Please?
Can someone one please enlighten me on what this statement implies (other than the obvious, which isn’t obvious to me where this pertains):
"could not complete this operation because a file by this name already exists". My question:
Since when? why?
-I’ve been searching for some clues about this throughout the forum, I saw dialog on "file naming", "illegal characters", and such, but couldn’t relate since I hadn’t changed file names..
maybe I’ve just got alot to learn 🙂
Thank you kindly for any ideas,
snoluvr
Sno’,
I’ll take a guess that it may be related to temp files that have not been automatically removed.
In your temp folder, see if you have a "Save for Web" folder. That’s where the SFW feature stores the preview images you see when you click the IE icon. There may be left-overs in that folder that have the same name that Elements is trying to use. You should be able to completely delete the Save for Web folder in your TEMP folder — at least, I can — and Elements creates it, anew, when you use SFW again.
Try it, if you wish.
Byron
Hi,
-and thank you Byron for your input,
I’ve deleted "temp internet" files from the explorer bar, other than that I can’t find a place in my "Temp" folder(s) that has a "save for web" subfolder,
You should know that I wasn’t even sure about HOW to find this "temp" folder, I looked in "my computer">local disk C (and in D,) and found the first temp folder in "C" contained a subfolder labeled "HP All in One Series…"
…and what is "WUTmp"
I found other temp folders, and ‘indications’ of temp folders but I don’t see anything having to do with the "save for web" stuff.
Also, I went into My Pictures and brought up a random photo that I had not used for anything yet and I get the same; "could not complete this operation because a file by this name already exists".
Eewww, I got a feelin this is gonna be a tricky one for me. As I said earlier, I had been using the Save For Web page to view my photos ALOT up to this point, and saved the ones I wanted in seperate subfolders under "program files" on my D-drive, which I label according to the particular set of pic’s, example "700’s", or "COLORADO PICS"..
-Also I do not save the changes to the enhanced pics, sending the original jpeg’s back to My Pic.’s Yike, I hope this doesn’t get too involving..I can be a pain with my limited knowledge. I’ve been reading Jay Arraich’s site which is fantastic.
PSE 2
WinXP-Home/sp1/
IE6/DSL
Plenty of security-ware always up to date..
Again,,,
Thank You!
🙂
sno
Have you tried deleting the Save for Web preferences? There’s a separate folder for this function. This was copied from another post, since I somehow lost my trust "copy/paste" version I’d kept on my hd for so long!
"The Save for Web feature has its own set of Preferences. I copied this from a post a long time ago.
Save for Web has it’s own preferences and there is a shortcut to delete them on Windows, but it doesn’t work on Mac. However on Mac you can find them in your user/username/library/preferences folder. On Win they are indeed in the registry.
The Windows shortcut is Control-Alt while launching Save for Web"
Sno’,
I’m glad Beth pointed out the SFW delete preferences trick… I had forgotten about it.
With regard to the temp folder, here’s what I know.
On my Win98 machines, Windows creates the folder c:\windows\TEMP. That’s the location that all kinds of applications use to stash temporary files. Elements creates the folder "Save For Web" inside that folder.
I have tested and found that there is no ill effect from deleting the folder c:\windows\TEMP\Save For Web — Elements simply re-creates it the next time you run SFW.
My thought behind suggesting you purge that folder is that the iteration of temporary file/folder names which Elements is trying to use may have been used previously, and not properly removed by the application, so may be "stuck" in the way.
Having not had the error, myself, my suggestion is merely a SWAG.
Good luck!!
Byron
Hi Beth,
Thank you for your input!
I can’t bring up this "preferences" in Save for Web, its too fast for me trying to click on it and then press Control-Alt.
-also, I’m wondering since I tried this with a photo that has never before been brought up in the Save for Web page, why it would say; "could not complete this operation because a file by this name already exists".
It just seems to be happening "across the board", wierd. Thanks again, I’ll keep trudging along on this one..
Appreciate any more ideas 🙂
hey..good blues tonight on <
http://www.wojb.org./index.htm>
Thanks!
sno
Ah..
Byron, just saw your new message, will "study" it now, heh-heh
Thanks so much 🙂
sno
Hi,
Well I’ve done a search (Windows) for this "c:\windows\TEMP\Save For Web" and I get "results not found", so does that mean I have no such folder?
Recently I got a Norton Anti Virus pop-up telling me a virus was found and it said "unable to repair", first time this happened.
I did a full system scan with Spyhunter and later with Adaware, there wasn’t any indication of "problems" from those scan results.
Any chance this could be related?
It just doesn’t seem to be a virus-related problem but then one never knows.. Thanks,
sno
One important thing I should have mentioned,
I actually CAN "save" in web, just not "preview" in Explorer. Sorry for my confusing issues (sigh)
sno
If you mean you can’t see thumbnail after saving a jpeg with SFW, that’s correct. SFW does not save a thumbnail. Or EXIF info, or ppi tags, or anything else.
