I just updated to Big Sur and went to access some PNG files that I have for images that I use in my graphic design work and I get a message that says The file.....png could not be opened and says it may be damaged or use a file format that Preview does not recognise.
How do I fix this....this affects a lot of my work.
Thank you
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15
Hi there, Kuulia.
It appears that you're unable to open PNG files after upgrading your Mac to macOS Big Sur. You receive a message that the file may be damaged or it's using a format that isn't recognized in the Preview app. We understand how important these files are, and we're glad to help with this.
Change permissions for files, folders or disks on Mac - Apple Support -- Check the files, or the folder you have them placed in, to make sure that correct permissions have been granted to the appropriate users/groups.
How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support -- If permissions were granted correctly, restart your Mac in safe mode and see if Preview can open the files. Depending on whether or not they open, refer to the additional steps below:
"If the issue continues in safe mode
If the issue continues while in safe mode, or your Mac restarts several times and then shuts down while starting up in safe mode, you should reinstall macOS and make sure that your Apple software and third-party apps are up to date.
If the issue doesn't continue in safe mode
If the issue doesn't continue while in safe mode, leave safe mode by restarting your Mac normally. Then test for the issue again. The issue might be resolved.
If the issue returns after leaving safe mode, startup items are probably at fault. Apps can install such items in numerous places, and they aren't always easy to find or recognize. For that reason, you should first make sure that you've installed any available updates for your Apple software and third-party apps.
If updating your software doesn't help, try any of these solutions:
If you still need help, please contact Apple Support."
Take care.
Hi there, Kuulia.
It appears that you're unable to open PNG files after upgrading your Mac to macOS Big Sur. You receive a message that the file may be damaged or it's using a format that isn't recognized in the Preview app. We understand how important these files are, and we're glad to help with this.
Change permissions for files, folders or disks on Mac - Apple Support -- Check the files, or the folder you have them placed in, to make sure that correct permissions have been granted to the appropriate users/groups.
How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support -- If permissions were granted correctly, restart your Mac in safe mode and see if Preview can open the files. Depending on whether or not they open, refer to the additional steps below:
"If the issue continues in safe mode
If the issue continues while in safe mode, or your Mac restarts several times and then shuts down while starting up in safe mode, you should reinstall macOS and make sure that your Apple software and third-party apps are up to date.
If the issue doesn't continue in safe mode
If the issue doesn't continue while in safe mode, leave safe mode by restarting your Mac normally. Then test for the issue again. The issue might be resolved.
If the issue returns after leaving safe mode, startup items are probably at fault. Apps can install such items in numerous places, and they aren't always easy to find or recognize. For that reason, you should first make sure that you've installed any available updates for your Apple software and third-party apps.
If updating your software doesn't help, try any of these solutions:
If you still need help, please contact Apple Support."
Take care.
Can you open that .png file in any other application such as Safari?
Preview will not allow me to open PNG files
