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Participant
January 21, 2025
Question

Elements editor menu bar dropdowns greyed out

  • January 21, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 396 views

I have had 2021 Elements for 2 years. Suddenly the dropdowns on the menu bar starting with 'file' and 'edit' are greyed out. Even with a photo loaded in editor the drop downs are still greyed out and do not work. I can still upload a photo and access the 3 methods of working ie quick guided and expert. Is there a way of restoring these menus?

3 replies

Greg_S.
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 22, 2025

Peru Bob already gave you the alternative:

Go to Edit > Preferences (Mac: Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General), click the Reset Preferences on next launch button, and then click OK. When you restart Adobe Photoshop Elements, all preferences are reset to default settings.
A new preferences file is created the next time you start Photoshop Elements Editor.

 

If that doesn't work, I suggest you reinstall the program.

Participant
January 22, 2025
I have removed and reinstalled twice but no change
Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 21, 2025

Try this:

Restore default preferences
Preference settings control how Photoshop Elements Editor displays images, cursors, and transparencies, saves files, uses plug‑ins and scratch disks, and so on. If the application exhibits unexpected behavior, the preferences file could be damaged. You can restore all preferences to their defaults.

Note: Deleting the preferences file is an action that cannot be undone.

Do one of the following:

Press and hold Alt+Control+Shift (Mac: Option+Command+Shift) immediately after Photoshop Elements begins launching. Click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements settings file.
Go to Edit > Preferences (Mac: Photoshop Elements > Preferences > General), click the Reset Preferences on next launch button, and then click OK. When you restart Adobe Photoshop Elements, all preferences are reset to default settings.
A new preferences file is created the next time you start Photoshop Elements Editor. For information on a specific preference option, search for the preference name in Help.

from here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/preference-file-locations-photoshop-elements.html

Participant
January 21, 2025
Thank you. Can’t press those 3 buttons quick enough to effect the change
you propose. It opens up far too quickly. Is there anywhere else that I can
access these preferences?
Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 21, 2025

I've moved this from the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to thePhotyoshop Elements forum so that proper help can be offered.


Scroll down here to see a list of the forums:
https://community.adobe.com/