Can't find actions I created

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

I just purchased a new PC and reinstalled Photoshop CS on it. (I plan to upgrade to CS3 in the near future.) When I was using CS on my old computer, I created a number of actions -- some were saved in the Default Actions set, and others were saved in new sets I created. I never paid any attention to where these were actually saved on my hard drive. Now that I've reinstalled CS on my new computer, all my old user-created actions are (of course) missing. I still have a copy of everything that was on my old computer's hard drive, but I haven't been able to find the user-created action files there. I tried searching the old hard drive for all files ending in .atn and then copying them over to the same Photoshop folders on my new hard drive, but that didn't help -- these were just the actions that came installed with CS. Can anyone help me restore my old user-created actions so I don't have to try to re-create them all from scratch? Thanks!

[Ed_Ha...@adobeforums.com]

If you really saved them you can find them by doing a Search on .atn files.

A good place to save them to in the future is the Photoshop Actions folder in the Presets folder.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks, Ed. As I said, I already did a search of my old hard drive for .atn files, and all I found was the ones that came installed with CS. Not sure what you mean by "really saved them". Was I supposed to do something special to save them? All I did was record the actions in Photoshop and then they were always there whenever I wanted to use them after that. Where does Photoshop put them when you just record them and you don't consciously try to save them in a particular location? When you create a new action in the "Default actions" set, apparently it doesn't become part of the "Default actions" ATN file in the "Required" folder -- so where do the new actions go? And where do the new sets go?

[Ed_Ha...@adobeforums.com]

Yes, you must save them using the flyout menu on the Actions palette, Save Actions. Otherwise they exist in the Actions Palette preferences file which may be found in the Documents and Setting folder on the old computer. Look for Actions Palette.psp.

Once you replace the file on the new computer with that you should see your old sets. Then, don't neglect to Save them. Hope this works.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks, Ed. This may be just the information I was looking for! I put a request in to the folks who built my new computer (they are the ones who saved the copy of my old hard drive) to look for the Actions Palette.psp file, and am waiting to hear back from them. Will let you know if this works out.

[Danny_...@adobeforums.com]

Specifically this file is located in your equivalent of:

C:\Documents and Settings\[login name]\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop CS Settings

Under normal circumstances Photoshop files (like this one) are "hidden." So the computer techs will need to turn on the Windows file/folder view option to "show hidden files/folders" as well as the comparable setting in the File Find dialog, otherwise they will not find it.

FYI: In CS Actions Palette.psp shows up as file type "Shortcut." It's really not a "shortcut," but that's OK. PS knows what it is.

If you created any new actions in PS "on the new machine," save the Action Sets in a convenient location, e.g., Desktop, then shutdown PS.

Replace Actions Palette.psp on the new computer with the one from the old computer. When you bring PS up again, your previous actions will be visible in the Actions Palette. Load any .atn files from your Desktop or wherever they may be and you'll be in business.

Note: It's not a good practice to create new actions inside the Default action set. If you have to reinstall Photoshop, they would be lost. While you're thinking about it create a new action set and drag/drop actions you created in Default into it. Then save the new action set to your hard disk.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

Thanks, Danny. The computer techs used the "Search" function to search my old hard drive for all files ending in .psp. They did the search using the instruction to include hidden files and folders in the search, and even with that, they unfortunately did not find the file. I don't know why it's not there, but they insist that it isn't. So, I guess I'll just have to try to re-create all my actions the best I can. Thanks to you and Ed for giving me advice about how to save them in the future so I don't have this problem again!

[Ed_Ha...@adobeforums.com]

Is there a version of Photoshop on that computer? If there is there MUST be an Actions Palette Preferences file.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

Yes, Photoshop CS was installed on the old computer, so I had the same reaction you just had -- how could it NOT be there! My only thought is that either somehow they didn't copy all the user settings from my old hard drive, or somehow they got deleted. Live and learn!

[Danny_...@adobeforums.com]

I think Ed's point was if your old computer 'still exists' and CS can be opened, then ActionsPalette.psp exists and can be retrieved.

If the computer tech folks "backed up your files from your hard disk somewhere else," like to another drive or online somewhere and only got \My Documents, that would explain why they cannot find ActionsPalette.psp

If PS was working OK when they got their hands on your old computer and they backed up your entire C:\ drive, then they're goofing up.

[Michael_D...@adobeforums.com]

To find hidden files with the Search function, the tech needs to use the advanced options in Search to enable searching for hidden files and folders.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

Danny and Michael - The computer techs supposedly backed up my entire hard drive (even Program Files), not just "My Documents". Also, they did use the advanced search option to look for hidden files and folders. My old computer still exists, but the computer techs took a lot of stuff off of it to get it ready for another family member to use, so the file isn't there any more either. Bottom line is, I'm just out of luck. Fortunately, I had not created a huge number of complicated actions, so I should be able to re-create most of them. Thank you all for your help -- I really appreciate it!

[John_...@adobeforums.com]

The lesson to be learned is to keep backups of your personal Photoshop settings including preferences, actions, brushes, etc.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

I surely will from now on!

[Ed_Ha...@adobeforums.com]

I still think that if they mirrored the entire drive then the Documents and Settings folder has to be there, including the Preferences files. Maybe they don't understand what you are looking for.

[Elaine...@adobeforums.com]

Good news! I called my tech guys again about this today. It turns out the Documents and Settings folder for my user name on my old hard drive was password-protected for some reason. I guess that's why it didn't show up when they did a search for "palette.psp" even with the option turned on for searching hidden files and folders. Anyway, they somehow got into the folder and found the file and sent it to me. All of the actions I created are now restored! The very next thing I'm going to do is save them properly so I won't have this problem again. Thank you all so much for your help with this!

[Ed_Ha...@adobeforums.com]

Excellent!

[Torrence...@adobeforums.com]

I was reading your post about the .psp files.
I recently was using cs2 which had all of my "created" actions under the actios pallette. Some how all of my actions disappeared. I did not restart my computer, nor did i have to exit the program. I have closed ps and re opened many times before, and my "created actions" have always been there. Now they mysteriously disappeared.

Where can I find them????
I looked under Program files>...PS2>Presets>Photoshop actions for .atn files but all i see id the "factory default" actions"

[Ed_Ha...@adobeforums.com]

Did you save them? (If not, they are likely gone.

They might still exist in the .psp file. That is usually somewhere in Documents and Settings.