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Participant
January 7, 2025
Question

ICC profile is invalid. Latest PS, reinstalled deleting profile 3x, set default ICC, etc

  • January 7, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 1550 views

Recently Photoshop (latest CC update) failed to load. It errors when it tries to load the color settings with the error, "Could not initialize Photoshop because the ICC profile is invalid." I've reinstalled the program several times, set different ICC defaults and more. It still won't work. How can I fix this?

3 replies

Participant
July 27, 2025

I faced the same problem, I had a simple solution and it worked - if you are using Windows 11/11 Pro - right click on your home screen and go to Display Settings - once in display settings go to color profile - in color profile choose option "Automatically manage color for apps" - let me know if it works for you! 

davescm
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 27, 2025

I would not recommended that solution. You may want to read the attached article from BenQ:
https://www.benq.com/en-us/support/downloads-faq/faq/product/application/monitor-faq-kn-00088.html

Dave

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 4, 2025

@davescm "I would not recommended that solution."

me neither

 

I hope this helps

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.

Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts

 

 

D Fosse
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 7, 2025

I suspect the problem may be your monitor profile. That's the one that applies globally. All document profiles are embedded in the files.

 

Are you using a calibrator to make your monitor profile? If you are, run it again. If you're not, you may have gotten a corrupt manufacturer profile distributed through Windows Update. Replace it with sRGB IEC61966-2.1 as a temporary measure until you get a calibrator.

 

Your color settings aren't really important. The only important setting is Policies, which should always be "Preserve Embedded Profiles". Then the embedded document profile will always override your working space/color settings.

Rick2001Author
Participant
January 8, 2025

I downloaded that file and set it as my default. Unfortunetly, same behavior. Does Photoshop have a log that shows which ICC it's trying to load? This problem may have started when I began using PS 2025. Other thoughts on actions I might take?

 

Thanks for your help!

NB, colourmanagement
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 8, 2025

@Rick2001 Possibly it's worth trying a fully thorough reset of Photoshop preferences?

(maybe you did this already?)

 

(read this entire post before acting please)

Resetting restores Photoshop's internal preferences, which are saved when Photoshop closes.

If they become corrupt then various issues can occur.

 

Here’s some info on how to do that:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html

Manually removing preferences files is the most complete method for restoring Photoshop to its default state: 

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#Manually

 

Manually removing preferences files is the most complete method for restoring Photoshop to its default state. This method ensures all preferences and any user presets which may be causing a problem are not loaded.

  1. Quit Photoshop.

  2. Navigate to Photoshop's Preferences folder.
    macOS: Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings
    Windows: Users/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop [version]/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings

     
    Note: The user Library folder is hidden by default on macOS. To access files in the hidden user Library folder, see How to access hidden user library files.
  3. Drag the entire Adobe Photoshop [Version] Settings folder to the desktop or somewhere safe for a back-up of your settings

  4. Open Photoshop.

     New preferences files will be created in their original location.

 

 

Note re macOS: The user Library folder is hidden by default.

To access files in the hidden user Library folder, see here for how to access hidden user library files.

https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/access-hidden-user-library-files.html

 

Unexpected behaviour may indicate damaged preferences. Restoring preferences to their default settings is a good idea when trying to troubleshoot unexpected behaviours in Photoshop. check out the video

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#reset_preferences

 

Learn how to access and modify Photoshop preferences and customise per your frequent workflows

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html

 

And here’s an earlier forum discussion as an aid to understanding

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-ecosystem-discussions/quick-tips-how-to-reset-photoshop-preferences/td-p/12502668

 

You may want to backup your settings and custom presets, brushes & actions before restoring Photoshop's preferences.

Here is general info about that:  https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#BackupPhotoshoppreferences

 

 

Before you reset your preferences

in case of future issues, I suggest you make a copy as Adobe may need one to check problematic references. 

Quit Photoshop.
Go to Photoshop's Preferences folder

Preferences file locations: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/preference-file-names-locations-photoshop.html\


  [on MacOS see: Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings

  Note for those on macOS: - be aware that the user Library folder is hidden by default on macOS.

  https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/access-hidden-user-library-files.html

  In the Finder, open the “Go” menu whilst holding down the Option (Alt) key.

  Library will now appear in the list - below the current user's “home” directory. ]

 

Now you can drag the entire Adobe Photoshop [Version] Settings folder to the desktop or somewhere safe as a back-up of your settings.

 

 

Note for those on macOS:

Preference preservation is affected by macOS permissions,

you’ll need to allow Photoshop ‘Full Disk Access’ in your Mac OS Preferences/Security and Privacy

 

If that doesn't fix the issue:

Go to Preferences > Performance... and uncheck Multithreaded Compositing - and restart Photoshop.

Still hanging? 

Go to Preferences > Performance... click Advanced Settings... and uncheck "GPU Compositing" - then restart Photoshop. 

Do you still have problems?

 

 

 

It may even be time to reinstall Photoshop.

 

It’s recommended that you use the Adobe CC cleaner tool to remove all traces first.

(See above about preserving preferences though! It’s worth preserving them unless they are corrupted.)

 

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Uninstall Photoshop BUT make sure to choose the option “Yes, remove app preference”.

 

Once that process finishes, start the installation process and look into the “Advanced Options”. Uncheck “Import previous settings and preferences” and choose to “Remove old versions”.

 

neil barstow - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colour management

Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.

Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts

 

Ged_Traynor
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 7, 2025

@Rick2001 try manually resetting your Photoshop preferences
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/photoshop/using/preferences.html#Manually
Remember to back up your settings before doing the preference reset
https://helpx.adobe.com/ie/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html

Rick2001Author
Participant
January 8, 2025

I tried the manual reset with no success. I completely removed the settings per the instructions and let PS 2025 regenerate them. I also downloaded sRGB IEC61966-2.1 and set it as my default. I'm still getting the same error. Any other steps I might take?

 

Thanks for your help!