How To Fix “Photoshop File Format Module Cannot Parse The File” Error?

Photoshop is one of the best photo editing tools that designers and art enthusiasts swear by. That being said, it is not free of errors, and time and again users have to go through some of them – Photoshop file format module cannot parse the file being one of them. In this post, we’ll find out what this error is all about and what are the various ways in which you can fix this issue.

What Does “Cannot Parse The File” Mean?

When you receive the error “Photoshop file format module cannot parse the file” or any related error while trying to work on a file, it either means that the format of the file that you are trying to open is not recognizable by Photoshop or the file per se has become corrupt. Let’s quickly have a look at some of the common causes that can lead to the “file format module cannot parse the file” error –

• You downloaded a file in PNG file format and changed the extension to PSD during which the file became corrupted.
• Corrupt or damaged file.
• Incompatible file format.
• The file is larger than what your version of Photoshop can handle.

Do This First –

Before moving on to advanced steps, here are certain basic steps you can undertake –

• In an application like paint, try changing the image format.
• If the PSD file has become corrupt, check if you can get a working version from a backup.

Best Ways to Fix “Photoshop File Format Module Cannot Parse The File”

1. Modify Adobe Photoshop’s DWORD Value In Windows Registry

One way that has worked for users who were facing this issue is to change JPEG data’s integer value in the Windows Registry. To do that follow the steps mentioned below –

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R.
2. Type Regedit and press Enter.
3. When the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following path –

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Photoshop\140.0

4. On the right locate the OverridePhysicalMemoryMB DWORD file.
5. Select the Base, check hexadecimal, and type 4000.
6. Tap on OK and restart your computer.

2. Open The File In Paint

You can try and open the file in paint. What this does is that when you open a JPEG file in paint and click on Save as it corrects any misconfigurations in the file which might be leading to the error. Furthermore, you can change the file format to JPG, PNG, JPEG, etc.

3. Repair Corrupted Photoshop File

It can be nerve-wracking to know that the error “file format module cannot parse the file” has occurred because your PSD file has become corrupt. For once you might think that all your hard work is done. And, what can be even scarier is if you find that the images you are using in your project have become corrupt. Needn’t lose hope, here is one way which will help you repair corrupt images. You can use a photo repair tool like Stellar Repair for Photo. It is a powerful photo repair tool that can help you repair corrupted image files.

To repair photos using Stellar Repair for Photo –

1. Download, run, and install Stellar Repair for Photo.

2. Click on Add File.
3. Click on Repair and let the repairing process finish.
4. You can even preview repaired files before saving them.

Worried that you may lose your images forever? Worry not! Even if your photos are lost due to some reason, here is how you can get them back.

4. Update Photoshop

You can get rid of “Could not complete your request because the file-format module cannot parse the file”  by updating the version of Photoshop that you have –

1. Click on Creative Cloud Desktop.
2. Log into your account.
3. Click on Apps from the top menu.
4. Click on Update and wait for the process to complete.

Once the update is over check if the “Photoshop file format module cannot parse the file” error is gone or not.

5. Reset Preferences

If you are someone who often tweaks Photoshop preferences, chances are you probably went a little too far and you tweaked the wrong ones. Not to worry, you can go ahead and reset Preferences for once and check if you have been able to fix the issue. To do that click on File > Edit and then click on Reset Preferences On Quit.

Wrapping Up

Were you able to get rid of the “Photoshop file format module cannot parse the file” error? If yes, which of the above solutions helped you fix the issue, do let us know in the comments section below. For more such helpful content, keep reading WeTheGeek. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Flipboard, Instagram.