Help! Photoshop CS6 hangs when using brush, clone, healing brush tools etc on Mac

[BarneyHamilton]

I am having a big problem when using the new CS6 on my Mac (os x 10.7.4). When switching to a new tool, like a brush, or clone stamp, or healing brush etc, Photoshop hangs for about 20 seconds before resuming. It's not 3rd party plug-ins, because I get the same behaviour when I run using the shift key and third party plug-ins are disabled. It doesn't happen every time, but it happens frequently. I've heard that others have had similar problems... are there any solutions - is it a known bug?

[Was DYP]

or buy a new computer (or parts) that circumvent the problem.

I Any other Mac users here having no sluggishness or slowdowns whatsoever?  Please list your hardware setup if so.  These guys may want to try to make theirs like yours.

I did exactly that. And, this machine had a clean install of OS 10.6 and then CS6. Also a clean install of OS 10.8 and then CS6. Both had the same stall/hang problem. CS5 was then installed on both the OS's and guess what, no hangs in CS5.

If I work slow and wait a couple of seconds before you start to use tool I seem to get very few hangs. The other thing I have noticed is that the larger the file to more likely it is that I get hangs. I think how one works in PS has a lot to do with these hangs and that is why some never see it. I also wonder if lowered powered computers are less likely to see this hang. The other Mac here is a 3.2gh 8 core with 16GB of ram and it shows the same problem as this one listed below. They both have a ATI Radeon HD 5770 video card powering two monitors.

Model Name:	Mac Pro
Model Identifier:	MacPro5,1
Processor Name:	6-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed:	3.06 GHz
Number of Processors:	2
Total Number of Cores:	12
L2 Cache (per Core):	256 KB
L3 Cache (per Processor):	12 MB
Memory:	48 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed:	6.4 GT/s
Boot ROM Version:	MP51.007F.B03
SMC Version (system):	1.39f11
SMC Version (processor tray):	1.39f11
Serial Number (system):	CK4J701MF64F
Serial Number (processor tray):	J5220039QBH8C
Hardware UUID:	4437FD65-3D9A-5F2F-82B3-FE771544B507

[sean_b99]

Hey Was, I don't mean to sound trite but have you tried Rex's idea of shaking the pen in the air when you get an issue? This works for me. It's amazing the apologists you get on here pointing the finger at users or their setups. CS6 is an expensive product sold to work on high end machines... and it has a problem (and it appears CC does too). Adobe need to fix it, simple as that.

[Noel Carboni]

Sean, take your name calling elsewhere, please.

Was DYP, could it be that the problem is in the choice of video card?  Have you run across anyone running that particular video card who doesn't see the hang? 

ATI went through a horrendous time with their driver quality, and only cleared it up a few months ago for PC users, who get their drivers directly from ATI.  Perhaps the fix is already in the Apple pipeline but it hasn't been delivered yet by Apple.  I'm not saying that's definitely it, but just a possibility.

-Noel

[sean_b99]

Pretty thin skin Noel, if you consider the word 'apologist' to be name calling. Your suggestion that users buy a new computer to fix the problem is akin to suggesting that someone move house because their electrical supply is faulty. There are six pages of reasons here why the problem is Adobe's and fourteen months of failure by Adobe to resolve it. Many people have contributed their time and their suggestions and hoped for some action. As Was DYP explained above, he actually did replace his machine and his OS to no avail. Adobe have an ethical responsibility to provide a product which justifies the purchase price notwithstanding any licence agreements between them and their users. I sell an iPhone app which is used by stage performers every day in front of paying audiences - and I have a responsibility to provide a product which they can rely on. If I were facing an issue like this all my resources would be aimed at it, and I would not be releasing feature updates until it was dealt with. I live in Ireland so I cannot offer direct assistance to Adobe but perhaps they might consider contacting a user who is having these issues and buying their full setup from them, computer, tablet, monitor, whatever. Then sitting someone down at it to use it with a video camera running. They are a large corporation with deep pockets and this is an issue which has continued for far too long.

[Was DYP]

Was DYP, could it be that the problem is in the choice of video card?  Have you run across anyone running that particular video card who doesn't see the hang? 

ATI went through a horrendous time with their driver quality, and only cleared it up a few months ago for PC users, who get their drivers directly from ATI.  Perhaps the fix is already in the Apple pipeline but it hasn't been delivered yet by Apple.  I'm not saying that's definitely it, but just a possibility.

-Noel

But CS5 does not have this problem. This problem is very reminiscent of the color display issue in Acrobat in the last two versions. http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1059137?tstart=0

Adobe seems to be more interested in creating new bugs than fixing old bugs. Unless this callousness towards customers culture at Adobe changes I have little hope in seeing this hang problem resolved.

I wonder if those of us that have this hang also have the tool flyout sticking open issue when selecting a tool with the mouse. Something that works fine in CS5 on same machine but is a annoyance with CS6.

[station_two]

Was DYP wrote:

…But CS5 does not have this problem. This problem is very reminiscent of the color display issue in Acrobat…Color issues in Mountain Lion with Acrobat Pro

…Something that works fine in CS5 on same machine but is a annoyance with CS6.

All three sentences above point to a GPU or graphic card driver problem.  CS6 uses the GPU to a far greater extent than all previous versions.

Does disabling (unchecking) the "Use Graphics Processor" in Photoshop Preferences > Performance box bring any relief at all?

EDIT: deleted a senior-moment speculative reference quickly dispelled by the thread title itself. 

