Photoshop doesn’t tell you this, but PSD files can retain layer data even after saving — especially if Auto-Recovery was enabled.
Why it works:
Photoshop keeps a hidden timeline buffer until the file is fully closed and memory is overwritten.
How to recover:
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Open the PSD
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Go to Window → History
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Drag the history state backwards slowly
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Watch layers reappear frame by frame
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Duplicate recovered layers immediately
Critical tip:
Do this before closing Photoshop or opening large files.