Mac
Mac,
Actually its not to do with viewing thumbnails, just viewing the "enhanced" photo in Explorer at changed res and pix size, in the "Save for Web" page, so I can see the progress of my enhancements as I do them, before committing.
But suddenly I’m getting these words when I click on the Explorer icon (lower right corner area); "could not complete this operation because a file by this name already exists" , when normaly it should open the photo up on internet.
I don’t want to save the files in the original folder so I save a copy of the ‘finished’ photo through the web interface. (keep the originals in Windows)and now I cannot do this.
Thanks for your consideration
🙂
snoluvr
OIC…
I’ve seldom used that, so misinterpreted what you meant. Works for me ok just tried.
Long shot:
Do a search for psicon.dll. If found, rename to psicon.old.
Mac
Oh yeah, and is Elements browser open at the time.
If so try closing it.
Mac
Sno,
This may be a long shot, but I followed this advice from Paul (UK) a while back and it cleared up a somewhat different situation:
"Try in Internet Explorer, tools>internet options. Delete files (include all offline content) and history. Also check in settings that it is set to check for new versions every visit to the page."
Essentially, you will be clearing out the cache. Good luck. Juergen
Hi,
Elements browser is closed, history and offline files are deleted (not cookies) in Explorer, and a full search for the file "psicon.dll" (via Windows: Start>search all files and folders) turned up nothing.
Could that file not exist?
IF I DID find it and "change" it, could that be in some way detrimental? (not used to doing these types of things)
A right click in the PSE file-browser has an option "Purge Cache", upon clicking this I get "all previously generated thumbnails will be deleted", this scares me, will I lose all my thumbnails?
I took some pics of the moon last night and loaded them into My Pictures (Memory Stick), brought up one of the files in PSE, tried pre-viewing in Explorer through the SFWeb interface and I still got the same message- "could not complete this operation because a file by this name already exists".
Its just so frustrating that I can no longer pre-view my photos this way, I tweak the photos but cannot see the results as they would be seen on a web-page (they do not look the same on the PSE-canvas) unless I save each time I perform an enhancement funcion, and that is totally impractical.
Of course I could just go with the "split" window provided on the SFW page, but its not as good as seeing it full view, and at 50% its too small.
I think I’m probably on my own by now with this one, thanks Juergen for chiming-in on this 🙂 Regards,
snoluvr
Sno,
You can preview right from XP. Open up the folder with your images and set the display to Thumbnails. Then right-click on a thumbnail and you’ll have your >preview which looks pretty much the way the image would look on the web.
(Somehow I still think it is a cache issue, since you seem to be using SFW quite extensively…)
Juergen
.. "psicon.dll" (via Windows: Start>search all files and folders) turned up nothing. Could that file not exist?
IF I DID find it and "change" it, could that be in some way detrimental?
I have Elements 2 and have that file in
\program files\adobe\photoshop elements 2
and also in
\program files\common files\adobe\shell
(but I also have PS7 and I think this is the second reference).
At any rate, this file has been the cause of many a "can’t save file" or "file already open", or "file already exists" probs in Photoshop versions prior to CS, and thought it might relate here to your prob. And no, doesn’t hurt to rename; this simply takes away ability to see Photoshop (or Elements) generated thumbnails in Windows Explorer.
Mac
Sno’,
Here is what I have observed as to how SFW generates the preview in Internet Explorer:
When you click the Preview button for the first time, PSE creates a subfolder in your temp folder named "Save For Web". Inside that folder, it creates another subfolder named "TargetPreview.tmp". Inside that folder, it creates the actual preview image, and a brief HTML document which displays that image in IE.
The NEXT time you click the Preview button (with a different image), PSE creates another new folder named "TargetPreview_001.tmp" in the same "Save For Web" folder. It puts the image and HTML files in there, like with the first image.
Each successive time you click the Preview button, another sequenced folder is created.
I do not think that Elements EVER removes these temporary folders/files. On my system, they survive from session to session in Elements, and system reboots, too. Consequently, given your avid use of the feature, all iterations of the naming convention may have already been used up, and are still sitting in your temp folder.
I have tested deleting the "Save For Web" folder, and all contents, from the temp folder and all it does is cause Elements to re-create it and start anew with the folder naming sequence the next time a preview is requested.
This is only speculation on my part, and I have no evidence that this is actually the cause of your problems. However, I really believe it should be ruled out as a possibility, based on observation and my gut instinct. 😉
My description of where my own temp folder is located must not be the same as yours. I’m on Win98SE, you’re on WinXP.
Since I don’t use XP, I cannot give you absolute directions to the corresponding temp folder. With luck, someone with XP will read this and step in with a hint as to the correct location for you to look, in plain enough language that someone "relatively new to computers" will be able to follow.
Fingers crossed…
Byron
Sno, Byron,
The folder TargetPreview.tmp is on my XP machine at: C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Temp\Save For Web
In it are subfolders for each preview containing a JPG and an HTML file. I guess deleting those subfolders might help.
Juergen
Juergen,
Thanks for finding the folder!!
