Problem with saved files - any ideas?

I just noticed I'm unable to open several saved Master files. These are NOT my original files, but the edited, unflattened, unsharpened Master files. I usually save these in PSD format, but just noticed that several seem to have dropped the PSD extension and are not able to be opened. They still list the pixel size and file size, file number and title, etc. but no thumbnail in Bridge and no file extension of any kind.

Any ideas on what could have caused this or how to repair? Thanks in advance.

Bill - don't know if I can help, but a little clarification might help. Mac or PC (XP or Vista)? And when you say they won't open, is there any message when you attempt to open the file in PS?

Hi David. PC using XP Pro, PSCS3 (but this has happened once before in CS2 as well). No message, no action, sound, or result of any kind when I try to open.

Never mind! Problem solved. Upon advice, I renamed the file and added the psd extension back on and it solved the problem.

Bill - I guess you're trying to open it by double-clicking in Windows Explorer? I assumed you tried to open it within CS3 (like File -> Open). Would it still exhibit this behavior if you did that? I would think it would open in that case, since it shouldn't care about the file extension. The extension would be used by Windows Explorer though.

I'm just curious as to whether or not PS cares about the extension...

David - I was trying to open in PS, so evidently PS does care about extensions. I tried opening the files every way I knew how, but to no avail. Renaming the files (adding the .psd extension) did the trick.

PCs need the .psd extension to open Photoshop files. That was the problem as you found out. On Macs one can get away without the extension, although it is best to have it.

As a general rule I save layered files both with and without layers (2 different files). That way, if the layers file gets corrupted, which happens, I still have the non-layered file. I also save each master file in several locations (at least 3).

Bill, I've had this happen also and it doesn't seem to be confined to XP. It has happened on my old Win. 98(2) machine too. It has happened with .jpeg's as well as .psd's and I don't know why. But I can confirm that renaming and adding the correct extention has also worked for me.

Glad you got it solved.

Bob