Affinity Photo fails to open PNG

[stain]

Affinity Photo 2.5.5 (MSIX)

Windows 11

Photo can't open a PNG file while Affinity Designer does. Affinity Photo cannot open it neither directly (File-Open) nor via 'Open With...' Explorer context menu.

It just sticks with 'Loading 1 document' in the upper right corner and refuses to quit with 'Quitting. At least one file is currently being opened. Please wait for files to load before quitting the application.'

 

[stain]

Reinstalled. Nothing helps.

Resaved PNG with another software. Nothing helps.

Saved PNG as JPG. It fails to open JPG as well.

It won't open these files from different locations - pathnames have nothing to do.

Looks like a MAJOR issue.

 

LATER: rebooted. Still unable to open. Went for G**P for a while.

[MEB]

Hi @stain,
Does the PNG open in other apps without issues (besides Designer)?
Can you share the PNG file with us for inspection please?
Thank you.

[stain]

no problem

[files deleted to free some space]

[stain]

22 minutes ago, MEB said:

Hi @stain,
Can you share the PNG file with us for inspection?

I can't open other files as well with Affinity Photo (directly or thru the context menu). While Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher open files ok.

[Hangman]

Hi @stain,

Both files open for me in Affinity Photo on Mac and Windows though I'm using the EXE version on Windows... If you can't open other files as well it potentially suggests an issue with Photo rather than the files...

I would run a Factory Reset of Photo by holding the Ctrl key while launching the app. When you see the Clear User Data screen, leave the first three options ticked, click the Clear button, let Photo finish launching, and see whether that fixes the problem…

Note 1: A factory reset will reset any customisation you’ve made to the tools panel and context toolbar.

[stain]

Something has broken. And I can't help it. Affinity Photo still fails to open anything. Reset with 3 at the top ticked and 1 first ticked (that's by default) in the common section didn't help. Even reset then reboot didn't help. Ho-ho I have something going on here. CARRRAMBA

[NotMyFault]

Try using MS sysinternals to check if file is opened by another App

Handle

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/handle

process explorer

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer

 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/

[NotMyFault]

And check directory for (hidden) lock files from Affinity Apps or OneDrive.

Save file in a place (drive/folder) which has no cloud sync applied (OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud etc)

[NotMyFault]

Potentially a old „recovery“ file exists which is corrupted. Clean the folder (searching for the location, will update when found)

[carl123]

2 hours ago, stain said:

t just sticks with 'Loading 1 document' in the upper right corner and refuses to quit with 'Quitting. At least one file is currently being opened. Please wait for files to load before quitting the application.'

I just had that problem, earlier today

Renaming the file allowed me to open it

Can you try that?

[stain]

On 11/6/2024 at 2:25 PM, carl123 said:

I just had that problem, earlier today

Renaming the file allowed me to open it

Can you try that?

Will renaming help me if i can't open any jpg or png file?

UPD: Tried. No luck.

 

On 11/6/2024 at 1:47 PM, NotMyFault said:

Potentially a old „recovery“ file exists which is corrupted. Clean the folder (searching for the location, will update when found)

'%APPDATA%\Affinity\Photo\2.0\autosave' is empty

 

On 11/6/2024 at 1:43 PM, NotMyFault said:

And check directory for (hidden) lock files from Affinity Apps or OneDrive.

Save file in a place (drive/folder) which has no cloud sync applied (OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud etc)

Right in the Downloads of the home folder which is not cloud

 

On 11/6/2024 at 1:41 PM, NotMyFault said:

Try using MS sysinternals to check if file is opened by another App

You mean the png-or-jpg-file? It can be opened multiple times in a row with Designer but none with Photo. It doesn't look like a locked one.

I tried to open '...\Downloads\1.jpg\ file for instance. I used Process Explorer - didn't help. I used Process Monitor to record what Photo does. Here I'm attaching the excerpt filtered by '1.jpg' to show that it isn't locked or something.

[Log file deleted to save some space. See here]

 

[stain]

Oh... Sorry folks, I was so ignorant, I didn't greet you..

Hi, folks!

[stain]

Hi,

Still no solution. UP

I created a native .aphoto file with the Photo on the Desktop. It can't open it again afterwards while Designer can (Photo creates a .lock file which must be deleted before Designer would open it).

I have no idea, no solution.

[Hangman]

Hi @stain,

Will the PNG file open in Designer and/or Publisher or the Photo Persona of Publisher?

I realise you're having issues with other file formats as well but can you upload a sample PNG file that won't open for you in Photo so we can test it...

Will the file open in PhotoPea?

https://www.photopea.com/

[stain]

TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM I SHOULD HAVE TURNED OFF HARDWARE ACCELERATION.

HARDWARE ACCELERATION. THAT'S THE CAUSE

Unitck it and everything works again.

What to do next to turn it back on? Should it be in the next Affinity Photo update?

[Hangman]

While Hardware Acceleration can be the cause of many issues I'm surprised it prevents you from opening files at all, are your Intel and NVIDIA drivers completely up to date, it would be worth checking...

[stain]

2 minutes ago, Hangman said:

upload a sample PNG file that won't open for you in Photo so we can test it...

I already did it earlier. Others couldn't reproduce the issue.

[Hangman]

3 minutes ago, stain said:

I already did it earlier. Others couldn't reproduce the issue.

I didn't see any attachments, only your Log File...

[stain]

4 minutes ago, Hangman said:

are your Intel and NVIDIA drivers completely up to date, it would be worth checking...

Yep

1 minute ago, Hangman said:

I didn't see any attachments, only your Log File...

My third post. Files were deleted since they have nothing to do with the issue. Any file is the problem, even natively created.

Log file is also a litter now and should be deleted as well.

[Hangman]

8 minutes ago, stain said:

Yep

In which case I'm afraid I don't know what else might be causing the issue but it does sound as though it is possibly hardware-related, hopefully, others or someone in the Serif team will be able to shed some light on possible causes...

Just to clarify, does the PNG open in Designer and Publisher when you have Hardware Acceleration on?

[stain]

9 minutes ago, Hangman said:

Just to clarify, does the PNG open in Designer and Publisher when you have Hardwar Acceleration on?

Yep (linked post)

In Affinity Designer the order of adapters is different.

In Publisher as well

AND PHOTO is the only who lists GeForce first

[Hangman]

2 minutes ago, stain said:

Yep (linked post)

Apologies, I read that to mean Affinity Designer and Affinity Publisher files...

I'm afraid I'm out of ideas in that case...

[stain]

I have updated my previous post with a small comparison. Maybe that's the reason why.

[walt.farrell]

4 hours ago, stain said:

In Affinity Designer the order of adapters is different.

In Publisher as well

AND PHOTO is the only who lists GeForce first

That difference may explain your problem, and should provide some good info for the Serif team.

It also suggests that the driver for your RaptorLake mobile graphics controller may not be up-to-date. How did you check? You can't trust Windows Update.