Elements keeps crashing - the gradient file is bad or corrupted ERROR MESSAGE

Adobe Photoshop Elements Version: 18.0 (20201207.m.154403) x64
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
Version: 10 or greater
System architecture: Intel CPU Family:6, Model:14, Stepping:3 with MMX, SSE Integer, SSE FP, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2, HyperThreading
Physical processor count: 2
Logical processor count: 4
Processor speed: 2400 MHz
Built-in memory: 8083 MB
Free memory: 2153 MB
Memory available to Photoshop Elements: 7379 MB
Memory used by Photoshop Elements: 70 %
Image tile size: 128K
Image cache levels: 6
Font Preview: Medium
TextComposer: Latin
Display: 1
Display Bounds: top=0, left=0, bottom=768, right=1366
OpenGL Drawing: Disabled.
License Type: Perpetual
Serial number: [this information should not be shared publicly, hence removed by moderator]
Feature::Dummy Feature: OFF
Feature::HEIFFormat: ON
Application folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2020\
Temporary file path: C:\Users\gayle\AppData\Local\Temp\
Photoshop Elements scratch has async I/O enabled
Scratch volume(s):
Startup, 913.0G, 696.5G free
Required Plug-ins folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2020\Required\Plug-Ins\
Primary Plug-ins folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2020\Plug-Ins\
Additional Plug-ins folder: not set

Installed components:
ACE.dll ACE 2019/03/06-03:18:36 79.607249 79.607249
AdbePM.dll PatchMatch 0000/00/00-00:00:00 1. 1.
AdobeLinguistic.dll Adobe Linguisitc Library 10.0.0
AdobeOLS.dll Adobe Online Services 5.0
AdobeOwl.dll Adobe Owl 5.2.9
AdobePDFL.dll PDFL 2019/02/08-20:51:34 79.315954 79.315954
AdobePIP.dll Adobe Product Improvement Program 8.1.0.31.48633
AdobeXMP.dll Adobe XMP Core 2019/03/06-03:18:36 79.163858 79.163858
AdobeXMPFiles.dll Adobe XMP Files 2019/03/06-03:18:36 79.163858 79.163858
adobe_caps.dll Adobe CAPS 10,0,0,8
AGM.dll AGM 2019/04/09-01:07:39 79.608922 79.608922
ahclient.dll AdobeHelp Dynamic Link Library 2.2.0.1
AIDE.dll AIDE 2019/04/15-11:53:50 1.608749 1.608749
amtlib.dll AMTLib (64 Bit) 10.0.0.214 BuildVersion: 10.0; BuildDate: Tue Jun 13 2017 8:28:8) 1.000000
ARE.dll ARE 2019/04/09-01:07:39 79.608922 79.608922
AutoSelection.dll Adobe Photoshop Editor 16.0
AXE8SharedExpat.dll AXE8SharedExpat 2019/01/05-01:11:47 79.604593 79.604593
AXEDOMCore.dll AXEDOMCore 2019/01/05-01:11:47 79.604593 79.604593
Bib.dll BIB 2019/04/09-01:07:39 79.608922 79.608922
BIBUtils.dll BIBUtils 2019/04/09-01:07:39 79.608922 79.608922
boost_date_time.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
boost_filesystem.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
boost_signals.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
boost_system.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
boost_threads.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
cast_api.dll Cast 1.0
cg.dll NVIDIA Cg Runtime 3.0.00007
cgGL.dll NVIDIA Cg Runtime 3.0.00007
CITThreading.dll Adobe CITThreading 2.1.0.1 2.1.0.1
CoolType.dll CoolType 2019/04/09-01:07:39 79.608922 79.608922
CRClient.dll Adobe Crash Reporter Client DLL 2.2.3.0
dvaaudiodevice.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvacore.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvamarshal.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvamediatypes.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvametadata.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvametadataapi.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvametadataui.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvaplayer.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvatransport.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvaui.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dvaunittesting.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
dynamiclink.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
ems.dll Elements Organizer 18.0
ExtendScript.dll ExtendScript 2016/01/26-16:09:33 80.1060872 80.1060872
Eyeopener.dll Adobe Photoshop Editor 16.0
FaceDetector.dll FaceDetector 0000/00/00-00:00:00 2.0.1.1 2.0.1.1
HDPIM.dll HDPIM DLL 4.5.0.329
HUM.dll HUM DLL 4.5.0.329
icucnv40.dll International Components for Unicode 2014/10/31-16:52:45 Build gtlib_6.0.21339
icucnv58.dll International Components for Unicode 58, 2, 0, 0
icudt40.dll International Components for Unicode 2014/10/31-16:52:45 Build gtlib_6.0.21339
icudt58.dll International Components for Unicode 58, 2, 0, 0
icuuc40.dll International Components for Unicode 2014/10/31-16:52:45 Build gtlib_6.0.21339
icuuc58.dll International Components for Unicode 58, 2, 0, 0
JP2KLib.dll JP2KLib 2019/02/26-10:48:48 79.272072 79.272072
libeay32.dll The OpenSSL Toolkit 1.0.1p
libifcoremd.dll Intel(r) Visual Fortran Compiler 10.0 (Update A)
libiomp5md.dll Intel(R) OpenMP* Runtime Library 5.0
libmmd.dll Intel(r) C Compiler, Intel(r) C++ Compiler, Intel(r) Fortran Compiler 12.0
LogSession.dll LogSession 8.1.0.31.48633
mediacoreif.dll photoshopdva 11.1.0
mkl_avx.dll Intel® Math Kernel Library 11.3
mkl_core.dll Intel® Math Kernel Library 11.3
mkl_def.dll Intel® Math Kernel Library 11.3
mkl_sequential.dll Intel® Math Kernel Library 11.3
mkl_vml_avx2.dll Intel® Math Kernel Library 11.3
mkl_vml_def.dll Intel® Math Kernel Library 11.3
mona.dll Adobe Photoshop Editor 16.0
MPS.dll MPS 2019/01/15-01:07:49 79.605005 79.605005
pdfsettings.dll Adobe PDFSettings 1.04
Photoshop.dll Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor 18.0
platform.DLL Adobe Help System 1, 0, 0, 1
Plugin.dll Adobe Photoshop Editor 16.1
PSArt.dll Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor 18.0
PSCloud.dll 1.0.0.1
PSViews.dll Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor 18.0
ScCore.dll ScCore 2016/01/26-16:09:33 80.1060872 80.1060872
seledit.dll Seledit 1.0
ssleay32.dll The OpenSSL Toolkit 1.0.1p
svml_dispmd.dll Intel(r) C Compiler, Intel(r) C++ Compiler, Intel(r) Fortran Compiler 12.0
tbb.dll Intel(R) Threading Building Blocks for Windows 2018, 0, 2017, 1205
tbbmalloc.dll Intel(R) Threading Building Blocks for Windows 2018, 0, 2017, 1205
updaternotifications.dll Adobe Updater Notifications Library 10.0.0.1 (BuildVersion: 1.0; BuildDate: BUILDDATETIME) 10.0.0.1
VulcanControl.dll Vulcan Application Control Library 5.3.0.16
VulcanMessage5.dll Vulcan Message Library 5.3.0.16
WRServices.dll WRServices Thu Jan 07 2016 04:50:10 Build 0.21960 0.21960

