you, but I'm figuring that there is something that will allow them to open in one way or another.

Thanks for your input.

digi

 

[Mike Connor]

If there is some trick involved which will open them, then I don't know it.

That error occurs if the files were not saved in "maximum compatibility mode".

If the files were not saved in that mode then it always occurs. I have never found a way to open such files in any other software.

If they were all saved in the same way as you say, then I have no idea how it occurred.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[PooMan UK]

There is no way to open them. That error means that they were not saved in "maximum compatibility" mode. In order to use them in the programs you mentioned you will have to save them again in that mode.

Regards....Mike Connor

Sorry Mike but but that's not quite correct. Sometimes it is an "effect", "layerstyle" "brushstyle" "pluggin" "vector shape mask layer" etc. which causes this problem, compatibility mode is designed mainly for use between the different versions/platforms of PS. Although compatibility mode is the correct option it doesn't always achieve the desired results.

Always Saves a composite (flattened) image along with the layers of your document.
Ask Asks whether to maximize compatibility when you save.
Never Saves documents without maximizing compatibility.If you edit or save an image using an earlier version of Photoshop, unsupported features are discarded.

Digiday pal do you maybe have one of these files that is giving you problems that you could maybe upload that we can try and help you out with ... might not work but at least we can give it a try

 

[digiday]

Hi Pooman,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I could send you both of the two critical files that I'm trying to open.. I already have them zipped... in the zipped file, both together are only about 65 mb... how would you want me to send these... they are just two worked photos of buildings.

Thanks so much...

digiday

 

[Mike Connor]

Sorry Mike but but that's not quite correct. Sometimes it is an "effect", "layerstyle" "brushstyle" "pluggin" "vector shape mask layer" etc. which causes this problem, compatibility mode is designed mainly for use between the different versions/platforms of PS. Although compatibility mode is the correct option it doesn't always achieve the desired results.

No need to be sorry! Quite the reverse, I am always glad to learn something new. I have access to photoshop if I really need it, and I have used it a few times for various things on various machines, but I don't intend to purchase it or use it on my own machines. I mainly use the GIMP now, but I have a lot of other stuff as well.

Anyway, will be interesting to see if and how it works.

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[PooMan UK]

No probs Mike pal, let's hope we can help the OP out

digiday, I think Free File Hosting Made Simple - MediaFire allows large file uploads ... I could download it from there ... might take a while to upload though

 

[digiday]

Hi Pooman...

I'm checking out Mediafire.com now.

Back to you in a bit.

Thanks again,

digiday

 

[Mike Connor]

You can upload up to 100 MB here;

File-Upload.net - Ihr kostenloser File Hoster!

Also works for up to 2GB

http://www.filefactory.com/

Regards....Mike Connor

 

[digiday]

Mike,

I actually speak a little German, but apparently not enough for file-upload.net

I'm actually checking out YouSendIt.com that someone recommended me to one time... but one needs an email address for the receiving end.

Pooman, I was looking to send you PM... is that available for you?

Thanks...

digiday

 

[PooMan UK]

yep no probs

 

[Shootist]

What version of PS are you now using?
There was NO compatibility mode back in PS of 2004. That came about because Adobe never put a full blown PSD reader/converter in Lightroom, and they still haven't.
I think the first version of LR came out in 2006.

Are you opening these image in PS or are you getting this message in Bridge?

 

[PooMan UK]

Shootist pal "compatibility mode" was around in ps7 days 2002-2003 it worked better in CS (ver 8) 2003 but to be honest has never been that good to totally rely on

 

[digiday]

Thanks guys... especially Pooman.

I ended up getting my girlfriend to get in to my place in San Francisco, open the files on my Mac, save them to flat images, and then send them back to me... I've now got them open and I can work with them at my location.

I really appreciate everyone's help and concern.

Who can ever be sure about all of this compatibility mode stuff... most of the images that I saved the exact same way at the same time that are on these disks open just find in layers in GIMP and in Photoshop 5.5 on this Windows 7 machine... it was just a few of them that wouldn't.

Thanks to all,

digiday

 

[Shootist]

Shootist pal "compatibility mode" was around in ps7 days 2002-2003 it worked better in CS (ver 8) 2003 but to be honest has never been that good to totally rely on

Well I went from V6 to CS2.