Dreamweaver 21.5 unstable & crashing [MERGED by moderator]

[detor]

On my PC and work laptop Dreamweaver is freezing and crashing everyday since this last update, it is very annoying. Please fix this bug.

[Nancy OShea]

Restore Preferences

https://helpx.adobe.com/dreamweaver/kb/restore-preferences-dreamweaver.html

Make sure your computer meets the minimum CPU & GPU requirements. Most Creative Cloud apps work on these systems, no more than 2 versions back:

• Windows 11 (64-bit) versions 24H2, 23H2; Windows 10 versions 22H2, 21H2;
• MacOS 15 (Sequoia), 14.7 (Sonoma), 13.6.7 (Ventura).

- https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html
- https://helpx.adobe.com/dreamweaver/system-requirements.html

[detor]

Window 10 & 11 respectively and always fully updated. Thanks.

[Nancy OShea]

Did Restoring Preferences solve the problem?

[detor]

I do not have access to make those changes.

[Ben M]

I do not have access to make those changes.

By @detor

Can you request help from an admin? In many cases restoring preferences solves most issues with DW.

[Nancy OShea]

Contact your IT dept admin for assistance.

[detor]

So far, resetting the preferences seems to have helped...

[Nancy OShea]

Glad to hear it. 😊

[detor]

I just opened Dreamweaver and started working and almost instantly froze and is (Not Responding) having to close in Task Manager and restart. Seems like resetting the preferences is not the solution. Being this is happening on my personal computer and work laptop right after the update, leads me to believe there is a bug in the update. Adobe, please figure this out.

[Nancy OShea]

Can you revert to the previous version?  Is version 21.4 more stable?

Known Issues:

https://helpx.adobe.com/dreamweaver/kb/known-issues.html

[detor]

I am doing this now as I had no problems with 21.4.

[default09a7i9striw2]

Dear Adobe administrator

We pay an extortionate amount of money to run Adobe, we buy brand new state of the art computers, now YOU Adobe sort the problem. Its NOT rocket science, its codeing. If it needs reverting back to an earlier date, that is YOUR problem and not ours. Now please answer the question ---- Why does Dreamweaver crash after about 5 minuetes and when re started seems OK.

Please answer the question or sort the problem out with a GOOD update.

richardtdrew@yahoo.co.uk 

[brittambrose]

On iMac and 15.4.1:
Yes since the last update (more so than previous buggy versions) I'm experiencing constant freezing /crashing issues and bugs with compile less to css features, one day works next day not. Constant rebooting and resetting preferences to make Dreamweaver do something is not a solution... honestly Adobe please sort this out.

[brittambrose]

After days of not being able to compile less to css, I rolled back to the previous version 21.4 and it all works again. So we have been launched yet another untested update with little regard for impact and time lost in dealing with the mess. Hopefully tomorrow it will still be working on earlier version!

[glenn-p]

I'm going to roll back, too. Did you have to export sites to save server information, etc.?

[brittambrose]

Update from me:

I’ve recently transitioned to using PHPStorm for my development work. While it's quite a shift from Dreamweaver—particularly with the lack of WYSIWYG—it's proven to be a powerful tool for my needs. I primarily work in code view and compile .less files, and PHPStorm has significantly improved my workflow, especially when it comes to catching syntax errors or validation issues before deployment. The time saved has been a game changer.

After ongoing stability issues with Dreamweaver (particularly since the May 2025 update), I made the tough decision to move away from it. Reverting to earlier versions helped temporarily, but longer-term confidence in the platform has been difficult to maintain. It would take a substantial shift in both stability and roadmap clarity for me to consider returning.

I know I’m fortunate not to rely on the WYSIWYG functionality, which I completely understand remains a core feature for many in this community. For those users, these disruptions are likely even more frustrating, and I truly hope Adobe addresses the wider concerns soon.

I'm continuing to monitor updates—particularly around macOS Sequoia compatibility—since like many, I rely on Adobe’s suite daily. The idea of having to replace multiple creative tools is daunting, and I remain hopeful that stability returns across the board.

[katherine_3123]

Dreamweaver’s bugs haven’t been fixed in years and years, and if there are important new features, I'm not aware of them.  Clearing all preferences as a troubleshooting step is insane, just make a tool that checks for preferences issues—I'm pretty sure adobe can afford that. (It's already impossible to set the default window position so it's not below all the menus.) 

[detor]

Please unmark this as a correct answer as it is not.

[Louis Opperman]

We are having the same problem, my colleagues and I who are working with Dreamweaver.

[jirip61631315]

I have the same problem. After 21.5 update is Dreamweaver freezing and not responding almost every day. I reverted to version 21.4.

[glenn-p]

I have the same issue since the May update - random crashes all day long. Also broken is copy/paste. I typically work in code view using the design/code split window. Copy/paste in code doesn't work - it jumps to odd places in the page (not where the cursor is located) and will typically only select one small piece of the code I'm trying to copy. I have to click on an item in design view and then return to the code to resolve it. Same behavior every time I open DW. The previous version was fairly stable.

[Nancy OShea]

Copy/paste in code doesn't work - it jumps to odd places in the page (not where the cursor is located) and will typically only select one small piece of the code I'm trying to copy.

By @glenn-p

=============

Toggle between DESIGN/LIVE with Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F11.

Window ⇒ Results ⇒ Validation... check document and fix reported code errors.

Hope that helps.

[glenn-p]

Thanks for responding, Nancy. Is this suggestion meant to fix the bug or are you suggesting the page has errors that need to be resolved? This is happening on every page I work on across multiple sites. Each page I open requires me to click once in the design view before copy/paste will work in code view. It started immediately after the update.

[hs4u]

I am having the copy/paste issue AND the not responding issue. I don't know who your beta testers are, but they are missing things. Looks like I will revert back to previous version to see if that works.