Required plug-ins:

Accented Edges 16.1
Adjust Facial Features 18.0
Angled Strokes 16.1
Auto Divide 12.0.1
Auto Shake Reduction 18.0
Average 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Bas Relief 16.1
BMP 18.0
Camera Raw 12.0
Camera Raw Filter 12.0
Chalk & Charcoal 16.1
Charcoal 16.1
Chrome 16.1
Clouds 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Color Halftone 18.0
Colored Pencil 16.1
Comic 13.0
CompuServe GIF 18.0
Conté Crayon 16.1
Correct Camera Distortion 18.0
Craquelure 16.1
Crop and Straighten Photos Filter 18.0
Crosshatch 16.1
Crystallize 18.0
Cutout 16.1
Dark Strokes 16.1
Difference Clouds 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Diffuse Glow 16.1
Displace 18.0
Dry Brush 16.1
Extrude 18.0
FastCore Routines 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Fibers 18.0
Film Grain 16.1
Filter Gallery 16.1
Fresco 16.1
Glass 16.1
Glowing Edges 16.1
Grain 16.1
Graphic Novel 13.0
Graphic Pen 16.1
Halftone Pattern 16.1
Ink Outlines 16.1
Lens Blur 16.1
Lens Flare 18.0
Liquify 18.0
Matlab Operation 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Mezzotint 18.0
MMXCore Routines 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Mosaic Tiles 16.1
Multiprocessor Support 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Neon Glow 16.1
Note Paper 16.1
Ocean Ripple 16.1
OnEdge 1, 0, 0, 1
Paint Daubs 16.1
Palette Knife 16.1
Patchwork 16.1
Pen and Ink 13.0
Photocopy 16.1
Picture Package Filter 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Pinch 18.0
Pixar 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Plaster 16.1
Plastic Wrap 16.1
PNG 18.0
Pointillize 18.0
Polar Coordinates 18.0
Poster Edges 16.1
Radial Blur 18.0
Read Watermark 4.0
Reticulation 16.1
Ripple 18.0
Rough Pastels 16.1
Save for Web 18.0
ScriptingSupport 16.1
Shake Reduction 18.0
Shear 18.0
Smart Blur 18.0
Smudge Stick 16.1
Solarize 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Spatter 16.1
Spherize 18.0
Sponge 16.1
Sprayed Strokes 16.1
Stained Glass 16.1
Stamp 16.1
Straighten and Crop Image 12.0.1
Straighten Image 12.0.1
Sumi-e 16.1
Texturizer 16.1
Tiles 18.0
Torn Edges 16.1
Twirl 18.0
Underpainting 16.1
Water Paper 16.1
Watercolor 16.1
Wave 18.0
WIA Support 16.1 (2015.1 x001 x003)
Wind 18.0
ZigZag 18.0

Optional and third party plug-ins: NONE

Plug-ins that failed to load: NONE

Installed TWAIN devices: NONE