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@Mike_D You've posted to the "Affinity on iPad Questions" forum but I think this really needs to be posted to the appropriate forum for Mac OS. Jeff

@rsmcguitar I wonder whether this is a case of Windows Protected Folders preventing access for writing the licence file? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/defender-endpoint/controlled-folders?view=o365-worldwide#windows-system-folders-are-protected-by-default gives more details, including how to check exactly which folders are being “protected”. Jeff

@Frank Van Atta @user2021 has obviously resolved whatever problem he/she had! Hence he/she has edited the post to remove the actual question.

You asked that earlier, and the answer is still No, sorry

@Gro Fykse OS = Operating System

@NATORI You need to attach the actual RAW file, not a screenshot of what you see in AP. Jeff

@Jo Martin Welcome to the Affinity forums. Assuming you are using Windows, and following on from what @John Rostron has written, the first thing to check is the OpenCL setting. Do not attempt to start a new file but Close the initial splashscreen and then go to Preferences>Performance. It should look something like this: Check the setting I have highlighted; if it is ticked, untick it! HTH Jeff

@Jack Hanson No problem opening your file on Windows, using the latest release version (1.9.2.1035) or the latest Beta (1.10.0.1085). Jeff

@k5astro Apologies for the delay in replying! I think the "Authorize Global" is a setting specific to Mac OS? Certainly, I don't see it on Windows so really can't advise whether it should or should not be active. Hopefully a Mac user will see your question and be able to help. Jeff

@k5astro Is this "missing" licence key the one for StarShrink or the one for Affinity Photo? I assumed it was for StarShrink but it seems that @Old Bruce believes you are asking about the licence key for APh? If you are asking about the key for StarShrink being "missing", I suspect this is due to some "problem" with its installation, and perhaps nothing to do with Affinity? I don't have this particular plugin but I do have quite a number of other "licensed" ones and have never experienced this problem of being asked to enter the licence key on each opening of any of those plugs. Jeff

@George911 Welcome to the Affinity forums. From where did you purchase whichever Affinity app you have? Affinity Store or Microsoft Store? If it was the latter, no keycode is needed and I think the app will have installed automatically, so should now be listed on your Start menu. Which app, by the way? Jeff

@Mischugo Have you explored the option in Designer of File>Edit in Photo and in Photo of File>Edit in Designer? I'm not sure whether that is what you need but it is how to "Link AD and APh". Jeff

@Stojan Your computer spec, as previously requested, might possibly offer a clue. Also, did you actually disable OpenCL, as explained in that linked FAQ? (I realise you can't disable it from within the apps - because they don't open at all - but you can disable it following the method given in the FAQ. It's what I had to do, as a first stage, to restore operation of all the Affinity apps, before then downgrading my GPU drivers.) Jeff

@SwiftilySquirrel If you tag @carl123 he will get a notification that you have mentioned him in a post. Or, you could use the Private Message system to contact him directly.

@SwiftilySquirrel To remove the document, simply go into the specific post that includes it, click on the ellipsis (three dots top right corner), choose Edit and then delete the file from your post. Jeff

@Stojan What is your computer spec., in particular, (if you have a discrete GPU) exactly which one is it (make and model) and which driver do you currently have installed? I ask this because I wonder if this is another example of OpenCL causing the problem because of GPU driver incompatibility. I experienced exactly the same as you recently, which turned out to be caused by a driver update for my AMD Radeon graphics card. My post in this thread gives rather more details, along with a link to an FAQ which shows how to disable OpenCL even if none of the apps will open. HTH Jeff

@iconoclast Actually you don't have to reinstall all your programs in the event that you need to do a system recovery (drive C:\) when most/all your programs are on a different drive! On at least two occasions over the past couple of years I have needed to do a complete recovery of my C:\ drive. On both occasions, no reinstall of any programs was needed to regain full access to everything, including all programs, on my computer. Jeff Edit (to add): Perhaps I should make clear that I create a complete new backup image of my C:\ drive every week. Thus, when I need to "restore my system" I am actually reloading an image that is, at most, a few days old.

@Fullnerd I have all my Affinity apps (and the great majority of my other programs) installed on a dedicated Programs drive (D:\) so, yes it is possible to install other than on C:\. I suspect your "best" option to move the program is to uninstall first and then reinstall to the new drive. However, I fully appreciate you do not wish to lose your existing brushes, assets etc. Hence I would suggest doing the following (with the usual advice to proceed very carefully, perhaps create a System Restore point first!): You will find Affinity folders in the following locations outside C:\Program Files. C:\Program Data\Affinity and C:\Users\yourusername\AppData\Roaming\Affinity (Both Program Data and that AppData folder may be hidden - they are by default. You will need to unhide them.) Copy them and all their contents to somewhere on your new drive. You thus have a "safety copy" of all those additional settings safely stored. Uninstall your existing Affinity apps. I think this will remove the original of those folders you have just copied. Reinstall to your new drive. Those Program Data and AppData folders will be recreated (if needed) on C:\. I think you can choose to install them on a different drive but my understanding is that this is not recommended since future updates will "expect" those locations to be in use. Compare the new versions of those copied folders with the copies you made (you can also open the app and check whether those "things you want to keep" are already there.) Whatever is missing you can then copy what you want to restore from your "copied old" folders back to their correct locations. Then all your former settings should be restored. If you have any plugins used in Affinity Photo I don't think they will be affected by these changes and, assuming you have their .8bf files installed in the default location, APh should find them immediately. If not, I think you will need to reinstall them. HTH Jeff

It's entirely your choice whether or not to download the latest beta. It installs completely separately from the release version so the two do not interact in any way. I have both the release and latest beta of all the Affinity apps happily coexisting on my computer. Jeff

@jbina2 Welcome to the Affinity forums. To download the latest beta go here. HTH Jeff

Ditto for me! @Mark Ingram, many thanks! 👍

Hi Walt. Whilst you were writing I updated my latest reply. It seems the problem is resolved (as detailed in my update) so, fingers crossed!

From C:\Users\myusername\AppData\Roaming\Affinity\Photo\1.0\user to C:\Users\myusername\AppData\Roaming\Affinity\Photo\1.0(Beta)\user Is that not the correct place? assets.propcol in that folder of the release version is 5,346,332 KB; in the Beta folder it's 1 KB. As I wrote before, following the initial copy procedure shows the beta file to be the same size as the release. Opening the beta app, no assets shown, and assets.propcol in the beta\user folder is 1 KB. UPDATE: I decided to try what I considered could be a nuclear option! I moved the whole User folder out of the above Beta directory (saved it to my desktop, in case of disasters!) and then copied the complete User folder form the release to the beta. Result: all assets now available in the Beta. I shall keep the original Beta\User folder, which I have now copied to a different drive, until such time as I am happy that everything in the Beta is "as it should be". So, it seems, problem resolved, hopefully! Jeff

Hi Walt. Many thanks for this response. I think this is something that I really need @Mark Ingram to comment on then. It is entirely possible that few, if any, of the assets in my release version were previously also used in my installation of the betas (I honestly can't remember) but I wonder why copying that assets.propcol file from the user directory in the release to the user directory in the beta seemed to go "without a hitch" (it showed as being approximately 5GB in size) but the assets did not show in the re-opened beta and the file size in that user directory was now 1 KB? Questions, questions... Jeff

@walt.farrell Thanks for the reassurance that it's not just me! Did you also see my post in this forum re the non-appearance of Assets in this beta, even if the whole assets.propcol file is copied from the release "user" folder to the beta "user" folder? Jeff