# "Edit in Photoshop" greyed out in LR



## Jim Gibson

Hi All.

I have a problem with not being able to edit in PS directly from LR because the Photoshop options in the 'edit in' menu lists are greyed out.  I have other editing software (e.g., Macphun) and those are all listed and behave normally from within LR.

I run the latest versions of LR and PS through CC and all are updated.  These run on a Macbook Pro that I've had for 2 years and OS 10.11.5.  I haven't installed any other software recently.

I haven't moved any of my files, which are mostly dng conversions from Sony (NEX7) raw files and some older Canon cr2s.  They are originals, ie, not previews etc.  The greyed out behaviour occurs with all file types that I have in LR (including jpegs).

The PS options are greyed out whether PS is running or not.

I've followed the steps from Adobe ("Edit In Photoshop" command missing), un and re installed both programs, all to no avail.

I've tried to find solutions and have read through these forums so apologies if I'm missing something blindingly obvious (which wouldn't surprise my wife in the least).

Any suggestions for how to fix this will be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,
Jim


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## Gnits

Just a long shot...  Maybe the file is in some way incompatible with PS or PS settings.  Can you open the file directly from Ps.  if so, what messages do you get. You may have funny colour management / profile settings in Ps.  It also may be worth checking the Lr to Ps settings.


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## Johan Elzenga

If it happens with all files in Lightroom, it cannot be a problem with the file. Besides, anything Lightroom can open, Photoshop can open too (and more). The problem must be the way that Photoshop is 'connected' from Lightroom. Somehow that link is broken. As described in "Edit In Photoshop" command missing, that link is the preferences file "com.adobe.Photoshop.plist". I checked that file with a text editor, but I don't see any link to Photoshop itself inside that file, so I think that Lightroom simply assumes that Photoshop is in the usual place if that preference file is present (so it probably doesn't _read_ that preference file). It may also mean that Lightroom asks MacOS X to launch Photoshop, so perhaps this is a problem with LaunchServices. You can rebuild the LaunchServices database by using a utility called Onyx.


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## Jim Gibson

Thanks both for your replies.  Johan is correct in that the problem applies to all files.  I had checked the settings that you mentioned Gnits, they are all normal.

I used OnyX, as you suggested Johan, but it didn't make any difference.  Just for the sake of it I then re-did the steps in Adobe's advice but, again, no change.

All settings in LR and PS are what I would consider normal, ie nothing appears to be different from what I would expect them to be.  The additional external editor menus work correctly - I can set this to PS and it does open the files but obviously this isn't satisfactory.

Both programs are in the Applications folder.  I haven't done anything strange; I've long ago grown out of "messing about" with computers and the only thing that I can think of that has changed since everything worked correctly is the recent update of LR and PS through CC.

Head is well and truly done in!  Thanks again for the replies - it's more than I got from the forum at Adobe.

Jim


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## Gnits

I know this problem applies to all files, but I would still launch Photoshop, try to open an image and check if there are any messages.  Also, check that any plug-ins in PS are working.

Have you updated to PS CC  2015.5 recently.  This creates a fresh install and depending on options selected it may leave the old version. Plug-ins may need to be re-installed in PS.

In this case, maybe Lr is confused as to which version of PS to use.

To avoid any issue, I have uninstalled all old versions of PS and had to spend a chunk of time getting my plug-ins working.

I came across another scenario where someone had difficulty launching PS from Lr because of a Nik plug-in issue (this may be a totally different issue, just trying to explore any possibility to solve the problem.

Read the install instructions included with the following link.

FAQ: Photoshop CC 2015.5 now available



*"VERY IMPORTANT – Photoshop CC 2015.5 is a full version update. As such, you will need to install your 3rd party plug-ins for them to work with CC 2015.5."
*


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## Johan Elzenga

Checking that Photoshop can open a file won't do you any harm, but it won't tell you anything about this problem. The problem is not that Photoshop can't open the file, the problem is that somehow Lightroom thinks that Photoshop is no longer available. It is a _Lightroom_ menu that is dimmed.


