photoshop won't open files

Photoshop was reinstalled about 4 weeks ago.

Then PS stopped being able to open an image file (jpg or tif) by double clicking a file name in a Windows folder, or by right clicking a file name>open. The response is a little blue circle which rotates for a couple of seconds then stops.

PS was able to open a file by going to PS>file>open>browse to folder>file name, and there is a circle of black/grey dots rotating, which then disappears, then the image appears ca 3 seconds later..

A technitian reinstalled PS 22 (I think) and tweeked PS and fixed the problem. Then the same thing happened a few days later. 

 Then a technitian reinstalled and tweeked PS and fixed the problem. 2 hours ago, my Epson scanner stopped working, and so did PS. Rebooting the computer got both going again.  But PS, again, will only open a file by going to PS>file>open>browse to folder>file name.

This seems to be a pesticide resistent bug in PS. Also, it seems that PS may automatically reinfest the bug.

 The current PS is 24.6.0 (it would be more polite if I was allowed to copy and paste this information, which disappears as soon as the mouse moves away from the Help screen).

Win10 64 bit

2. It proves very difficult to ask a question.  If I navigate to Adobe Community, the only option is to search pages of  existing questions.  Eventually, I stumbled on a Photoshop ecosystem page (don't know how) which allowed me to ask this question. There must be an easier, obvious, way.

And I have had to sign in twice!