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P: Allow CPUs without AVX2 to install Adobe Products

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
December 12, 2024
65 replies
16336 views

Adobe continues its practice of colluding with other corporations (AMD, Intel, Microsoft) by leaving out perfectly competent computers with AVX (up to 2013), capable of running professional programs much more demanding than LR and PS, in order to force subscribers to buy new computers with AVX2.

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Rikk Flohr_Photography

It is not an answer. It is reference information.

This thread will now be locked.

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org

Rikk Flohr_Photography

For the benefit of readers of this thread, Lightroom Classic requirements can be found at https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/system-requirements.html

Excerpt:

AVX

Intel or AMD CPUs having AVX2 support

Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org

R

random.lt

Participant

To be honest - you only cannot install using Creative Cloud.
There is a workaround though
https://x.com/random_lt/status/1873437718350537038

K

klaus_4674

Participant

After many years using LR 5.7, I swiched to LrC in late november 2024.
Now, some days later, I realized, that I will not get future updates and I have to pay for using a outdated version.
At the moment, it's not to late to switch back to LR5.7, without a abo.

KR Seals

Community Expert

"Outdated" yes, but still a fully functional excellent application in the pre AVX2 versions. As you transition to the later but pre AVX2 version of Lightroom Classic, you will fall in love with all the fantastic new features never even dreamed of in V 5.7 🙂

Ken Seals - Nikon Z 9, Z 8, 14mm-800mm. Computer Win 11 Pro, I7-14700K, 64GB, RTX3070TI. Travel machine: 2021 MacBook Pro M1 MAX 64GB. All Adobe apps.

K

klaus_4674

Participant

To pay a abo for updates I can not use?
I use the catalog very much. If I switch to LrC, I can't switch back to 5.7 later.
From all this facy new features, I only used the masking.

H

heidih777

Participant

This discussion also applies to the new version of Photoshop 26.1

It seems Adobe have issued these updates and I am unable to take advantage of due to the computer I had them installed on being an older machine (but is perfectly adequate for everything else I want to use it for) and I have no intention of spending hundreds of pounds needlesly to upgrade it.

So, Adobe, can you tell me exactly why I should need to continue spending my subscription fee on 2 peices of software that will no longer be supported or updated?

I'd really like someone from Adobe to tell me what my options are? Do I cancel my monthly subscription that I have been paying loyally for so many years?

EXCELLENT QUESTION! I too have the exact same problem & exact feelings about this situation!!.. somebody plz help ... this is a HUGE ISSUE! i have pix to edit And cannot! I'm livid.

H

heidih777

Participant

@DexterGordon: "it's a very far-fetched explanation"

You've apparently never managed product teams in a large corporation and have a naive understanding of the inherent issues.

The LR team clearly wasn't aware of the "dynamiclinkmediaserver.exe" restriction at the time they released LR 14, which has left many customers confused and frustrated (see here and here). (Only a true conspiracist would think the LR team deliberately released LR 14 with those bugs and consciously didn't alert its customers.)

Why didn't the video team notify the LR team prior to the LR 14 release? Maybe the restriction is a typo, and the video team didn't become aware of it until after the October release. Maybe the restriction is intentional -- that you can apparently remove the restriction by editing a file isn't dispositive, since there may well be resulting bugs that you're unaware of. Maybe the video team did alert other Adobe product teams but in a poorly written email the LR product manager missed. Maybe the video team had incorporated a new version of a third-party library and only became aware of that library's restriction after the October releases. Maybe the library was incorporated by a lower-level engineer who didn't understand the implications of dropping AVX support, and those implications only became clear after customer complaints started coming in. Maybe the video team's QA doesn't include 11-year-old CPUs. Maybe the LR product manager complained up the management chain, perhaps with data showing they'd lose x% of annual revenue by dropping support for 11-year-old CPUs, and maybe the video manager pushed back, observing that if they backed out the intentional change, they wouldn't be able to meet their own team's goals of improving performance without spending y man-months of higher-quality engineering effort, deferring the other important goals. And maybe the upper-level manager decided in favor of the video team.

I have no inside information, and this is all speculation, but educated speculation that anyone who has worked in a large company is all too familiar with. These sorts of issues aren't uncommon. Business-school academics and gurus have for decades studied the management problems of large companies and written dozens of books about it.

Ok, so WHY, cant the still allow the non avx2 uses to keep using a program? Let the others move forward. But feeling locked out of my useless subscription, unless i figure this out or go buy a new computer, just truly erkkks me!

