Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error

Fix Could not complete your request because of a program error. The Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error error message is usually caused by a creator plugin or Photoshop’s settings along with the file extension of the image file. The error message appears when you are trying to open the PSD file. Said error message can, in rare cases, be very difficult to resolve because the application throws said error message whenever something or anything goes wrong. This could refer to the app’s preferences, or it could even be some error in the image file.

In some cases, the error message may be limited to a specific image file only while other image files load perfectly fine. However, TheArtCult will discuss in detail the different causes of the stated error message below. So let us get into it.

Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error
Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error

Step 1:

  • Press Ctrl + K and select Performance
    Next in the Graphics Processor Settings section, turn off use graphics processor
turn off use graphics processor
turn off use graphics processor

Step 2:

  • Just open it up for normal use.

    Note: If you have a graphics card that turns off, it’s boring, isn’t it? If you want to use it, see more below

TO USE THE GRAPHIC CARD

  • Update windows to the latest possible then reboot
    Open up photoshop, turn on the graphics card and see if it works.

Steps to Fix Adobe Photoshop 2021 Error Could Not Complete Your Request Because Of A Program Error on Windows and Mac PC

Step 1) Update Photoshop
Step 2) Enable graphics processor
Step 3) Disable Graphics processor
Step 4) Uninstall and try older version

What causes the ‘Photoshop could not Complete your Request because of a Program Error’ Error Message?

Since the error message is arbitrary, it can often be caused due to the following factors: 

  • Photoshop Preferences: This is the most common cause of the error message. The issue is, in most cases, caused due to the preferences of your Photoshop. This happens when the error message appears on every image file you try to open. 
  • Image File Extension: Another cause of the said error message can be the extension of the image file. This can be easily identified when the error message pops up on an individual image file. In such a case, changing the extension of the image file from .psd to .jpeg or .png often fixes the issue. Otherwise, the image file is corrupt. 
  • Locked Library Folder: A locked Library folder can also result in the said error message. This can be easily rectified by unlocking the Library folder. 
  • Generator Plugin: In some cases, the generator plugin found in the Preferences window can also cause the said error message. Turning it off can often resolve the issue. 

Now that we are done with that, let us get into the solutions and get your issue resolved. 

Solution 1: Change the Extension of the Image File

Before we get into the more technical stuff, the first thing you should try out is changing the extension of the image file. This is suggested, as we have mentioned earlier when the error message pops up on a specific image file. If all of the other image files load smoothly, you should try changing the extension of the troublesome image file to .jpeg or .png. These formats are pretty generic and usually, pictures are saved in this format. 

If manually changing the extension does not fix the issue, you can try using the Export option in Adobe Photoshop. Before hitting save, make sure that the file format is either .jpeg or .png, and then hit Save

If the issue persists even after changing the image format, then that means the image file is corrupt and you will have to give it up or use a backup copy if it is important. 

Solution 2: Disabling Graphics Processor Option

This option might make your Photoshop work and render photos a little bit slower than usual because you are basically disabling Hardware acceleration for Photoshop however most people have reported that it can fix this problem.

    1. Open Adobe Photoshop.
    2. Once Adobe Photoshop is opened, press the “Control + K” keys together to open Preferences.
    3. Head over to the “Performance” section and Untick option “Use Graphics Processor”
      Unticking “Use Graphics Processor”
      Unticking “Use Graphics Processor”
    4. Now restart your Adobe Photoshop and you should be good to go. If the issue still persists check out the other solutions.

Solution 3: Disable Generator 

The next step to solving the issue would be disabling the generator plugin which is found in the Preferences window. This has reportedly fixed the issue for a few users. Here’s how to do it: 

PRO TIP: If the issue is with your computer or a laptop/notebook you should try using Restoro Repair which can scan the repositories and replace corrupt and missing files. This works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a system corruption. You can download Restoro by Clicking Her

  1. Open up Adobe Photoshop.
  2. Click on the Edit drop-down menu and then choose Preferences
  3. Switch to the Plugins tab and uncheck the ‘Enable Generator’ checkbox.
    Uncheck Generator
    Uncheck Generator
  4. Once you have done that, click OK.
  5. Restart Photoshop and see if it fixes the issue. 

