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Answered

Heal tool becomes slow after 10 hi-res scans [LR]

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
April 8, 2025
5 replies
1672 views

Hello everyone, appoligies as I've asked a similer question before but had no correct solutions....

Firstly I specifically bought a new computer to use for just Photoshop/Lightroom as I am currently putting together a photo book of an early 1980s UK 'Droog-Punk' band called the Violators. This has required lots of editing of high rez scans of old black and white 35mm negatives. They havnt been well cared for in the 43 years since they were taken so the scans have needed a lot of work. I Have also taken lots of 'photos' of 'old photographs' with a Nikon Z8 in RAW and again edited them in Lightroom. I Started to do this late last year but after a week or so I started to get lots of slowdown problems with Lightroom.

So I'm editing some High Rez scans in Lightroom. As soon as I've done probably 10 edits to a scan my Lightroom goes so slow and by slow I mean if I try to use the spot removal I'm getting the dreaded Apple spinning beachball for a minimum of 7 or 8 seconds before the spot removal tool even marks the area. Then it takes another 5 or 6 seconds to remove one little spot and another couple of seconds before I can even move the curser onto the next spot. Its the same with AI or if I want to load up other photos. Sometimes it just sticks for ages with the Photoshop circle spinning saying 'loading'. This can take several minutes before I have to force quit and do it again, and again, and again. I Have unistalled several times but its still the same.

As you can see from my spec list I am using a new, powerful Apple Mac Studio with loads of RAM and 2TB of storage of which I still have 1.95tb of storage left. I Dont use this computer for anything else, I have nothing else running at the same time. I Am editing my photos from folders on my desktop so when Lightroom is open the are in 'Local' I dont use the cloud. My internet is full fibre 1G.

Please can anyone explain why my Lightroom is running so slow and causing these problems? Its so demoralising, its taking 3-4 hours just to edit one scan and even then Its not perfect, most of the time I just shut my PC down after an hour. I have emptied the cashe, its on 0GB and I have it set to maximum. AP and user data is on 1.1GB.

I Really dont know what else to do. Its just like editing photos on my old Apple Mac G5 back in 2005, I used to see the spinning Apple beach ball all the time on that but that was 20 years ago, I'm seeing it more now on a machine which supposebly can handle Photoshop and 1,000 other applications all at the same time!

Anyone out there who can help please????

Thank you in advance...

[Note from moderator: the OP is using LR, not LRC]

macOS

Correct answer Per Berntsen

LrC is not the right tool for the job, it is not designed for heavy retouching, like removing hundreds or thousands of dust spots. Do this in Photoshop before importing the scans, or use Edit in Photoshop from LrC.

LrC uses parametric editing, which is very resource intensive, but Photoshop, which works directly on image pixels, will do this effortlessly.

I have retouched hundreds of my own scans of black & white negatives, and I always start in Photoshop, where I crop, do some basic image adjustments, and remove dust and scratches.

The spot healing brush tool is excellent for retouching, and works on the vast majority of the spots.

Difficult spots may require the use of the clone stamp.

L

Level42Author

Known Participant

A Big THANK YOU to everyone that has replied to this thread, its been a big help!!!

So after advice I have now started to use Photoshop and honestly its like jumping into a Ferrari from an old banger!!! I Have discovered loads of new editing methods I didnt even know existed and the spot removal is continually at 100mph which is brilliant! I Have more or less been able to edit a photo none stop without interuptions. Having said that I have to say Photoshop is one of THE most confusing pieces of software I've ever used, its baffaling when it could be made so simple (like Lightroom is).....And after saying that.......

I Have encountered a few more problems with Photoshop. The most annoying thing is once again if I try to load up a photo I get the spinning Apple Beach Ball and I eventually have to close down Photoshop with force quit. When I then open it up again and come to use the Generative AI tool thats with the Spot Removal tool the AI tool has gone!!! When I click the Spot Removal Tool at the top instead of the drop down box where you can turn Gen AI off or on I've got three boxes which say 'Type-Content-Aware, Create Texture, Proximity Match' theres not box with the Gen AI in. I Have had to restart the AP a couple of times and this has happned (I couldnt get rid of the Clone Stamp Tool, no matter what I did or videos I watched it wouldnt shut off) and I have fumbled around and managed to restore the Gen AI. However now after a couple of hours I can't find it so I'm stuck again!!! Anyone know how to get it back? I Think last time I had to click an agreement but I cant make that come on....

