Microsoft Store Build of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021

Hi David,

The differences between the standard build and the Microsoft Store build of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 are outlined in this article from Adobe:

Purchases through Microsoft Store FAQ

If you read this article you will see that the differences are restricted to the following areas:

- the download

- installation

- licensing

- updating

These areas are the responsibility of the Microsoft Store, as opposed to Adobe who normally handle all these areas, hence the slight differences between the two builds.

There is no difference between the two builds' feature sets. Furthermore, no new features have been added in either of the two Adobe Photoshop Elements 2021 updates. The first update fixed a number of bugs and crashes (predominantly macOS-related, so not applicable to the Microsoft Store version) and the second update fixed a number of bugs and crashes which were inadvertently introduced in the first update.

The following page lists all the Release Notes for each Photoshop Elements update, so you can read about the issues each update address:

Updates for Photoshop Elements and Camera Raw

The Elements team is working on a Microsoft Store-specific update, but I don't know the timeline for when this will become available via the Microsoft Store.

There has also been a Photoshop Elements-specific Camera Raw plug-in update since Photoshop Elements 2021 was released - version 13.0. Again, this offers no new features, but does add support for new camera models that were released in the last quarter of 2021. Unless you are lucky enough to own one of these cameras, this update will not be of interest to you. (If you do own one of these cameras, there may be a workaround we can try - please get in touch if that is the case.)

The file structure between the two builds is exactly the same - I suspect you are referring to the directory (or folder) structure, which is governed by the installation method. As I've explained above, this is one of the areas that is the responsibility of Microsoft. This isn't really a big problem to overcome - you'll soon learn where all the major Photoshop Elements-related folders & files live and where this differs to the standard installation locations. You just have to bear this in mind if you are troubleshooting issues using information you've found on the internet. And if you're posting a question on this community, just let everyone know you have the Microsoft Store build installed on your computer so nobody is leading you on a wild goose chase hunting for a file or folder that lives in a different location 🙂

The convenience, security, immediacy and often lower prices that are advantages of nearly all electronic download stores, whether they are music albums, movies, ebooks or software applications, always comes at a cost, namely the lack of a physical product prevents you from reselling or, in most cases, gifting the product.

If it's any consolation, any users who have purchased the Microsoft Store version of Photoshop Elements are eligible for the discounted upgrade price for the latest version. See this article again for further details:

Purchases through Microsoft Store FAQ

Hope that helps 🙂

I would be interested in knowing what the significant differences are between the builds.  I am aware of the updates issue. 

And while some would see the differences as a reduction in value, as I understand it, the Microsoft version can be installed on more than two computers, which some may see as an advantage.

And, just curious - are you voicing your complaints on any Microsoft forums?