Cannot modify properties of TIF file

[TCP]

It seems that any picture saved in TIF format using Photoshop Elements 5.0 cannot later have the Summary section of its properties modified. I discovered this when trying to add comments to pictures after using Photoshop to modify them. Windows XP gives the following error message when you try to change anything in the Summary tab of the file's properties:

"Changes to Summary properties could not be saved; access has been denied.
The file may be marked read-only or may be in use by another application."

The file is not marked as read-only, and Photoshop is not open. Rebooting does not fix it. Even copying the file to another computer does not fix it. The error stays with the file. It should not be an issue with permissions, since I'm logged on as Administrator on both computers. It's not a problem with TIF files, since I can modify the Summary properties of TIF files that were created with other programs, for instance my scanner. And it doesn't happen with files saved by Photoshop in any format except TIF. Something Photoshop is doing when it saves a TIF file results in modification of the Summary properties being permanently disabled.

I'm scanning old family photos to digital format and use the lossless TIF format for the master copies, so using another format is not an option. But I want to be able to go back and add comments to the master copies as new facts about the people and places in the photos come to light. I can keep a separate text file for descriptions of the photos, of course, but that always runs the risk of the comments getting separated from the picture.

Anyone have a solution or workaround for this bug?

[betabet]

Having exactly the same problem and you are correct that it appears to ONLY occur with Photoshop Elements including new version 6. Microsoft Knowledge base article <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326774#appliesto> says there is no fix and that if you COULD get the file to take a summary, it would corrupt the file. The only work-around I see is to open the file using another program that will open a .tif file, save it out again, and then edit the summary. - Anne

[Harv]

Thanks for the TIP. I opened my files with Corel Photo Paint, Saved them and then edited the "summary" No problem