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Participant
November 20, 2025
Question

Photoshop Elements 2026 Photo Editor Won't Open

  • November 20, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 175 views

I have been using the Photoshop Elements photo editor just fine, but recently it won't open and sends me to a Free Trial page. I have it on my PC with Windows 11. I was able to get the Photoshop Premiere video program open, just not the photo editor. 

3 replies

HopALong
Participant
February 9, 2026

Here’s a workaround;

Go to program files on your hard drive and click on the folder marked Adobe.

Find Photoshop Elements and click on it.

Scroll down the list until you find the Photoshop Icon named Photoshop Editor and click on it, the editor should open straight up.

You can now right click and copy that Icon.

Go to your homepage Right Click and Paste as Shortcut.

Now Delete the original Icon that appeared on your homepage when you installed the software and use your new Icon.

Jeff Arola
Community Expert
Community Expert
November 20, 2025

Do you know if your Photoshop Elements 2026 has been recently updated to 26.1?

 

Many users have had issues after the 26.1 update.

 

The good news is that  uninstalling and then getting the Photoshop Elements 2026 installer you can download from your Adobe account has worked getting the Photoshop Elements 2026 Editor and Organizer working again.

Glenn 8675309
Legend
November 20, 2025

I actually had a couple of pop ups early this morning about a couple of things not working, and the program changed itself back to lite mode.   I simply ignored the pop ups and changed it to dark mode. 

Legend
November 20, 2025

Try right-clicking on the program and selecting Run as Administrator.

 

If that doesn't work, contact Adobe Customer Care via chat at https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html?rghtup=autoOpen