Background layer is locked in expert mode PSE 11: The background layer showed partially locked one day. The cursor turns to a circle with a slash when I tried to unlock it. Uninstalled...

biry

The background layer showed partially locked one day. The cursor turns to a circle with a slash when I tried to unlock it. Uninstalled PSE 11 and reinstalled, same problem. Installed it on my wife's laptop with the same result. It seems my copy is corrupted. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Really wanted to wait after black Friday to get PSE 14, but might have to bite the bullet and get it now. Thanks in advance. Bill

jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

biry wrote:

The background layer showed partially locked one day. The cursor turns to a circle with a slash when I tried to unlock it. Uninstalled PSE 11 and reinstalled, same problem. Installed it on my wife's laptop with the same result. It seems my copy is corrupted. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Really wanted to wait after black Friday to get PSE 14, but might have to bite the bullet and get it now. Thanks in advance. Bill

The background layer is locked by default. That is so the original layer is always there. If you are trying to edit with it unlocked you will end up losing the original.

Billyspad Loc: The Philippines

As above background layer is locked so you always have original. Just duplicate the locked layer,in Photoshop its Ctrl/J to do that if not go into Layer menu or right click on the layer you wish to duplicate.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

biry wrote:

The background layer showed partially locked one day. The cursor turns to a circle with a slash when I tried to unlock it. Uninstalled PSE 11 and reinstalled, same problem. Installed it on my wife's laptop with the same result. It seems my copy is corrupted. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Really wanted to wait after black Friday to get PSE 14, but might have to bite the bullet and get it now. Thanks in advance. Bill

The Answer you got was correct. This is to preserve the original image. I ALWAYS start with a duplicate CTRL + J on a PC.

biry

jethro779 wrote:

The background layer is locked by default. That is so the original layer is always there. If you are trying to edit with it unlocked you will end up losing the original.

Thank you for replying. I am unable to unlock the layer or use control/j to create a background copy. I can create an unlocked layer, layer 0, but even then the items in the layers menu will not work.

biry

Billyspad wrote:

As above background layer is locked so you always have original. Just duplicate the locked layer,in Photoshop its Ctrl/J to do that if not go into Layer menu or right click on the layer you wish to duplicate.

Many thanks, Billyspad. Control/j doesn't work. I can right click on the background image and get a layer, layer 0, which is unlocked. However the items under the layers menu don't work.
Frustrating! Can't imagine what I have done, but its messed up
for sure. I appreciate your time.

biry

Howard5252 wrote:

The Answer you got was correct. This is to preserve the original image. I ALWAYS start with a duplicate CTRL + J on a PC.

Thank you Howard 5252, I appreciate you Looking in. I too always duplicate the original background layer using control/j or
the layers menu. My problem is that neither of these create a duplicate layer. I can right click on the locked background layer and get an unlocked layer 0.

After replying to you, Billyspad and Howard5252, I messed around and found if I convert to 8 bit under the image menu I can get an unlocked duplicate layer. I am too ignotant to understand whats happening, but I'll sure take the workaround.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

After making your duplicate copy of the background, be sure and select that copy layer before performing any edits.
If by chance you have the original background layer selected, adjustments will be hidden behind the copy layer.

biry

Weddingguy wrote:

After making your duplicate copy of the background, be sure and select that copy layer before performing any edits.
If by chance you have the original background layer selected, adjustments will be hidden behind the copy layer.

Thanks for looking in Weddingguy. I appreciate it. I will be sure to do that. Bill

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

biry wrote:

Thank you Howard 5252, I appreciate you Looking in... (show quote)

Its not a work-a-round, its the way it has to be done. Elements will only work with 8 bit image files. PSE 14 will be the same.

Output from the full version of Photoshop, Lightroom and many other programs, even ACR may be in 16 or 8 bit. They must be changed to 8 bit to work in Elements.

biry

Searcher wrote:

Its not a work-a-round, its the way it has to be done. Elements will only work with 8 bit image files. PSE 14 will be the same.

Output from the full version of Photoshop, Lightroom and many other programs, even ACR may be in 16 or 8 bit. They must be changed to 8 bit to work in Elements.

Thank you for setting me straight. Apparently I was getting an 8 bit output from ACR and it changed for some reason, probably something I did. Now I know. I think I will go ahead and get PSE 14 for some of the improvements. As an aside, I am so glad you are back and feeling better. You are appreciated by more people than you know.

Bill