Can't save my documents - "Save failed because the file could not be written to"

[Alex_M]

Hi, Affinity team,

I'm still having this problem with the new version 2.0 of Affinity Photo. This happens sporadically only when saving to a mapped network drive (a brand new WD Red Pro HDD bought a few weeks ago). Thankfully, I can safely save the file on my desktop when this bug happens. Please see the screenshot below. Affinity Photo is the only software I use that refuses to save it's documents for unknown reasons and it's really bothersome. Sometimes I even lose documents I was unable to save on the network drive because I saved them on the desktop and deleted them by mistake when cleaning up my desktop.

This bug has been plaguing Affinity Photo for more than 4 years now. Here's my first thread about it from all the way back in 2018 when a different HDD was used. Can you kindly look into this?

[Rusty_photo]

Same issue, I had a document in v1, opened in v2 (worked on it) and then save says "save failed because file could not be written to ". So then I thought if I save file as new name as new v2 version it says file not found exist, as though I trying to open it.....mmmmmm

Update - When I try to close it says would you like to save, error ""save failed because file could not be written to "" and would you like to save as a new file, and then error file does not exist (well ofcourse not, but I not trying to open). I can create a new file in v2 (Affinity photo) and save, no issues.

Same computer, no change in Drive.... using SSD drive on laptop as before..

V2 2.0.0

 

reading the post above ---- I can save to the desktop --but not to the original folder (even if I rename the file) ..something wierd..

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by Rusty_photo
update

[Alex_M]

Good to hear I'm not the only one. This means it's a wide spread bug and hopefully it will be fixed? Just to add, this happens not only on mine, but on another workstation here too. Both on Photo V2 and Photo V1.

[Rusty_photo]

something really strange going on...(would not save in other folders or sub folders)

if I save the file to desktop, I can then save it anywhere I want. its like to clears a cache and PC knows its a new version... dont know..v strange.

I going to try another to make sure.

[Rusty_photo]

as above.....once you have saved a file on desktop, you can then open v1 version in v2 and save......

its like in that session it know,

 

 

yep if you close program.. it starts again..open v1 in v2 try and save added suffix_v2 in file name, says does not exist...(like I am trying to open)

save that file to desktop, no worries..

try and save _v2 in orginal main folder, not even sub folder says does not exist.

CAN ONLY SAVE TO DESKTOP........urgh... annoying...

[Myriam]

I have the same issue with Designer 2 on a Mac.

I never head that issue before and have been using Affinity for 3 years now. I can't save the file anywhere. First I thought it was the gradient but it is not. I also started a new file, saved the empty file without issue, copied the content in (nothing special) and tried to save again and now it's giving me that error message. 

 

Just had to make changes to the file after I closed Affinity Designer. Luckily I had a pdf saved that I imported, and I was able to save an .afdesign from that pdf.

Edited November 28, 2022 by Myriam

[AiDon]

Strange, check the folder permissions on your external drive as I use up to three mapped external drives at a time and no issues. Also check that your mapped drive always attaches to the same designated drive letter each and every time.

[Rusty_photo]

Just now, AiDon said:

Strange, check the folder permissions on your external drive as I use up to three mapped external drives at a time and no issues. Also check that your mapped drive always attaches to the same designated drive letter each and every time.

Internal SSD drive, not external. No issues with v1

[NathanC]

Hi @Alex_M,

We do currently have an issue logged with the developers regarding this, i'll add your report details for consideration.

[Kenzor]

I'm having random 'file opened as read only' errors . I never had this issue with V1. 

I don't lock files in windows . So Affinity is doing something to the files on load. 

I've been experimenting with embedding and linking affinity photo files so it may be a bug with this feature in v2

[Rusty_photo]

This is becoming a real pain........

 

HOWEVER is this is a clue to devs - it happened on another program not AP, but only once.

 

 

It might windows/affinity photo issue??

 

A solution is to save to desktop and then copy back in folder.. it works as normal on desktop? very strange

[Rusty_photo]

- update - I have just found a solution (This is File not found
Check the filename and try again - it may be related to this?) and it is TURNING off Windows Secuity > Ransomware protection > controlled folder access - (you could turn off controlled folder access but not safe...)

 

and then  allow apps through that "controlled folder access" when ON and then choose blocked apps -

 

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "Saving Failed increasing frequency of reports" (REF: AFP-4826) has been fixed by the developers in build "2.2.1 Release".