Thanks in advance.

Apple Mac Studio M2 Ultra 24‑core CPU, 60‑core GPU, 32‑core Neural Engine, 64GB, 2TB.

selondon

Community Expert

@Level42

You you have any unimportant scan examples that you can attach on here (blurred or not of your subject that you don't mind sharing?) Maybe someone could test on their setup.

I presume Lightroom and OS are up to date?

My first CD was a Level 42 one!

L

Level42Author

Known Participant

Hello, yes Level 42, superb band especially their early CDs. I Recomend 'Level 42, Level 42' 1981 the CD version with the extened version tracks!

Heres is a low rex version of one of the scans I'm trying to edit. As you can see its in a bad state, something has been spilled on the negs I think, they are almost 45 years old.

Apple Mac Studio M2 Ultra 24‑core CPU, 60‑core GPU, 32‑core Neural Engine, 64GB, 2TB.

L

Level42Author

Known Participant

Anybody else on here with Photoshop/Lightroom experience able to help me???? I Have currently uninstalled Photoshop and Lightroom Classic as I dont use them, just left Lightroom.

I Am currently removing all the folders of photos I have on my desktop onto a seperate hard drive and I will attempt to edit just one folder I will leave on my desktop. If Lightroom is still running the same I'm going to cancal my Adobe subscription.

Apple Mac Studio M2 Ultra 24‑core CPU, 60‑core GPU, 32‑core Neural Engine, 64GB, 2TB.

Per Berntsen

Correct answer

Community Expert

LrC is not the right tool for the job, it is not designed for heavy retouching, like removing hundreds or thousands of dust spots. Do this in Photoshop before importing the scans, or use Edit in Photoshop from LrC.

LrC uses parametric editing, which is very resource intensive, but Photoshop, which works directly on image pixels, will do this effortlessly.

I have retouched hundreds of my own scans of black & white negatives, and I always start in Photoshop, where I crop, do some basic image adjustments, and remove dust and scratches.

The spot healing brush tool is excellent for retouching, and works on the vast majority of the spots.

Difficult spots may require the use of the clone stamp.

jane-e

Community Expert

Hello, thanks for the reply.

To be honest Photoshop is WAYYYYYYYYYY too complicated for me. I Am only using LIGHTROOM-not Classic just normal Lightroom, it does everything I need it to do. I Am making a few very simple edits. I Am not using spot removal hundreds of times, on the worst photos mybe 50 tops. Its not that, its the fact Lightroom has suddenly gone so slow even just loading photos up.

I Have now removed EVERYTHING from my desktop onto a seperate SSD bar one folder with 6 photos in. Theres nothing else on my computer and I'm not using anything else. I Start up Lightroom and as soon as I click on a photo it wont load up! I'm just getting the blue revolving circle saying 'Loading Edit Settings' it just goes on for ages-like several minutes.

I Am only using LIGHTROOM-not Classic just normal Lightroom
By @Level42

Although I moved your post to from PS to LR two days ago, I see that someone has moved it to LRC. I'll move it back to LR since that is what you have said a couple of times that you are using.

Jane

L

LAMY2017

Legend

Things you can try

Preferences>Performance>Purge Cache

Close/restart LrC

"I have emptied the cashe (sic), its on 0GB and I have it set to maximum."

I hope you mean it WAS on zero and now it's set to max (200.0GB).

Your machine is amazing; your files must be huge. Are you checking Activity Monitor for CPU and Memory usage?

Larry

L

Level42Author

Known Participant

Thank you for the reply.

I Have emptied the cashe no end of times and yes its on zero and I have set the 'cashe size limit' to Maximum. I Have done that several times today, restarted Lightroom and the same thing is happening. Now it wont load up some folders, its just showing blank screens along the bottom instead of showing the photos. If I click on one of those blank screens nothing will happen. But if I leave it alone for 30 minutes EVENTUALLUY it loads up the photos but imeadiatly starts slowing down when I try to edit them.

The files I'm editing are 14.2 MB black and white scans, I have clicked 'info' on the scan and taken a photo.

I Have just checked my CPU/Memory Usage and to be honest I havnt a clue what I'm looking at!!! So I have taken a photo of both the CACHE box and the CPU Windows, maybe you can see a problem???

As it is now Lightroom is almost imeadiatly slow as soon as I open it I'm getting the Apple Revolving Beach Ball while its trying to load up, this goes on for ages.

I Have enclosed some photos, maybe someone can see the problem?