My external hard drive, which I've been using for about five years, has stopped functioning properly with all my Photoshop files (PSDs). They won't open anymore, which has left me wondering if the drive is failing. I'm not too worried since I still have JPEGs created from those PSDs, but I'm concerned if this issue could affect my other files, like PDFs and HTMLs, that I backed up to two newer drives last year. Is there anything specific I should do?
5 Answers
Make sure to check the SMART system on your drive to see if it gives any health readings. It could provide some insight into what’s failing.
First things first, you should back up all your files from that old drive to another reliable source. Don’t trust that drive anymore—it could fail completely at any moment!
I did back them up last year, but I noticed that they had already failed even on my newer drives, so I think the issues started from the old one.
Sounds like file corruption might be the root issue here. I'd recommend transferring all your files to a new disk ASAP to avoid any further corruption. While you're at it, see if it's a software glitch by reinstalling Photoshop or checking your permissions. You could also try online converters to salvage your PSDs if they remain unopenable. Tools like Photopea can help with that!
Thanks for the tips! I had no idea there was a maximize compatibility option when saving in Photoshop; I’ll definitely look into that.
Since I moved my PDFs, HTMLs, and JPEGs to a new drive last year, won't that shield them from corruption?
When you mention that your files 'failed,' what exactly do you mean? Are you getting an error when trying to open them?
The icons for these files have disappeared, and their sizes have shrunk down to just a few kilobytes. When I try to open them, it just prompts me with an 'open with' option, but nothing works.
Your JPEGs should be safe for now, but stay cautious about those PSDs. It sounds like moving everything to backup drives was a smart move. Just keep checking the health of your hard drive and maintain multiple backups of important files for peace of mind!
What exactly is the SMART system?