Participant

Question

Photoshop disappeared from my installed apps?

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
May 2, 2023
39 replies
5512 views

I've just noticed Photoshop has disappeared from my installed apps, if I scroll down to all the apps it says 'install' for Photoshop. It is already installed and I still use it but according to Creative Cloud it is not installed?

macOS

P

PhiH

Known Participant

Exact same thing just happened to me. I wanted to open my (up to date) Photoshop but it gave me the error message that “You can’t open the application “Adobe Photoshop 2026” because it may be damaged or incomplete.” I checked the Creative Cloud to see if it was maybe an update issue, but then I saw the Photoshop App isn’t even installed, according to them.

This sucks! Is there any solve? Do I really need to uninstall and reinstall (the exact same version i already have which is ridiculous)?

Also side note: A bug like this is unacceptable to me, especially from Adobe who overcharges and prides itself on creating software for professionals. This is the type of thing you’d expect and can tolerate from free opensource software.

kglad

Community Expert

@PhiH

does you cc desktop app offer to install the ps version that’s already installed?

J

JefferyPPaul

Participant

This has happened to me a few times. It still shows up in my application list but it won't open. When I go to Creative Cloud it says it is licensed and included in my package but not installed.

So I install it again, but like others, it wipes out all my settings. This is incredibly aggravating, especially since Adobe won't explain what the bug is, trying instead to make it sound like it's the users who have done something wrong. It is extremely frustrating since it takes me at least an hour or two to reinput all my preferred settings. This is why I detest software companies having access to my computer. Just let us control our own computers and update only when WE want to.

kglad

Community Expert

back up your settings.

mave1969

Known Participant

How? What an absurdly glib thing to say, as though the process of finding and preserving the myriad of scattered settings, brushes and preference files of one kind or another is a simple process.

It SHOULD be. And it used to be easy-er before Adobe got rid of the Sync Settings features for no good reason.

Either way, it does nothing to resolve the original problem, which is the Creative Cloud desktop app "forgetting" that an app is installed. It boggles my mind that the registry or database or whatever is used to keep track of installed apps cannot be forced to re-scan for apps, or otherwise "told" that an app is installed, and that the only apparent solution is the blunt instrument of reinstalling the app.

Shockingly poor user experience, but that's Adobe all over.

F

Fotografu

Known Participant

this just happened to me as well. Ps in installed and working on my compouter but disapperared from CC.

kglad

Community Expert

are you signed into your cc app with a different profile?

F

Fotografu

Known Participant

no i only have one profile

Stockholm-17

Participating Frequently

it happened to me as well, today.

The app completely disappeared from the computer (imac) and when I checked the application there is only a folder named Photoshop, and inside one single uninstall photoshop file.

It does not make sense at all.

kglad

Community Expert

@Stockholm-17

do you have ps beta installed?

Stockholm-17

Participating Frequently

no, it's been installed as regular photoshop for years, and I used to update it when it was necessary.
Yesterday I used it. Today it disappeared.

L

lindaQ

Participant

I have had the same issue since May 9. We have been traveling since late April, and I left my MacBook Pro at home powered off. When I turned it back on I had the same issue. I didn't want to do the reinstall for fear of overwriting settings. I tried the suggestions, but nothing has worked. Hopeing someone will have a better answer soon.

kglad

Community Expert

is photoshop installed and working?

L

lindaQ

Participant

Yes, Photoshop is installed and working fine, but listed as not installed in Creative Cloud.

kglad

Community Expert

@Ian29689707nt0z

click that install button.

if ps is currently installed, the installer will probably start, find that ps is already installed, and quickly update your cc desktop app to show it's installed.

I

Ian29689707nt0zAuthor

Participant

Kglad, I clicked install and it installed PS as a fresh install on my Mac even though it was already there, it now appears as an installed app at least but opening PS all my presets and actions have gone so it's overwritten what was there I guess, a bit of a pain but hey ho..

kglad

Community Expert

installing even a new version doesn't automatically overwrite a previous version's preferences . you're given that option when installing new version, but it's not done unless selected.

anyway, do you have any idea about how the previous install was uninstalled (including its preferences)?