Hi Serena,

I'm on CS5 but if you're comfortable sharing the file I can take a look at it. What you're describing eludes me.

There doesn't seem to be anything unusual in settings, path, masks, and I haven't been doing 'clever' things (like using masks) recently on this machine. I think I'll reinstall Ps.

What frame? Make sure you have selected the image layer.

Uninistall/re-install changed nothing, presumably because the parameters are held in a separate file.
Frame: when a picture is opened its file name is in a box at top left with the image showing on the "desk". click on that and drag and the frame appears with the image, which becomes transparent while being dragged. Release mouse and there is the photo within a frame (if it is smaller than the desk). Now the picture can be dragged around the desk in solid form. This I know because at least this has caused me to replace CS2 with CS4 on my laptop.
Now, on my editing machine when opened no picture appears but there is the file name as normal. Click that and drag and everything behaves as normal, but when let go the frame remains but it is empty. Click the top of the of the frame and drag and the picture is there and solid as normal. Let go the mouse and the frame becomes empty.
I've compared the menus of the fresh installation on the laptop with that on the ed machine and they are identical.
If I use the cursor to extract a segment from the image the cursor disappears (so I'm guessing about what is being extracted) but copy paste functions correctly other than the new image behaves exactly as described (invisible).

Serena,
1. Which tool is selected from the vertical palette on the left before you drag?
2. Any chance of posting a screen-grab of what you are seeing?

I am on CS5 and see no odd behaviours.

Tom

Serena,

I've experienced the same problem, on Photoshop CS5.5. The problem just started manifesting itself in the past few weeks. I don't think there's anything you've done, but I couldn't tell you why you're having the problem either. I've experienced it on both my home and work systems.

My best guess is that your (our) video card drivers need updating. It doesn't really make sense since the problem just started appearing, but it's my working theory for now.

~A

Maybe instead it's the update to the video driver that has caused this. I've been updating trying to solve a problem in Vegas v11 (black preview monitor) and now I have this Photoshop problem.

"Maybe instead it's the update to the video driver that has caused this."

By all means reinstall Photoshop or restore your system to an earlier graphics driver. At least in the old days PS installed its own version of msvcrtsomething.dll and did almost exactly what you describe. Sometimes a DirectX reinstall was necessary too, although I doubt this is still the case.

Unfortunately reinstalling the Ps module of CS4 didn't change anything.

Tom, I've created a screen image (both screens, as it turns out) and for lack of better knowledge I've put into into my blog over at Exposure Room. The op screen is way over on the right, so drag the image across. Or rather, drag the page left.
http://exposureroom.com/members/Serena/blogs/post/2247screen captured[/link]

Serena,
I can see what you mean but CS5 on my system doesn't do this and I couldn't duplicate. Sorry.. I am not able to offer any help.
Tom

Unless you can share the PSD file, I don't think anyone is seeing the problem in context.

I'm very happy to provide the PSD, but Exposure Room won't accept the upload. May I email it? Although I'm sure that getting the file will help at all; file opens normally on another machine.

You could open a free account with 2GB at Dropbox.com. I don't own stock in it, but I use the site.

Excellent suggestion, John. You can see that my computer expertise is very narrowly focused!

Anyway, the problem was updating the driver. I've just rolled back to 285.62 and Ps is working again. Now to have a look at Vegas 11.

Hi Serena,

I can't see anything in your screenshot that would give me a clue. There are certainly tip-offs as to what it isn't but that's not a lot of help.

Since the document image is being shown as exactly the same color as the workspace pasteboard I suspect it's nothing to do with the document, unless perhaps it's an exotic version of a jpeg image.

Photoshop 5.1 supports GPU acceleration. You can turn it off under the Performance entry in the prefs. I'd start there. You really shouldn't need to reinstall, I'd think.

Rob

Some other things you might look at. These might not actually help but might give a better idea of what you're seeing.

The program workspace is called the Pasteboard. You can change it's color in the Perferences/Interface Dialog. Change it to black and then restart Photoshop. Then cycle through the screen modes by pressing the F key. In some, if not all, modes the image background ought to appear black rather than grey.

All this really says is that you're seeing the pasteboard where your image should be. It doesn't help you except to know what it is you're seeing.

In fact, pressing F to cycle though screen modes might actually reveal the image in one of those modes. Try that before and then after turning off the GPU. Regardless, turning off the GPU is my only idea so far.

Thanks Rob. Solved the problem by rolling back the driver to 285.62 . I haven't tried rolling forward to find where it went wrong.

Serena,
That is the driver I have for my nVidia GeForce 9800GT...
Tom

Very good! I'm sure this'll come up for other people too so it's good to know.

Rob

I had the same issue with an ATI system. The new ATI driver just came out and I'm not seeing the same behaviour. I'm running the NVidia beta on my machine at home, so I'll have to roll that back to eliminate the problem there.

Who knew computers were so complicated?

Who knew computers were so complicated?

I thought you just put the bread in the little tray and a few minutes later it'd come out "toast".

Rob