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## Jim Gibson

OK.  Files will open up directly in PS, no messages and no problem at all.

You were right about plug-ins; I don't use many but they did need re-installing so I did that and they work fine. ( I have the Macphun software but never use that from PS.)  It didn't solve this problem though.

There is definitely only one PS application on my computer.  

I read the installation instructions and didn't see anything that I haven't done that I should have, or vice versa.

I appreciate you coming back on this.

Thanks
Jim


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## Johan Elzenga

Two versions of Photoshop isn't the reason either. I still have Photoshop CS6 installed, and at some point I recently had three Photoshop versions installed (CS6, CC2015, CC2015.5). Lightroom will simply connect to the most recent version without an problem.


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## Johan Elzenga

Jim,
I was just thinking. Do you have a Time Machine backup by any chance? Sometimes this leads to connections going to the Time Machine copy instead of the original copy. If you do have a Time Machine backup, then perhaps you should try this:

1: unmount and disconnect the Time Machine disk.
2: uninstall Photoshop and make sure you also remove the preferences (that's a choice in the uninstaller).
3: start Lightroom and check that there is no first external editor. Quit Lightroom again.
4: install Photoshop again and start it so it creates a new preference file.
5: start Lightroom.

Now see if that solved the problem. If it did, you should be able to connect the Time Machine disk again without further problems.


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## Gnits

Jim Gibson said:


> OK.  Files will open up directly in PS, no messages and no problem at all.
> Jim



Ok. Glad to see that eliminated.


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## Jim Gibson

Hi - that sounded like a great idea but it hasn't worked unfortunately.  It's as you have said; LR is just not seeing PS at all.  The menus are exactly the same, ie greyed out, whether PS is installed or not.  It must be something that I have done as I'm not seeing lots of unsolved instances of this when looking around the internet.

Thanks for all the suggestions.


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## Gnits

I am not a Mac expert, but is it some kind of permissions thing. What happens if you create a new user and try Lr and Ps as a new user.


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## Jim Gibson

Good idea, but it's just the same.


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## Johan Elzenga

Jim Gibson said:


> Good idea, but it's just the same.



Just to make sure: Did you let Photoshop run after you created the new user and before you checked the menu in Lightroom? Photoshop must have created its preference file before Lightroom can use that to connect to Photoshop.


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## Jim Gibson

JohanElzenga said:


> Just to make sure: Did you let Photoshop run after you created the new user and before you checked the menu in Lightroom? Photoshop must have created its preference file before Lightroom can use that to connect to Photoshop.



Yes, I did.


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## Johan Elzenga

I get the feeling that Lightroom is doing more than just looking for that preference file. There is a large 'Adobe' folder in your root 'Library' folder too, and that Library folder is shared by all users because it is a system folder. I think there's something inside that Adobe folder that is causing this problem, but I have no idea what that could be and Adobe is not telling us either. That would also explain why a new user has the same problem.


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## Jim Gibson

No solution to this as yet - very frustrating!  I have spent well over an hour with Adobe live support this evening.  He tried pretty much everything that's already been suggested.  He's going to research the issue and contact me tomorrow so I will update further after that


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## mldiggs

Any resolution of this issue?  I'm having the same problem, but slightly different background: I got a new PC, decided to go for Creative Cloud instead of LR and PSE, and all my other LR plugins work (Nik Suite and Photomatix), but PS is grayed out in the "edit in" menu.  I only have one version of PS.


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## Gnits

mldiggs said:


> Any resolution of this issue?  I'm having the same problem, but slightly different background: I got a new PC, decided to go for Creative Cloud instead of LR and PSE, and all my other LR plugins work (Nik Suite and Photomatix), but PS is grayed out in the "edit in" menu.  I only have one version of PS.



I found this link ..... "Edit In Photoshop" command missing

I had a similar problem months and months ago, needed several hours of remote support by Adobe involving multiple installs, re-installs, resetting preferences, removing plug-ins.

