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HowTo : Solve ‘the file-format module cannot parse the file’ error in Photoshop

Written by: Muninder

Updated: August, 7, 2010

Yesterday, when I was working on a client’s site, I got an error in Photoshop while using a .PNG file which normally works pretty well in Photoshop (PS). This error was new to me & it seemed weird too. Then I started researching on this weird PS error & found some solutions to not overcome it actually, but you can call it alternatives; though if you’re a Digital Scrapbooker or something similar to it; who has to deal with lots of such .PNG files daily, would find these below-mentioned solutions pretty difficult.
Here is the description of the error in case you tend to face the same error in the future. This would add as a reference so that you could know the solution well before you encounter the same.

Could not complete your request because the file-format module cannot parse the file

file format module cannot parse the file error
The file format module cannot parse the file error

Solution:-
You have actually two solutions to this problem. Both are just alternatives as said before & will be useful to you if you face the file-format module error in Photoshop very rarely.

1) Save it as .PNG again

Certainly, you won’t be able to open it in PS, but you can use the default ‘Paint’ present in the Accessories Dropdown in your Start Menu, {Shortcut: press control + r (Run Command) & type mspaint} to open the image & just Save As .PNG again. Now you will be able to open it in PS & you can continue with your editing work again.

2) Take a Screenshot & Edit it

I used this option since I didn’t know that the option works too & I hadn’t researched this error at that time. This option is pretty simple if you are quick in PS.

printscreen-button
Printscreen Button

First, open the Image using your default image viewer. In my case, it is ‘Microsoft Picture and Fax Viewer’. Then take a screenshot of the opened image using the Print Screen Button (Prt Scr) on the keyboard. Now the image will be placed in the clipboard.

  • Open Photoshop, Go to File –> New & press the ok button.
  • Then a transparent layer will be opened.
  • Use Control + v (Paste) to paste your image.
  • Now use the Rectangular Marquee Tool to select the part of the screenshot where your image lies.
  • Press Control + c to copy the part of the screenshot
  • Again goto File –> New, press the Ok button & Paste the image with Control + v
  • That’s it. Now save it as .PNG or use Save for Web & Devices & save as .PNG

Note:- Try this option only if you know some of the basics of PS, else I would recommend the first option. It’s much easier.
Hope the above solutions work for you. Though it has been revealed by Adobe Employees that such an error is because of a corrupted file due to a bad RAM & disc. Here is the exact quote from an Adobe Employee.

Adobe can’t solve corrupt files.
They are corrupted by bad disks, bad RAM, or other applications (malware mostly) on your hard disk.
Photoshop simply reports problems reading the files when the files are corrupt.

Hope you like the tutorial.  Do leave a comment if you have encountered such problems

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