could not initialize photoshop because of a problem using the adobe color engine (Win 7)

[Guest]

Was running the lastest version of Photoshop CS5 and added a second quad graphics card and 4 more monitors.  Now PS will not start and I get the error message "could not initialize photoshop because of a problem using the adobe color engine."
Computer has 2 NIVDIA Quadro4 NVS420 graphics boards with 8 Samsung SyncMaster 1920x1080 monitors.  If I disable 4 of the monitors CS5 starts normally.  I do not have to remove the added graphics card.  When I extend the desktop again to all 8 monitors I get the error above.

How do I trouble-shoot the problem?  Is it Photoshop, NIVDIA or Windows 7?

[Noel Carboni]

Chris, there's another easy-to-reproduce (and pretty serious) problem with the Color Engine that doesn't require a system to be built with multiple monitors.  It's probably not related, but who knows, it could be...

Try copying a grayscale 8 bits/channel image into the clipboard then doing File - New, Preset: Clipboard, then paste in an action.  This will sometimes put up messages about problems with the Color Engine, sometimes twist Photoshop's event loop handling so that there's a "delay" in further event processing, and sometimes just locks up Photoshop.

Here's an action with which you can reproduce this:

http://Noel.ProDigitalSoftware.com/ForumPosts/New_Image_From_Clipboard.zip

-Noel

[Chris Cox]

Noel - it's not related, and needs a separate topic (maybe on feedback site) so we can be sure it's being tracked.

[Noel Carboni]

Chris Cox wrote:

Noel - it's not related, and needs a separate topic (maybe on feedback site) so we can be sure it's being tracked.

I may go ahead and post another copy on the feedback site, but I reported it once before through the bug/wish link and got confirmation it was being tracked.

-Noel

[Chris Cox]

OK, if you got confirmation from that - then it's probably already in our bug database and being tracked.

[andrewpweyrich]

Chris,

No matter all the banter and criticisms about this bug -

I am prepared to ship you a video card and or monitors so you can setup a system to test this bug - that is how desparate I am to get this resolved...

Private message me and tell me the address to ship equipment to you so you all can setup your system with more than 6 monitors... 

Andrew

p.s.  If anyone else figures out a way around this while Adobe decides if they are going to fix this or not - please share it with the community.  My only ideas are a second machine that is plugged into the second input on your main monitor that runs photoshop by itself with something like Windows Live Mesh doing file sync between the two computers - or a Virtual Machine running OSX that runs it in Windows (Hackintosh) and use Photoshop in MAC OS while the other screens are PCs..

[Noel Carboni]

andrewpweyrich wrote:

If anyone else figures out a way around this while Adobe decides if they are going to fix this or not - please share it with the community. 

Do you actually need to run Photoshop itself across more than several monitors?

Your virtual machine idea is one way to success if not.  And you can run Windows in a VM - I'm not sure why you mention OSX/Mac.  I've even found ways to enable OpenGL operations in a VMware VM.

-Noel

[andrewpweyrich]

My main machine is a Windows machine - but I do have OSX installed as a hackintosh inside a VM in Windows - the problem I have is I don't have a mac version of Photoshop.....:)  I am just brainstorming to see if we as a community can solve this in the meantime until Adobe decides to get around to it...

[ben-erwin]

Andrew, that VM solution is probably the best idea in the meantime. I may try that myself, though I'll have to go with an old license and use CS3 or 4.

[andrewpweyrich]

Everyone that is on this thread - I have an update/good news announcement -  for some reason I may have stumbled on an interim solution/workaround for this problem that allows you to use ALL of your monitors and Photoshop at the same time )while we wait more years to see if Adobe will EVER fix this solution).  So I have a 10 monitor setup off of one machine (3 video cards).  I am attaching a pic of my setup so you can see - as you all know when you have 7 monitors or more - you get the Adobe Color engine error upon startup of Photoshop.

