Error: Could not complete this operation. The file could not be found.

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

When attempting to open .psd, .jpg, .gif, and other image files in Adobe ImageReady CS, I'm frequently, sporadically, and without rhyme or reason, getting the following error message:

"Could not complete this operation. The file could not be found."

This happens with files on my desktop, email attachments, etc.
Files that sometimes open without incident other times generate this error message. When I get the error, if I quit and re-launch the application, the previously affected file invariably opens without incident. At some point during the same session, however, I will run into this problem again with a subsequent file, which I am, again, able to open without incident once I quit and relaunch the application. This, however, is an annoying problem to have to deal with multiple times per day, and seems unforgivable in light of the money spent on this CS software.

Today, I trashed the entire Adobe CS suite of software, and all associated preference files, etc., did an archive-install of Panther, and reinstalled Adobe CS. Didn't help. Problem still exists.

File names for the image files I use are all OK; no spaces, no odd characters, etc.

Please help. It seems like I'm the only one having this problem, and I can't get any help.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

File names for the image files I use are all OK; no spaces, no odd characters,
etc




What about the entire path, including drive and folders?

Are you confident the drive is OK?

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

Yes, paths are fine. One of the files in question is a master .psd template that I use every day. It lives on the desktop. Usually opens fine. Sometimes I get the error.
It just happens randomly, with any given file, and whatever file generates the error, that file will always open without incident once I quit and relaunch the application.

I'm certain the drive is fine. Scanned it, repaired it, etc., before doing the archive-install and reinstall of Adobe CS.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

Does it still happen if you log in as a different user?

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

Unfortunately, yes. Had to open a number of files before it happened, but it happened.

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

Could this be a manifestation of font problems?
Check for bad, conflicting and duplicate fonts.

Also, Repair Permissions and run Cocktail.

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

Files in question contain no type.
Using pre-installed fonts only.
Already ran permissions and ran Panther Cache Cleaner.
I had actually posted this problem a long time ago, Ann, and I appreciate your help, but none of the many solutions you offered at that time solved the problem. Hoping to uncover some new info, preferably from someone familiar with this specific problem.

[macmanx@adobeforums.com]

Somebody may have already mentioned this, but... do you have any version of Norton installed?

Its been known to cause problems with some setups.

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

No Norton installed.

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

This sounds like a Directory problem.
I really question the health of your RAM and HD.

[Buko@adobeforums.com]

Sounds like you may need to re-prebind the system. Cocktail is good for this.

prebinding is similar to rebuilding the desktop in OS9

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

This evening, I dedicated some significant time to figuring out how to duplicate this problem in order to try to isolate it. It turns out, as far as I can tell, that this is invariably initiated by image-file attachments that I open directly from Apple's Mail application; for testing, I used a specific batch of actual emails I've received that contain image attachments.

I can not duplicate the error consistently with any one specific file; as noted previously, if I open an image attachment from Mail and get the error message, the same image attachment will open from Mail without incident once I quit and relaunch ImageReady, and I am often able to open a number of subsequent attachments from Mail before I again run into the error (though this, again, is random; the first file attempted after launching/relaunching ImageReady always works, even if it was the image that caused the most-recent, pre-re-launch error--but the number of subsequent files that I open directly from Mail before encountering the error again is completely random, as is the identity of the image that generates the error).

There does, however, seem to be some connection between the error and oddly-named files [spaces and/or periods in the filenames], but this, too, is not consistent; I've been able to open numerous oddly-named files without running into the error, then run into it on a simply, correctly named file with no spaces or punctuation/unusual characters in the file name. Quit, relaunch, click through the same batch of images again, run into error on oddly-named file. It's completely random.

However, I tried opening the same batch of image-file attachments from Entourage without running into the problem, and ditto for opening up numerous image files directly from the Finder. Only seem to be running into this when opening image-file attachments from Apple's Mail.

Important (I think): Once the error occurs, attempts to open in ImageReady subsequent image files from anywhere on the drive--from within Mail, from Entourage, from within ImageReady by navigating to a file via File->Open, and from the Finder--will only generate the error message; I must then quit and relaunch ImageReady before the application will allow me to open an image. This seems very significant and telling to me, but, unfortunately, I don't know enough about computer programming to determine just what this means, let alone what to do about it.

Anyone?

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

Try dragging the image out of Mail onto your desktop. Then open it from inside Photoshop. Does that get over the problem?

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

In answer to your question Ann: Yes, that seemed to work.

But then my whole theory got tossed out the window. While working in ImageReady today, I went into File -> Preferences -> Cursors, and changed the non-brush cursor preference to "Precise," then clicked "OK" ... after which I received the "Could not complete this operation. The file could not be found." From that point, I couldn't open any new, or save any already-opened files without first quitting and re-launching the application.

Now I'm baffled. It seems this is ImageReady specific.

I'm using the Education version, for whatever relevance that might have.

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

Could there be something wrong with the way that these incoming JPEGs were oriinally saved -- or are they being corrupted as they cross the web?
Are they zipped before sending -- and do you, by any chance, use AOL?

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

Don't use AOL. No zip files.

I'm kinda past the individual image-file issue at this point, given that working with the application's preferences also produced this error message.

[Ramón_G_Castañeda@adobeforums.com]

Jon,

You zip files to protect them. Unzipped files can get damaged in transit. That's the whole point.

But I agree with you; it sounds like you have problems, either with the OS installation, the Photoshop installation, or some hardware problem (drive, RAM, cables...).

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

My question actually related to whether the people who send you the files are sending un-zipped files through AOL……

However, if you have narrowed the problem down to opening in Imageready, why don't you just open them from the dragged-to-desktop files in Photoshop instead?

[Jon_Zahlaway@adobeforums.com]

Ann, are you reading this thread?

[Ann_Shelbourne@adobeforums.com]

I am reading this thread……
And your message #13 implied that the problem only re-appeared when you were working in ImageReady.

So opening in Photoshop and Saving to a new name before switching to ImageReady didn't seem to be a foolish suggestion.

There could be something wrong with your installation of ImageReady; with the way that those files were originally named, saved or transmitted; or a conflict with something else on your System. You also could try trashing your IR prefs. again -- but I think that you have other problems.