This fix is in the current customer release.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Serif Info Bot to notify us

[Genevieve D]

I have this problem and cannot save my file anywhere, even to my desktop. I'm on Affinity Publisher 2.3.0 @Serif Info Bot

 

[NathanC]

Welcome to the forums @Genevieve D,

Since 2.2.0 there were improvements made to the app's file handling process, however we are aware some users are still experiencing this problem and as such we have a new issue logged internally for this which I'll bump with your report. I'd suggest first confirming if this is a file specific problem by trying to save a new blank document out to the desktop and seeing if the error persists.

I'd also suggest that you try saving to a local location on your disk that's not backed up to the iCloud, as it's possible to set iCloud to back up the Documents/Desktop directories which could be causing issues.

[Genevieve D]

Hi NathanC!

 

Yes it's kind of a file issue (and it's all local, I don't use iCloud). I closed the file without saving it (because you know...) and re-opened it with the last changes missing and I can now save it as normal.

[Markus van der Westhuizen]

On 12/15/2023 at 1:01 PM, NathanC said:

Welcome to the forums @Genevieve D,

Since 2.2.0 there were improvements made to the app's file handling process, however we are aware some users are still experiencing this problem and as such we have a new issue logged internally for this which I'll bump with your report. I'd suggest first confirming if this is a file specific problem by trying to save a new blank document out to the desktop and seeing if the error persists.

I'd also suggest that you try saving to a local location on your disk that's not backed up to the iCloud, as it's possible to set iCloud to back up the Documents/Desktop directories which could be causing issues.

I can't even save to the Desktop. I usually work either through iCloud or DropBox... when this issue appeared my first thought was to try and save locally. I tried the desktop first and nothing else works... so I guess I'm going to have to just quit and start my work over?

[walt.farrell]

4 hours ago, Markus van der Westhuizen said:

I can't even save to the Desktop. I usually work either through iCloud or DropBox... when this issue appeared my first thought was to try and save locally. I tried the desktop first and nothing else works... so I guess I'm going to have to just quit and start my work over?

Be careful of Desktop. It is usually (both Mac and Windows) monitored and managed by your cloud app if you're using one (e.g., iCloud or Dropbox).

Try creating a specific folder that your cloud application is not managing or monitoring, and see if you can use that.

[Markus van der Westhuizen]

2 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

Be careful of Desktop. It is usually (both Mac and Windows) monitored and managed by your cloud app if you're using one (e.g., iCloud or Dropbox).

Try creating a specific folder that your cloud application is not managing or monitoring, and see if you can use that.

I have Desktop deactivated for both iCloud and DropBox. I tried various locations on my computer to save and this particular file didn't want to save. Luckily I'm good at saving regularly(30 years experience on the design front and living in South Africa where we have regular power outages), and I have macros to speed up certain steps, so I didn't lose too much work.

[robotriot]

I'm having this same issue on Affinity Designer 2.4.0. I created a new document, and I am unable to save it anywhere on my local drive. I do use a cloud service (pCloud), but it is not monitoring any of the folders I tried saving to.

[Jeepsey]

I have the same "can't save" issues here on 2.5.5. on windows 11, seems to be taking a long time to fix.

[Alex_M]

Hello, Serif team and @Serif Info Bot . I haven't had this issue for a long time, but unfortunately, as soon as I updated Affinity Photo to version 2.5.6, I started getting this error again and very frequently at that. I am saving on a local Nvme disk (on my desktop), not a network drive.

Update: I traced the problem to 4 image layers. I'm not sure what their problem is, but when I delete these 4 image layers, I can finally save the file. At a glance, there is nothing abnormal about these layers. I have other similar image layers in the same document that don't cause this problem. It's as if these 4 layers are cursed.

I have still not closed the problematic document. Let me know if there's anything we can do with it to resolve this problem.

[sunteam]

 @Serif Info Bot Just had this problem on Publisher 2.5.7.

I had a few linked images in the document and could only save when they were deleted (no issues after embedding).

Everthing was saved on an internal drive, not networked or cloud.

Edited January 12 by sunteam
additional info

[MikeTO]

@sunteam Were you using Save to an existing file or Save As to a new file? If the former, are you able to Save As to a new file?

[sunteam]

2 hours ago, MikeTO said:

@sunteam Were you using Save to an existing file or Save As to a new file? If the former, are you able to Save As to a new file?

I tried both, neither worked. Save As failed to any location I tried.

The only thing that worked was embedding all the images instead of linking. The images are saved in a sub folder where the document is, not on a network.