However I found that if you have Photoshop off - and then if you turn off the extra monitors temporarily through Windows Screen Resolution/Control Panel (disconnect this monitor) and get it down to 6 monitors on only - then what happens is it turns off the extra monitors (for me its 4) and it pops up that dialogue box asking if you want to keep those changes - well you have 15 seconds to say 'yes' or 'revert' - I just launch Photoshop within that 15 second countdown and it launches just fine - then I hit revert instead of accepting turning off the remaining monitors and boom - the extra monitors come back on - AND photoshop stays on and doesnt crash and is completely usable - see my attached pic - you can see that all of my monitors are on and in the middle big monitor is Photoshop on and working.  This is WINNING people .  I hope you can reproduce my little trick - I have done it several times and it seems to work.  Let me know if it works for you - hope I explained it ok - I am not a very good writer.....  -Andrew

[andrewpweyrich]

An even better picture of all 10 monitors on with Photoshop running in the middle. 

[andrewpweyrich]

I dont know why it keeps making my picture black and white but you get the idea...

[Noel Carboni]

I see the photos in color here.

Slick setup, and neat workaround!

-Noel

[ben-erwin]

That's a good one Andrew.

I'm glad I have an SSD, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to load bloatoshop in under 15 secs, but I do, and I can.

I tried it, and here's what I found.

First try, disabled monitor 7 (which was on) and loaded photoshop before revert. It crashed when I tried to opened an image.
Second try, double clicked on a lightweight psd while it was reverting, it loaded. Tried bringing in another jpg, crashed.
Third try, double clicked on the psd BEFORE Disabling the moinitor, then after revert, (with 7 monitors active) I was able to bring in another image and it stayed up.
THEN

I tried to bring in a 3rd image, another jpg, and it started freaking out, with this bizarre strobing effect that made me glad I'm not epileptic.I closed the file, and photoshop is still up, but I can't open a third image.

A while ago, I figured out the trick of loading PS before activating above 6 monitors, and always have to open files before I do or it will crash. But I've had my system up for 3 days straight with PS open and 7 monitors on, lots of work done, no crashes. I had to close PS to try this experiment.

Still unable to open a third file without the strobing effect, I went back to shutting the 7th monitor off completely, Then loading PS and a few images and then turned it back on and no problem.

So are you able to open as many images as you want without it strobing the 3rd file? (what I mean by strobing is is that it blinks 5-10 times a second between solid white and a dark blue pattern. Can you reproduce that problem? If so, Adobe should fix that before someone swallows their tongue.

-ben

[andrewpweyrich]

Ben - I also have a very fast SSD drive - that is why I can open Photoshop before the 15 seconds are up - if you dont have an SSD - this trick may not work....

And to answer your question - yes - in fact I was able to open and work on/open close several photoshop images with no problems and no flickering - no issues at all - and I even reproduced this several times - redid this several times during the day (closed and opened photoshop within that 15 second monitor trick) - I thought it was a fluke when I did it the first time but it continued to work everytime I reproduced teh steps I mentioned....but it must be done that way for it to work....when I tried it a different way - like trying to just open photoshop with all the monitors on (and not trying to half-disable them first) it crashed...

We all have different video cards so it could be that too.....I have an eyefinity 6 5870, one of the newer firepro models and a 5xxx card with 3 outputs.....3 different cards mixed together.  Who knows if different cards will allow different things....

Adobe still needs to fix this issue and pronto as more and more people are going to more than 6 monitors - I am suprised they have not been mobbed with complaints already....and it is strange that all other Adobe products run just fine with more than 6 monitors - but their flagship product still has this issue....

[ben-erwin]

I tried it again with ALL monitors (you can't turn off your primary, you meant all additional monitors right?)
It allowed me to open the first and then I got the strobe on the second.

It's actually fewer steps for me to to turn off the one comlpletely, load photoshop and turn it back on.

It's definitely the video card config, but tha'ts no excuse for Photoshop because it is the ONLY software that crashes like this
(I actually have some ghosting issues in Premiere too, but not crashes).
I have 3 cards, two MSI Frozer II and one Radeon. I have 11 ports with 8 in use. 6 full time monitor, the 7th I don't use half the time because of this issue and the 8th is an 40" HDTV, so when I turn that on, the HDMI audio takes over and silences my desk, so I only use that when I need it.

Windoes also does this annoying thing wher it switches what is on which monitor, but that's not Adobe's fault.

[Chris Cox]

Yes, there is a problem beyond 6 displays in Photoshop.

Yes, I'm working long hours to make sure that @$^%@$%^@%# bug gets fixed.