Byron
If one goes to Search>all files and folders and types in *.TMP, a number of temp files show up. I should think that one might be able to delete these files with little risk. Is my assumption correct?
Ken
Yes, but to be truly "safe" you should do it right after a boot, so that no currently running programs could be using them; this also gives Windows a chance to clean up what it can on it’s own first, too.
Mac
Here’s little trick to quickly get to your Temp folder in Windows XP, I think it works for any Windows OS, but I cannot verify that: Click on the Start menu>Run. Type in %temp% in the Open box and click OK. Tada! This is just a shortcut for the path that Juergen mentioned earlier.
You can safely delete everything in this folder. In fact I do it on a regular basis. You can do after a fresh reboot or at anytime. If something is in use, it will not let you delete it anyway.
You said you use this preview feature a lot. Every time you use that new Save for Web folder with a number is created in your Windows Temp file. I just tried it three times in a row, checked in Temp and there’s a new folder for each one. Perhaps Elements has a limit on high it can count these folders after a certain amount??
Patti
Wow, every single thing that happened to Sno, happened to me. I wish, Sno, if you got the problem solved, you would check in, because I am having exactly the same problem with trying to save animations. I, too, can save–I just can’t preview.
I will try some of the Save for Web things, but so far all I found was
SaveForWebEL
program files/Adobe/PhotoshopElements/Plugins/Import-Export
Surely, I would not delete that would I?
Patti,
Neat trick using the environment variable %temp% in the Run command!!
And you are thinking along the same lines that I was with regard to the number of folders Elements can create in the temp directory.
Byron
"Patti,
Neat trick using the environment variable %temp% in the Run command!!
And you are thinking along the same lines that I was with regard to the number of folders Elements can create in the temp directory.
Byron"
Thank you thank you thank you.
I had 1000 folders in my Save for Web folder. I deleted them all. The durn program gives no information about that. It worked for me–since Sno and I had exactly the same problem, I am thinking that this problem could come up again.
I want to thank all of you who contributed to the two threads that I was on–I was confused because Search did not turn up the folder Save for Web.
THANKS AND LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Patti,
That little trick also works in WIN98.
Thanks for posting it!
Dick
You’re welcome. I learned that trick on a CorelDraw users mailing list just last month. Cleaning out the temp files keeps it running smoother too.
Patti
I am confused. Search>all files and folders>*.TMP reveals temp folders. Run>%tmp% reveals temp folders. Are these 2 different caches, or is one a subset of the other?
Ken
HI ALL!
Back from busy-busyness,
Anyway THANKS!
Patty, I did exactly what you suggested to get to the "save for web" folder and ta-dahhh! Thar she was..so I deleted all of them, and there was exactly 1000 files in there, just like John had.
I then went back to try ‘er out and now have my normal capabilities for "Save for Web" back (!!!) YAY.
I had trouble finding this "save for web" folder but now know how to keep it cleaned up, (Thanks Patty!)
I have been losing my "cursor/pointer" lately too, (going from tool-"use" to tasks, is that how you’d say it?) anyway I’ll have to see if clearing this out may help in that area also.
I don’t understand a whole lot about caches ect… (which ones are ok to clear, or are best left) but I have a feeling this is a fairly simple subject I can look into on my own.
Thanks Beth, Byron, Mac, Juergen and Patty for all your input and help!! You guys ROCK!
-snoluvr
Hey..
Just wanted to report that all PSE functions started running much better since I deleted those files, I wonder if there are ‘other’ "temp" files I should be looking into deleting..
Again,
Thanks 🙂
snoluvr
Sno’,
Thanks for reporting back, and I’m glad to hear that everything worked out!!
Byron
Cleaning out the Windows temp files, Temporary Internet files and the Recycle Bin is routine maintainance that should be done on a regular basis. Your computer will definitely run smoother if you do! You can do this by going to the Start menu>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Cleanup. By default, the above three folders are checked.
If this is new to you, check out the info in the Windows Help & Support files (Start menu>Help & Support, type Disk Cleanup in the Search Box. There’s a nice video tutorial you can watch too. You may also want to read through the info on Performance and Maintainance — things to do regularly to keep your ‘puter running as it should.
In addition to that, you may want to use the Schedule Task wizard to schedule Disk Cleanup weekly or at least monthly. There’s video tutorial for that too.
This of course is referring to Windows XP, but older versions have the same thing, just not the videos.
Patti
Thank you Patty
!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I have been doing is deleting internet stuff (tools>options> delete internet files… And "speed-disk" through Norton Util., about every 2 weeks or so, or when "C-optim" gets below 90%. (I also need to figure out which files are ‘safe’ to delete and I know there are tut’s for that)
Should I be implimenting the "Windows" utilities as well? I thought that would cover it but as the "Save For Web" folder was hidden (seemingly) I wonder how many more gremlins reside in there..
I know this is getting near OT and system-related so I’ll check out the sites you suggested. Again, Thanks 🙂
@ Byron; Glad to do it!
sno
