Can’t open – file is in an unknown format

KL
Posted By
Kathy_Long
Jul 15, 2004
Views
827
Replies
8
Status
Closed
I just finished working on a file in Image Ready and closed it. I went to open it again 5 minutes later and I get the error: "Could not complete this operation because the file is an unknown format." Photoshop won’t open it either because it says it is from a previous version. I can open it in Preview.

This has been happening a LOT lately. I work off a Windows 2000 file server and have for years without a single problem, so I don’t think that has anything to do with it. I do use Font Reserve and had some fonts turned on that my files were using.

Anyone know why all of a sudden I’m getting these errors a lot. It happens on both my Macs.
Related Tags
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R
Ram
Jul 15, 2004
If you are opening files over a network or saving them to a network server, cease and desist immediately. That’s a BIG no-no.

See:

Buko "Issues When Working from Networks or Removable Media" 3/23/03 11:02am </cgi-bin/webx?14/0>

and:

<http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/19dd2.htm?code=TA>

Copy the CLOSED file from your server to your local HD, work on it, save it again to your HD, close it, and copy the closed file back to the server.
B
Buko
Jul 15, 2004
If the file is on a windows server the files resource forks will be stripped. that’s why its a good idea to always include the 3 letter file extension.
NK
Neil_Keller
Jul 16, 2004
I work off a Windows 2000 file server and have for years without a single problem

This is largely irrelevant, dumb luck, or the result of a sweet spot in the server setup, which may now have been changed by the IT folks. But even if there were no other issues, speed and network traffic are.

But even with just local drive usage on a perfectly tuned system, ALWAYS make frequent backups. Just in case.

Neil
MD
Mark_Douma
Jul 16, 2004
Buko, you continue to amaze me with your ignorance.

"If the file is on a windows server the files resource forks will be stripped."

That idea is completely ridiculous. It is far more complex of an issue that you can sum up in one sentence!

Please see my FAQ <http://discussions.info.apple.com/WebX?128@@.68947ac6> over in Apple Discussions for more information on saving to non-HFS+ disks in OS 9 and OS X.

Besides, resource forks have nothing to do with this, as file type and creator type information is not stored in the resource fork; rather, it’s stored in a private fork along with all the other metadata like creation dates, separate from both the data fork and the resource fork.
AS
Ann_Shelbourne
Jul 16, 2004
The salient point is "to always include the 3 letter file extension".

And, even more important, do not open or save files across a network

The where and why-for (notwithstanding Mark’s learned article on the subject) is probably of scant interest to the average user!

If they can’t read FAQ’s, they are even less likely to read White Papers….

:~(
KL
Kathy_Long
Jul 21, 2004
Ok. so I saved a file to my hard drive, worked on it, saved it. When I went back to open it ON my hard drive where it has resided the whole time, I got the same error. My assistant just worked on another file on her Mac, saved it back to the server, I downloaded it to my hard drive and can NOT open it because of the same error. I CAN open the same file ON the server. So, apparently, something else is going on. It is not the server causing these problems.
B
Buko
Jul 21, 2004
Can you open these files if you make a new user account.
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Jul 21, 2004
Transfer the files from your colleague’s machine via a disk. If you can open them it probably has something to do with the server. Possibly a hardware issue with your connection to the network?

If you can’t then it’s your machine or the files are being corrupted. That’s my guess FWIW.

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