Hopefully, the procedure documented here might make things easier to resolve.  I have not used this procedure myself.

Please report back if this solves your problem.


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## Johan Elzenga

That link was already mentioned earlier and didn't solve it.


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## mldiggs

I started with the first step in the link (updating LR and PS), and that actually solved it!  Duh...I suppose that should have been my first step.  My guess is that the July update for either or both had the fix integrated, or the cause of my problem differed from that of the OP.  I am always relieved when I can keep my hands out of registry editing. 
ML


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## Gnits

I started with the first step in the link (updating LR and PS), and that actually solved it! Duh...

Delighted.  I referenced this because I was not sure if you might have tried this, as the embedded link formatting is not always obvious. Also, you mentioned you were using a PC while the previous OP I think was Mac, so might have a different outcome.


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## Jim Gibson

FYI  - (at long last) this has been resolved by installing Mac OS Sierra.  I previously deleted all Adobe files and folders (including hidden), installed the OS, then CC, Ps, then Lr.  Works as it should now.  Just happy that I didn't have to do a clean OS install - I really didn't want to do that!

I'm not happy that I've found this software so frustrating; my whole workflow over the Summer has ground to a halt.  I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for alternatives in the future...


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## James777

I know this is an old post. But just in case it happens to other people: I just had the same issue but then I realized what the problem was.
Maybe your ORIGINAL image, aka the one you opened with Lightroom, is in an external drive or other device not connected to your computer anymore? Lightroom allows you to edit the picture once you have imported it, but if the device containing the original image is not connected to your computer, Lr will grey out the Photoshop option.


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## Victoria Bampton

James777 said:


> Maybe your ORIGINAL image, aka the one you opened with Lightroom, is in an external drive or other device not connected to your computer anymore? Lightroom allows you to edit the picture once you have imported it, but if the device containing the original image is not connected to your computer, Lr will grey out the Photoshop option.


Good thinking James, that was the first thought that crossed my mind as I was rereading this old thread too. Welcome to the forum!


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## Jim Gibson

Hi All.

I have a problem with not being able to edit in PS directly from LR because the Photoshop options in the 'edit in' menu lists are greyed out.  I have other editing software (e.g., Macphun) and those are all listed and behave normally from within LR.

I run the latest versions of LR and PS through CC and all are updated.  These run on a Macbook Pro that I've had for 2 years and OS 10.11.5.  I haven't installed any other software recently.

I haven't moved any of my files, which are mostly dng conversions from Sony (NEX7) raw files and some older Canon cr2s.  They are originals, ie, not previews etc.  The greyed out behaviour occurs with all file types that I have in LR (including jpegs).

The PS options are greyed out whether PS is running or not.

I've followed the steps from Adobe ("Edit In Photoshop" command missing), un and re installed both programs, all to no avail.

I've tried to find solutions and have read through these forums so apologies if I'm missing something blindingly obvious (which wouldn't surprise my wife in the least).

Any suggestions for how to fix this will be gratefully received.

Thanks in advance,
Jim


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## aazin

If you have a mounted disk/drive and it's connection is lost, then the "Edit In" function will not work and it is greyed out.  The reason you can still open the files in Lightroom is that upon importing you probably have built "Smart Preview" in which it allows you to edit the files even thought the actual .raw or .jpg files are not local on your computer.


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## LJoyW

I just had this problem, but it was only with my recent Lightroom Uploads. I realized I had changed the name of the folders and hadn't updated it with the synchronize feature in Lightroom. Once I synchronized the old folder name with the new folder name, the "Edit in Photoshop" feature was not greyed out anymore.


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## Johan Elzenga

LJoyW said:


> I just had this problem, but it was only with my recent Lightroom Uploads. I realized I had changed the name of the folders and hadn't updated it with the synchronize feature in Lightroom. Once I synchronized the old folder name with the new folder name, the "Edit in Photoshop" feature was not greyed out anymore.


I trust you mean the ‘Find Missing Folder’ menu, not the ‘Synchronize Folder’ menu.


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