File format module cannot parse the file in Adobe Photoshop

When users try to open a file in PhotoShop, they encounter an error that stops them from accessing or editing the file. This error message often comes when the file is corrupted or incompatible. Following is the exact error message that the user sees.

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

Fix File Format Module Cannot Parse the File in Adobe Photoshop

In case, Adobe is unable to parse the file, first of all, check the format of the file. If the file format is not supported, we can change the extension of the same. You may also encounter this issue due to misconfigured registry, some bug, or corrupted Photoshop preferences. Hereinafter, we will see what you can do to remedy the situation.

If File Format Module cannot parse the file in Adobe Photoshop, you can use some methods to fix this problem.

1. Change the Image extension
2. Edit Adobe Photoshop DWORD Value in Registry
3. Update Photoshop
4. Reset Photoshop Preferences

Let’s discuss these methods one by one

1] Change the Image extension

You may face this error if the image file format is not compatible. So, you should open this image file in MS Paint to change the image format. To know the supported file format, visit helpx.adobe.com. If your file is compatible with the app, you can skip this method.

Use the following steps to change the file format of the image.

1. Right-click on the image which you want to open in Paint and select Open with > Paint.
2. After the file is opened, click on Save As under the File option.
3. Select the required file format like png, jpg/jpeg, etc, and save in a compatible format.

After using this method, try parsing the file in Adobe Photoshop, your issue should be resolved.

2] Edit Adobe Photoshop DWORD Value in Registry

If the problem is still unsolved, you may fix this error by changing the integer value of the Adobe photoshop DWORD value in Registry. Many users have experienced, changing the Photoshop DWORD value in Windows Registry has resolved this error.

Before modifying the registry, you need to take a backup of the registry because if any problem comes up in the future, we can revert the registry.

Follow the prescribed steps to change the registry’s DWORD value.

• Open the Run dialog box, and press the Windows + R key simultaneously.
• Write regedit in the Run dialog box and press the OK button.
• Go to the following directory.

  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Photoshop\<version>

  Note: Replace <version> with the Adobe Photoshop version that you are using

• Double-click on the “OverridePhysicalMemoryMB” DWORD file and you can find an option to change the DWORD value.
  If can’t find the mentioned value, right-click on the empty space and select New > DWORD (32-bit ) Value, and name it OverridePhysicalMemoryMB
• Check the Hexadecimal in the Base option and type the value “4000”(1000=1GB).
• Save all changes and close the Window dialog box and reboot the system.

Open your photo in Adobe Photoshop and confirm whether the error is resolved or not.

3] Update Photoshop

Updating your Photoshop application will remove the bug that was causing this issue. In that case, if you want to resolve the error then you need to update your Photoshop. You have to use the following steps to update photoshop.

1. Launch the Creative Cloud Desktop app on your PC.
2. Log in to your account.
3. Select Apps, click on update and it will take a few minutes to finish the update process.

After finishing the update, your issue will be fixed.

4] Reset Photoshop Preferences

You can encounter the issue in question due to a corrupted preference file. In order to resolve the issue, in that case, we will reset the preference file of Adobe Photoshop from its setting. Follow the prescribed steps to do the same.

1. Open Photoshop and click on the Edit menu at the top of the screen there you should select Preferences, and then click on the General tab.
2. Here, click on the Reset Preferences On Quit option.
3. Click on Yes To Delete The Preferences when Quitting.
4. One small dialog box will appear and ask if you’re sure you want to reset the preferences when you quit Photoshop and click on OK when prompted.

Close and relaunch Photoshop. Hopefully, this will resolve the issue for you.

You may see Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program error due to bad image or corruption in the app. This is very common and if a user is even slightly reckless with their computer, there is a high chance that this error will appear. We recommend you check our guide on what to do if Photoshop could not complete your request because of a program.

Read: Adobe Photoshop Graphics Processor not detected.