H

heidih777

Participant

I AM soooo UPSET! Went to my lightroom classic to edit only to find out my system is not compatible!!! Are u kidding!... This is horrible. I am not forced to figure this out or buy a new computer? I had bought a mini pc just for editing only 1 yr ago & now this!!! What a shady way to get my subscription monthly! & others only then to not be able to still use a program! u should be able to hv a choice not get shut out.

J

JF2881159952ho

Participating Frequently

Dear Lightroom support staff,

restricting functionalities to recent processors and technologies is questionable but may be required from time to time. However: such a process must be planned and announced to customers in advance, leaving paying customers with a working release and restricting the installation of updates to devices that are not compatible.

The way how Adobe did this transition for Lightroom Classic in 14.1 is chaotic and simply not acceptable. Dropping Lightroom Classic support for processors that do not support AVX2 without any prior announcement or notice, leaving behind all of these "legacy hardware" customers with an obviously faulty and non-working installation, does definitely not meet the quality standards that customers expect from Adobe.

My request - and the process how to fix this - is: please provide an update or fix for all of the legacy hardware customers ONLY (processors lacking AVX2) to revert their Lightroom installation to the last LRC release (13.x) working on their platform. It was an ommission of Adobe to roll out an update (14.x) without checking that the hardware prerequisites are met. Rolling back to the last working release is a temporary solution that is necessary to continue working until the purchase and installation of new hardware can be done.

This is the absolute minimum that Adobe's quality standards should be committed to!

[Moved from ‘Bugs’ to ‘Discussions’ by moderator, according to forum rules. This clearly does not belong in the 'Bugs' section.]

D

Dave Gramatges

Participating Frequently

Audition was auto-upgraded and now I can't get the older version back through the app. Please provided an option for those with older CPUs. Otherwise, why am I spending this much every month?

K

kevin_1466

Participant

Dear Adobe Support Team,

I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent updates to Lightroom Classic and Photoshop, which have introduced a strict requirement for AVX2 CPU support. This change has rendered my computer, which previously ran these applications flawlessly, incompatible. I am seeking clarification on the necessity of this decision and potential alternatives for users with older but highly capable hardware.

My system includes a 24-core CPU, 128GB of RAM, and dual AMD graphics cards with 6GB VRAM each, which far exceeds the performance demands of most professional software. Despite this, the AVX2 requirement has effectively locked me out of updates and functionality, leaving me no choice but to consider costly hardware upgrades or alternative software solutions.

I understand the need to leverage advancements like AVX2 for performance improvements, particularly in video processing or other demanding tasks. However, I question the exclusion of older CPUs when the applications could feasibly run without AVX2, as has been evidenced by user modifications and prior versions. This feels less like a technical necessity and more like a commercial decision, which is both frustrating and disheartening for loyal subscribers like myself.

As a long-term customer, I believe Adobe has a responsibility to balance innovation with inclusivity. Many users, myself included, rely on Adobe’s software as an integral part of our workflows and have invested significant resources in subscriptions and complementary hardware. Abrupt changes that leave older systems unsupported not only disrupt these workflows but also erode customer trust.

I would like to propose the following considerations:

Introduce a Legacy Mode: Allow the software to operate without AVX2 for compatible tasks, even if performance is limited in certain areas.
Enhanced Communication: Provide clear technical justifications for decisions like these, including whether they stem from technical, logistical, or business constraints.
Offer Transitional Support: Extend updates for older hardware for a defined period, giving users time to plan and adapt without being forced into immediate upgrades.

I appreciate the challenges involved in developing software for a wide range of hardware and understand the need for progress. However, I urge Adobe to consider the impact on its user base and explore solutions that maintain accessibility for all customers. I look forward to hearing about any potential resolutions or plans to address this issue.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

KR Seals

Community Expert

This discussion also applies to the new version of Photoshop 26.1

It seems Adobe have issued these updates and I am unable to take advantage of due to the computer I had them installed on being an older machine (but is perfectly adequate for everything else I want to use it for) and I have no intention of spending hundreds of pounds needlesly to upgrade it.

So, Adobe, can you tell me exactly why I should need to continue spending my subscription fee on 2 peices of software that will no longer be supported or updated?

I'd really like someone from Adobe to tell me what my options are? Do I cancel my monthly subscription that I have been paying loyally for so many years?

Do I cancel my monthly subscription that I have been paying loyally for so many years?

Doing so would cause your Adobe software to cease to operate fully. In my case, I would certainly keep paying because having the software work is important to me.

Ken Seals - Nikon Z 9, Z 8, 14mm-800mm. Computer Win 11 Pro, I7-14700K, 64GB, RTX3070TI. Travel machine: 2021 MacBook Pro M1 MAX 64GB. All Adobe apps.

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