Open Photoshop again. If auto recovery was on, Photoshop opens your file by itself, with "Recovered" in its name. Save it right away with File > Save As.
If nothing opens, look in the AutoRecover folder (step 2 below).
Before you open Photoshop again
Photoshop keeps its recovery files in one folder (the paths are in step 2). Photoshop can remove these files after it starts. So first, copy that folder to your desktop. Then, if something goes wrong, you still have a copy.
1. Open Photoshop and save the recovered file
When auto recovery is on, Photoshop saves recovery information while you work. After a crash, open Photoshop again. It opens the recovered files by itself. Check that the painting is there, then save it at once with File > Save As, with a new name.
The recovered file is only as new as the last recovery save. If Photoshop saved recovery information every 10 minutes, you may lose up to 10 minutes of work.
2. Look in the AutoRecover folder
If Photoshop does not open anything, look for the files yourself. Replace 2026 with your Photoshop version.
- Windows:
C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2026\AutoRecover. The AppData folder is hidden. The easy way: type %AppData% in the File Explorer address bar and press Enter, then open Adobe. - Mac:
~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop 2026/AutoRecover. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder and paste the path.
If you see files there, copy them somewhere safe first. Then open them in Photoshop with File > Open and save them as a normal PSD.
3. Was it a cloud document? Check Version History
If you saved the file as a Photoshop cloud document, Adobe keeps older versions online. Open the file and choose Window > Version History. Pick the newest version that has your work.
4. Check your backups
If you saved the file at least once, an older copy may be in a backup:
- Windows: right-click the file, choose Properties > Previous Versions. This works only if File History or restore points were on.
- Mac: open the folder with the file, then open Time Machine, if you use it.
- Synced folders: OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud Drive keep older versions of files. Look for "version history" on their website.
Turn on auto recovery, so next time is easier
- Open the settings. Windows: Edit > Preferences > File Handling. Mac: Photoshop > Settings > File Handling (on older versions, Preferences).
- Turn on Automatically Save Recovery Information Every.
- Choose 5 minutes. A shorter time means less lost work.
Important: recovery information is not your saved file. It only helps after a crash. You still need to save with Ctrl + S (Windows) or Command + S (Mac).
Why Photoshop crashes, and simple fixes
- Not enough disk space. Photoshop needs free space on its scratch disk. Free some space, or pick another drive in Preferences > Scratch Disks.
- Graphics card driver. Update the driver from your graphics card maker. To test, turn off Use Graphics Processor in Preferences > Performance and open Photoshop again.
- Broken settings. Reset them: hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift (Windows) or Command + Option + Shift (Mac) while Photoshop opens, then click Yes.
- Old Photoshop. Install the latest update from the Creative Cloud app.
- Very big files. Many layers at a high resolution need a lot of memory. Close other big apps while you paint.
Habits that keep your painting safe
- Save often. Press Ctrl + S or Command + S every time you stop to think.
- Save versions. Use File > Save As at each big step: painting-v1, painting-v2. One broken file then costs you one step, not the whole painting.
- Keep your files in a synced folder that keeps old versions.
Your process stays safe with PixelRec
PixelRec Ultra does not save your PSD file, so keep saving. But it does keep your process. It records inside Photoshop by itself and saves each frame as a picture on your computer while you paint. If Photoshop crashes, the frames you already have stay safe, so your timelapse is not lost.
