PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston An undocumented feature of Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and related programs makes the applications open b
[See the full post at: Secret Photoshop feature won’t open images with certain filenames]
![]() |
Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don't do it. |
SIGN IN | Not a member? | REGISTER | PLUS MEMBERSHIP |
-
Secret Photoshop feature won’t open images with certain filenames
Home » Forums » Newsletter and Homepage topics » Secret Photoshop feature won’t open images with certain filenames
- This topic has 5 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago.
AuthorTopicB. Livingston
AskWoody MVPApril 4, 2022 at 2:43 am #2436621Viewing 4 reply threadsAuthorReplies-
rc primak
AskWoody_MVPApril 4, 2022 at 5:01 am #2436655This is one reason why I prefer open source software. If you find a bug or Easter Egg like this and want to correct it, you can look into the code, and edit it (or recompile it) and have a fully functional program. Then you can donate your corrected code to the open source community as a fixed version or fork of the software. Proprietary code is opaque and does not offer these options.
And I guarantee a open source project developer will not dismiss bug reports as “it’s you, not me”. Open source developers also rarely refuse to patch older versions. But even if they do, you can always create your own fork.
-- rc primak
-
TJ
AskWoody PlusApril 4, 2022 at 5:20 am #2436659I also use Brian’s formentioned Faststone Image Viewer in combination with Photoshop Elements 2022, and I think it’s a Photoshop (Elements) bug. In my experience this bug occurs with ALL images, whatever the files are named.
Previously I could trigger PSE (i.e. PhotshopElementsEditor.exe) to open an image from within Faststone Image Viewer, but that does not work anymore. It does trigger PSE to open, but the image does not load.LMDE is my daily driver now. Old friend Win10 keeps spinning in the background1 user thanked author for this post.
-
anonymous
GuestApril 4, 2022 at 10:49 am #2436685Don’t you people remember DOS command lines? The “S-” is the clue that what follows are commands to perform upon opening the program. There might be things like “Sharpen” and/or “B&W” that follow that tell PhotoShop to perform these functions to the files that are named at the end of the line, including series of files like “Vaca*.jpg”… thus open and Sharpen, then convert to Black and White, all files that begin with “Vaca” and end with “.jpg”.
This may be considered a “bug” as a remnant of the old DOS versions of the progrma,but it could also be useful to others as a CMD mode command to perform multiple actions to a series of files.
1 user thanked author for this post.
-
Noel Carboni
AskWoody_MVPApril 4, 2022 at 11:44 am #2436767I’m with Adobe Quality Engineering and saw the article…
I’ve found the misbehaving code – it’s a long-standing bug that’s, on Windows, in an incomplete way looking for the presence of the command line parameter “-Quit”. Nothing nefarious, just the accidental use of a “substring match” function instead of a “whole string match” function. And as surmised, the code has been shared with other products in the past couple of decades.
Thanks for bringing this up here, Brian. When I see notifications about the disposition of this issue I’ll follow up here, if I can find this thread again.
-Noel
3 users thanked author for this post.
-
Noel Carboni
AskWoody_MVPMay 5, 2022 at 8:46 am #2444362The issue was not given high priority, so I just changed it myself in the Photoshop source code. As I mentioned above, it was a misrecognition of a debugging test switch embedded in a filename – a minor coding oversight almost 2 decades ago. Look for the change in the Photoshop 2022 version 22.4 release later this year.
-Noel
1 user thanked author for this post.
Viewing 4 reply threads -

Plus Membership
Donations from Plus members keep this site going. You can identify the people who support AskWoody by the Plus badge on their avatars.
AskWoody Plus members not only get access to all of the contents of this site -- including Susan Bradley's frequently updated Patch Watch listing -- they also receive weekly AskWoody Plus Newsletters (formerly Windows Secrets Newsletter) and AskWoody Plus Alerts, emails when there are important breaking developments.
Get Plus!
Welcome to our unique respite from the madness.
