Preferences and Custom settings keep reseting

Report · Nov 04, 2024

I am on the latest Photoshop (as updated by Creative Cloud) and I keep having issues with preserving my preferences (for a long time - years).

After each Photoshop update, the "Set" in Keyboard preferences resets to "Photoshop Default" even though I have set up my custom Set and I have it active. Meaning after each update, I have to go there and switch it back to my custom set.

Today I opened up Photoshop just like normal (after closing it yesterday just like normal) and I found all my User Actions just... gone. No idea why, Creative Cloud says the last update was 21 days ago, but the actions just disappeared and the "Default Actions" are the only ones there (it simple reset to default). Also it looks like (some) UI panels reseted to default as well because I had to reopen Timeline for example and add Actions back to to side panel.

Report · Nov 06, 2024

Hey, @lukasradek. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll need more info to help you figure this out. Please share the system info from Photoshop Help > System info > Copy and paste into a text document > upload and attach here.

In Photoshop, go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts > Click on the Create new set button next to the trash icon to save the current set as a preset.

Similarly,

1 - You can create a workspace preset from Window > Workspaces & export it.
2 - As your actions & brush libraries grow bigger, organize them in smaller groups and export them from their respective Panel menu as ATN and ABR presets files.

You'll secure you customized presets by exporting them from the root preferences.

Go to the location of the preference folder below and rename it to backup.

Windows 10/11: Users/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop [version]/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings
You can press Press the Windows key > Enter 'Run' > Enter %APPDATA%\Adobe
Rename the Adobe Photoshop folder by adding a .old at the end. (Adobe Photoshop 2025 > Rename > Adobe Photoshop 2025. old), You can restore these preferences later if needed.(https://adobe.ly/4860qM9)
Restart the computer.

These changes will give a fresh start to Photoshop as a fresh install. At this stage, import your custom presets.

Let me know how it goes.

Thanks!

Sameer K

(Use '@mention' to tag me when you reply)

Report · Nov 06, 2024

Your preferences (including unsaved actions and kb shortcuts) are rewritten on every application exit, as opposed to read-only program files.

So this means you either have irregular shutdowns, the application basically crashes instead of shutting down - or you have a permissions problem in your user account so that Photoshop can't write to that folder when shutting down.

If this has been going on for a long time, it's most likely the latter.

Either way, you have an underlying problem you need to fix.