[andrewpweyrich]

Chris,

First of all - thank you for the news that you/Adobe are working on this bug!  This is a huge bug that stops major content creators from using Photoshop.  It could be considered a blocker bug.    

Anyway - do you think that the eventual bug fix will be part of a future update to Photoshop CS5?  Or will it just be part of the future CS6 release?  I hope it will be part of a CS5 update so I don't have to upgrade just to fix this!

Andrew

[Chris Cox]

Without an NDA, I can't tell you when it will be released.  Sorry.

[Micboule]

Hi Andrewpweyrich,

I want to thank you very much for your nice explaination to get rid of this error which I get either with my multiples monitors (I'm now with 9 monitors) I'll try your trick tonight to see how it is gonna handle it.... I have SSD and also having a open unsolved thread about this issue. Oh by the way, I use photoshop Elements and not Photoshop. 

Here is the thread I have started few months ago...

http://forums.adobe.com/message/4962503#4962503

Will let you know guys if the Andrewpweyrich "trick" works for me.

Thanks

Michel

[Chris Cox]

Of course, just upgrading to CS6 also fixes the issue...

[andrewpweyrich]

I have 12 monitors and I can confirm that CS6 cured all. Before that, you

could only use 6 monitors at a time - if you exceeded that - Photoshop

would crash.

[Micboule]

Hi!

The trick of Andrewpweyrich solved my problem while I'm still waiting for a fix.

As I mentionned, I use Photoshop Elements 11 and I'm having the same issue that you guys had with CS5.

My thread with PE11 issue: http://forums.adobe.com/message/4962503#4962503

Hope this fix will be update soon on the new PE11?

Regards,

Michel,

[ben-erwin]

I don't mean to be posting excessively on this thread, but there's one important ommission that isn't mentioned by myself, or anyone else on this thread about WHY this is so important to have this fixed.
It's not just about the convenience of having a separate window for each software in the suite, it's about having multiple monitors dedicated to running ONE software.
I use  a minimum of two monitors for each software in the suite.
For Photoshop and Illustrator and Dreamweaver, I can get by with two with the palattes, but often keep separate files open on more.
For Flash, Premiere and After Effects I need at least 3.
Having the ability to arrange the workspaces on respective softwares so that you don't lose track of which is which or waste time toggling between them.

When you're working a video project for example, I can use up my real estate on just Premiere and After Effects, but then when I need to edit a PSD or AI that is integrated into the project, I have to go into a whole different mode with overlapping palettes, many of which look that look the same.

I know, poor me right? Boo hoo. No.
I also have Skype, Outlook, Putty, Filezilla, Word, Excel, a VM running XP and 5 different browsers open at the same time because that's how I roll. That's what I do, and I could do it better with more monitors.
Can I use 9 monitors? You bet.
Can I? No, because Photoshop is probably the most important one to have available at any given moment.

[Noel Carboni]

Since we're on the subject...  Have you looked at the Windows 8 Developer Preview?

Microsoft doesn't seem to have even considered how Metro and multiple monitors should get along.  It seems they're headed off in the other direction (as though everyone will have just one touch-screen).

And just when Windows got stable and powerful enough to support multiple monitors, too.

-Noel

[flood84]

Chris,

I own a company that has been bootstrapped from the sale of a boat in the mid 90's for 20K to 16 employees and 15 thousand square feet with millions of dollar’s worth of equipment. 

To say that the ACE team at Adobe is having trouble putting together an 8 monitor system to solve this issue should be embarrassing for the ACE team at a fundamental level.

It is not an 8 monitor system they need to address...    they need to address the max monitors that can be supported by windows.

Before I am done I will have 16 monitors....

I hope you will mention to the ACE team that this will continue to grow as an issue given the advances in computing power and general hardware availability. It would be far better for them to address it now before they create a Cadre of upset people. Within the failure to address customer service and fundamental performance issue's lies a unique issue for your industry. Eventually someone at the right place and the right time will be upset enough to challenge Adobe at a basic level by creating a new product....

Why not capitalize on this opportunity and instead of being embarrassed by this scenario why don’t you rectify it and then use it to brag about your product IE we can support up to 16 Monitors etc…

I just purchased this product and am very upset that I did not discover this issue before doing so and even more upset that I found out after the fact and now have to live with a major PITA.

I am willing to bet there are MANY more people out there with this issue than have written on these pages.

Very Best