Solution 4: Unlock the Library Folder

A locked Library folder can also cause error messages to appear. In such a case, you will have to unlock the Library folder. This can be done quite easily. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open Finder and then navigate to your user folder. You can do this by searching for ~/Library/ in the search box.
  2. When you see the Library folder, right-click it or just hold Ctrl while clicking on the folder to bring up the drop-down menu.
  3. Click Get Info Options.
  4. Uncheck Locked option below folder details.
    Unlock the Library Folder
    Unlock the Library Folder
  5. See if this fixes the problem for you.

Solution 5: Reset Photoshop preferences

If the above solutions don’t work for you, then you’ll have to reset the Photoshop app’s Preferences as a last resort. Resetting Preferences usually fixes strange problems with apps so this could very well solve the problem for you. Doing this manually is recommended as it doesn’t affect your workspace and color settings. However, if you reset Preferences using the keystroke method, that will reset the color and workspace settings along with some other settings.

Therefore, the manual way is the way to go. Here’s how to do it:

If you’re using macOS , this is pretty straightforward:

  1. Just navigate to the ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CSx Settings/ directory.
  2. Once you’re there, move the CS6 Prefs.psp file to your Desktop. Here CS6 is the version so it might be different in your case but you get the idea.

For Windows users, do the following:

  1. Press the Windows Key + R button to open the Run Dialog.
  2. Type in %AppData% and hit Enter . This will take you to the AppData directory.
  3. There, navigate to the Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop CSx/Adobe Photoshop Settings/ directory.
  4. Once you’re there, move both Adobe Photoshop CS6 Prefs.psp and Adobe Photoshop CS6 X64 Prefs.psp files to your Desktop.
    Adobe Photoshop CS6 X64 Prefs.psp
    Adobe Photoshop CS6 X64 Prefs.psp – Photoshop Options File

Once you’ve done that, run Adobe Photoshop again and see if your problem is resolved.

how to fix, “Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error” when opening or saving files

When opening or saving image files, you get one of the following errors:

  • “Could not complete your request because of a program error.”
  • “Could not save as “yourfilename.psd” because of a program error.”

Program error while saving files

The ‘Photoshop could not save as “yourfilename.psd” because of a program error.’ error can occur for various reasons from layer compositing to improper system permissions.

Follow the below troubleshooting recommendations to resolve program errors while saving files in Photoshop.

Could not save as because of a program error
  • Grant Photoshop “Full Disk Access” in macOS System Preferences

    To change this preference on your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences > Security & Privacy > then click Privacy. 
    See Change Privacy preferences on Mac

  • Hide all layers in the Layers panel then Save again

    Click or click and drag across the visibility icon on each of the layers to hide them.

Program error while opening files

The ‘Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error’ error can occur for various reasons from damaged Photoshop preferences to incompatible system hardware or software.

Follow the below troubleshooting recommendations to resolve program errors while opening files in Photoshop.

  • Disable Generator

    • Navigate to Preferences > Plug-ins
    • Uncheck Enable Generator

Program Error Diagnostic Plugin

  • Quit Photoshop

  • Download and decompress the user-diagnostics.zip file to a local folder you will be able to locate

    DOWNLOAD

  • With the zip archive decompressed, copy the “user-diagnostic” folder to the Photoshop Plug-Ins folder at the following locations:

    1. macOS: Application Folder > Adobe Photoshop 2021 > Plug-Ins
    2. Windows: Program Files > Adobe> Adobe Photoshop 2021 > Plug-Ins
    Copy the user-diagnostics folder to Plug-ins
    Copy the user-diagnostics folder to Plug-ins
  • Launch Photoshop

  • Select “Photoshop User Diagnostics” from the Plugins menu.

  • In the panel that appears, make sure “copy error stacks to clipboard” is checked.

  • Perform your steps that reproduce the Program Error

  • When the Program Error appears, click Ok. When the dialog is dismissed, more details on the error are added to your clipboard for easy pasting.

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