Fix: Unable to Create New Files on Adobe Photoshop

Unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop?

Users have been complaining about Adobe Photoshop not being able to create new files or open existing projects after several minutes of usage. Some who encountered this error fixed the issue after restarting their machines. 

Sadly, the issue simply returns after some time. Besides, it’s very inconvenient to restart your system every time the problem occurs. 

The said issue is confirmed to occur on Windows and is not exclusive to certain versions of Adobe Photoshop. Users encountered the problem on Adobe Photoshop CC, CS4, CS5, and even CC 2019. 

After some digging, this issue is a known bug in Adobe Photoshop, and an update should fix it. However, it can also be due to improper configurations, corrupted display drivers, or system restrictions. 

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume that you’re experiencing the same issue. 

To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide on what to do if you are unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop. 

Let’s dive right in!

1. Restart Your Computer.

One of the first things you can do when you encounter issues with Adobe Photoshop is to restart your system. This is a known solution for this problem, but it’s not a permanent fix. If you need to work on something ASAP, restarting your computer is your best bet. 

Check out the steps below to restart your Windows PC:

  1. First, open the Start Menu by pressing the Windows key on your keyboard. 
  2. After that, go to the Power Options tab. 
  3. Lastly, choose Restart
Restart your PC

After rebooting your computer, go back to Adobe Photoshop to check if the problem is solved. 

2. Open or Create Files in Adobe Illustrator. 

If you have Adobe Illustrator installed on your computer, you can use it to access or create PSD files. This workaround works well if you’re trying to open an existing project, but Adobe Photoshop runs into errors. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

  1. On your computer, open Adobe Illustrator
  2. Now, click on File > Open and select the PSD file you want to access. 
  3. Finally, click on Edit in the menu bar and choose Edit in Photoshop (Edit Image). 

Wait for Adobe Photoshop to launch, and your project should open normally. 

3. Run Photoshop As Admin. 

Adobe Photoshop may not have the correct privileges to change or add new files on your computer. If this is the case, you’ll run into errors when you try to create a new project or open an existing one. 

To fix this, follow the guide below to run Adobe Photoshop as an administrator: 

  1. Locate Adobe Photoshop on your desktop. 
  2. Next, right-click on its icon and choose Properties
  3. Finally, go to the Compatibility tab and enable the ‘Run this Program as an Administrator’ option. 
Run Photoshop As Admin

Once done, relaunch Adobe Photoshop and check if the problem is solved. 

4. Reset Your Settings. 

There might be some wrong configurations in your Photoshop preferences, which causes it to run into errors when creating a new file. 

To rule this out, see the steps below to reset your preferences: 

  1. On your computer, launch Adobe Photoshop and press the CTRL + K keys to open Preferences
  2. Now, go to the General tab and click on Reset Preferences on Quit
  3. Finally, restart Adobe Photoshop to apply the changes. 
unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop

Restart Adobe Photoshop afterward and see if you can now create new files. 

5. Turn Off OpenGL. 

Another reason why you are unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop is if OpenGL is enabled on your mid or low-end PC. While this enhances Photoshop’s performance, it can cause stability issues on low and mid-end hardware. 

Follow the guide below to disable OpenGL on Adobe Photoshop: 

  1. First, click on the Edit tab on Photoshop’s menu bar. 
  2. After that, choose Preferences and open the Performance tab. 
  3. Inside the Performance tab, click on Advanced Settings under Graphics Processor Settings
  4. Lastly, change the Drawing Mode to Advanced and untick the ‘Use Graphics Processor to Accelerate Computation’ and ‘Use OpenCL’ options. 
unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop

Once done, restart Adobe Photoshop and check if the error message still occurs. 

6. Update Your Graphics Drivers. 

Updating your display drivers might also help resolve the issue with Adobe Photoshop. If your video card is not working correctly, Photoshop might struggle to render some resources, causing it to crash. 

Check out the steps below to update your graphics drivers: 

  1. Press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard to open the Quick Menu
  2. After that, click on Device Manager
  3. Expand the Display Adapters tab and right-click on your video card. 
  4. Finally, choose Update Driver and follow the prompts. 
unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop

Reboot your computer after updating your drivers and check if the problem is solved. 

7. Reinstall Adobe Photoshop. 

If none of the solutions above worked for you, we recommend reinstalling Adobe Photoshop on your computer. Some of your installation files may have gotten corrupted and are no longer fixable. 

See the steps below to remove Photoshop on Windows: 

  1. Access the Control Panel on your computer. 
  2. Next, click on Uninstall a Program and locate Photoshop
  3. Finally, right-click on the app and choose Uninstall
unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop

Go to Adobe’s website afterward and download the latest installer from there. 

That ends our guide on what to do if you’re unable to create new files on Adobe Photoshop. For your questions and other concerns, please drop a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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