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Emmanuel315950380qsg
New Participant
July 18, 2024
Answered

Could not use the gradient tool because of a program error

  • July 18, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 7408 views

I just opened up my PSD file to make minor edits and when I wanted to apply the gradient, it shows an error as the title topic suggest. 

No idea what caused the bug as it popped out suddenly. 

Appreciate if there are any workarounds. Cheers.

    Correct answer Sameer K

    Hey, @Emmanuel315950380qsg. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll need more info to help you figure this out.

    Does this happen when you use the Gradient Tool, or using a Gradient Preset saved in Library panel? Please share the system info from Photoshop Help > System info > Copy & paste into a text document > upload & attach here. 

     

    I'll move this to discussions for now. You can begin with resetting the Gradient tool itself in this case. Right-click on the Tool icon in the Toolbar menu & select Reset Tool.

     

    If this does not help, ensure there are no stale preferences in your Photoshop. 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 2024 > Rename > Adobe Photoshop 2024. old), you can later restore these preferences if needed.(https://adobe.ly/4860qM9)
    • Restart the computer.

    These changes will give a fresh start to Photoshop as a fresh install. Let me know how it goes.

    Thanks!

    Sameer K

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

    2 replies

    D
    defaultn92opa9e4bo3
    New Participant
    December 17, 2024

    I am experiencing the same error message however I get it when I try to use the gradient tool on a mask. It no longer works when you have the "Gradient" tool selected. You need to change it to "Classic Gradient" to stop getting the error message. This is an unfortunate solve however because it no longer gives you the live preview as you're using the tool like it does in the "Gradient" mode. Adobe has had so many problems with the gradient tool in the last few releases, it appears there is still some work to be done. Hope that helps! 

      VM333
      VM333
      Participating Frequently
      January 2, 2025

      Thank you! Going back to classic gradient. This worked for me too.

        F
        Fernando Dj_Original6618
        New Participant
        July 22, 2025

        Siii funciona con el degradado clasico... 

        Sameer K
        Community Manager
        Sameer KCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
        Community Manager
        July 18, 2024

        Hey, @Emmanuel315950380qsg. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll need more info to help you figure this out.

        Does this happen when you use the Gradient Tool, or using a Gradient Preset saved in Library panel? Please share the system info from Photoshop Help > System info > Copy & paste into a text document > upload & attach here. 

         

        I'll move this to discussions for now. You can begin with resetting the Gradient tool itself in this case. Right-click on the Tool icon in the Toolbar menu & select Reset Tool.

         

        If this does not help, ensure there are no stale preferences in your Photoshop. 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 2024 > Rename > Adobe Photoshop 2024. old), you can later restore these preferences if needed.(https://adobe.ly/4860qM9)
        • Restart the computer.

        These changes will give a fresh start to Photoshop as a fresh install. Let me know how it goes.

        Thanks!

        Sameer K

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

          S
          Sehoon33638445m529
          New Participant
          August 25, 2024

          This is really helpful to solve the problem.

          Many thanks! Sameer K

           

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