It's easy to post questions about Windows 11, Windows 10, Win8.1, Win7, Surface, Office, or browse through our Forums. Post anonymously or register for greater privileges. Keep it civil, please: Decorous Lounge rules strictly enforced. Questions? Contact Customer Support.
Search Newsletters
Search Forums
View the Forum
Search for Topics
Recent Topics
-
Cox Communications and Charter Communications to merge
by
not so anon
5 hours, 33 minutes ago -
Help with WD usb driver on Windows 11
by
Tex265
4 hours, 41 minutes ago -
hibernate activation
by
e_belmont
8 hours, 27 minutes ago -
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 with AI assistant
by
Alex5723
12 hours, 14 minutes ago -
Windows 11 Insider Preview build 26200.5603 released to DEV
by
joep517
15 hours, 19 minutes ago -
Windows 11 Insider Preview build 26120.4151 (24H2) released to BETA
by
joep517
15 hours, 21 minutes ago -
Fixing Windows 24H2 failed KB5058411 install
by
Alex5723
18 hours, 31 minutes ago -
Out of band for Windows 10
by
Susan Bradley
20 hours, 4 minutes ago -
Giving UniGetUi a test run.
by
RetiredGeek
1 day, 3 hours ago -
Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100.4188 (24H2) released to Release Preview
by
joep517
1 day, 10 hours ago -
Microsoft is now putting quantum encryption in Windows builds
by
Alex5723
1 day, 8 hours ago -
Auto Time Zone Adjustment
by
wadeer
1 day, 15 hours ago -
To download Win 11 Pro 23H2 ISO.
by
Eddieloh
1 day, 12 hours ago -
Manage your browsing experience with Edge
by
Mary Branscombe
17 hours, 23 minutes ago -
Fewer vulnerabilities, larger updates
by
Susan Bradley
5 hours, 48 minutes ago -
Hobbies — There’s free software for that!
by
Deanna McElveen
12 hours, 13 minutes ago -
Apps included with macOS
by
Will Fastie
10 hours, 4 minutes ago -
Xfinity home internet
by
MrJimPhelps
6 hours, 52 minutes ago -
Convert PowerPoint presentation to Impress
by
RetiredGeek
1 day, 8 hours ago -
Debian 12.11 released
by
Alex5723
2 days, 12 hours ago -
Microsoft: Troubleshoot problems updating Windows
by
Alex5723
2 days, 15 hours ago -
Woman Files for Divorce After ChatGPT “Reads” Husband’s Coffee Cup
by
Alex5723
1 day, 19 hours ago -
Moving fwd, Win 11 Pro,, which is best? Lenovo refurb
by
Deo
1 hour, 31 minutes ago -
DBOS Advanced Network Analysis
by
Kathy Stevens
3 days, 8 hours ago -
Microsoft Edge Launching Automatically?
by
healeyinpa
2 days, 23 hours ago -
Google Chrome to block admin-level browser launches for better security
by
Alex5723
20 hours, 59 minutes ago -
iPhone SE2 Stolen Device Protection
by
Rick Corbett
3 days, 3 hours ago -
Some advice for managing my wireless internet gateway
by
LHiggins
2 days, 11 hours ago -
NO POWER IN KEYBOARD OR MOUSE
by
HE48AEEXX77WEN4Edbtm
1 day, 13 hours ago -
A CVE-MITRE-CISA-CNA Extravaganza
by
Nibbled To Death By Ducks
3 days, 21 hours ago
Recent blog posts
Key Links
Want to Advertise in the free newsletter? How about a gift subscription in honor of a birthday? Send an email to sb@askwoody.com to ask how.
Mastodon profile for DefConPatch
Mastodon profile for AskWoody
Home • About • FAQ • Posts & Privacy • Forums • My Account
Register • Free Newsletter • Plus Membership • Gift Certificates • MS-DEFCON Alerts
Copyright ©2004-2025 by AskWoody Tech LLC. All Rights Reserved.