'

Message was edited by: station_two

[Was DYP]

Does disabling (unchecking) the "Use Graphics Processor" in Photoshop Preferences > Performance box bring any relief at all?

Unchecking "Use Graphics Processor" does not change this behavior.

In testing this right now I set the Cache Levels to 1 and Cache Tile Size to 128K. Could not get a hang after that but that may mean nothing as this problem has always been rather random. But others that have this hang could at least test it.

[Fried Egg Sandwich]

I just tried that with the cache and tile size - brush hang still persists.

Like you Was DYP I'm also running an ATI card and two monitors (ATI Radeon HD 4870 & 2x Apple 30" Cinema Displays, MacPro4,1, 2.26 GHz) but I'd guess that many pro Mac Photoshop users are using a similar system without experiencing the brush tool hang.

Thanks Pete Green for posting - encouraging that Adobe are still monitoring this thread.

[Fried Egg Sandwich]

This has probably already been posted, but Activity Monitor reports Photoshop at 95% and above processor usage when the brush tool hang happens. Only way to break out of it is to repeatedly command+tab from Photoshop to the Finder. Shaking the Wacom stylus doesn't work for me.

[Was DYP]

sean b99 wrote:

Hey Was, I don't mean to sound trite but have you tried Rex's idea of shaking the pen in the air when you get an issue? This works for me. It's amazing the apologists you get on here pointing the finger at users or their setups. CS6 is an expensive product sold to work on high end machines... and it has a problem (and it appears CC does too). Adobe need to fix it, simple as that.

Yes I have tried that. Shaking the pen is somewhat useful but it does not always help.

[Snosrap]

I just had a tool freeze and your tip worked!

[Meta_A]

So,  Still no progress from adobe?

[Was DYP]

We are still stuck with CS5, the last good version that doesn't have the hang problem, or tool fly-outs sticking causing one to have to click twice to get a tool to work it you select it from the tool bar.

[Was DYP]

sean b99 wrote:

If you seriously think I'm going to install three plugins on the say-so of someone I don't know who has a record of 2 posts and doesn't feel bothered to give any extra info you must be joking! It appears my reticence was rewarded as Norm, Geigreg and Was DYP seem to have got nowhere with your suggestion. Maybe now you can give us a bit more info and explain why you think this solution might work. My workaround when this happens (and it happens every day) is to click back and forth between other open apps and PS until it unfreezes... it always seems to coincide with changing from pen to mouse or back. I would love if adobe could find a solution to this!

Does it only happen for you immediately after selecting a tool?

I don't have this hang/freeze any other time.

[geigreg]

Yes, I get it after selecting a tool- lasso, clone tool, dodge/burn, eraser, etc. Tool freezes, clikc out to Desktop and back to app (twice) and then resume working. Ridiculous, really. Only started happening when I installed CS6. Anyway, said all this already too many times. I think it is tablet-related but someoen said they get the same problem with a mouse. Regardless, it is a huge issue. It's like a step back in time 20 years. Software has become too complex and bloated and crap like this is simply unnecessary.

-g

[Was DYP]

And one of the other really ridiculous things with CS6 is the tool flyouts hanging out after selecting them with the mouse/pen, and then having to click twice on the image to be able to use the tool. I find this so annoying that I have gone to selecting the tools with the keyboard.

This and the freeze/hang after selecting a tool does not happen with CS5 on the exact same OS with the exact same tablet/driver.

[sean_b99]

Also getting this tool flyout thing every now and then but it hasn't bothered me as much. And in response to geigreg above, I fully empathise with you but I still LOVE photoshop, bloated or not. I just wish these annoyances would go away!

[sean_b99]

Yes, only happens directly after selecting tool, same as geigreg.

[CommandQ-QVTBVa]

I did install the plug-ins recommended by Gus_X and I think they work to some extent. The hang-ups seem to occur less frequently but this is only a feeling. The point is that they still occur. I agree with sean b99 in that it would be helpful if Gus_X could explain what these plug-ins do and why he expected them to solve the problem.

[Anwar1975]

Sorry this isnt a reply to CommanQ, just didn't see a button to post a general comment,

Anyway, I'm trying a solution that seems to be working but hey who knows maybe it doesn't but it's worth a try, here it is.  Photoshop>Preferences>Performance>Graphics Processor Settings>Advanced Settings>"Drawing mode=Basic>Uncheck "Use OpenGL" Let me know if this works for anyone, to me this problem stinks of a video issue.

[Anwar1975]

Nevermind, froze again

[Was DYP]

So someone at Adobe doesn't like the comment about working slower.

Sorry the truth pissed someone off enough to delete my post.

Really now! Only waiting a second or two longer after selecting a tool to prevent these freezes slows you up a lot less than what you have to do once you get the freeze.

[sean_b99]

Very sad to hear that someone deleted your post. This issue has gone a LONG time and there is no resolution in sight. I think if everyone who suffered from this bug was camped out on Adobe's doorstep we might have a solution sooner but in this modern age all we get to do is moan a bit on a forum. Shame on whoever saw fit to delete DYPs post - put a bit more effort into solving the thing! And I'll try your wait a couple of seconds trick and see if that solves things for me (that is if I am able to stop myself, usually I get into the flow of things and my left brain is put on hold).

[BarneyHamilton]

I agree seanb99, this is starting to get ridiculous. It's a well known bug, and it's been months!!

While I was the original poster of this bug, I actually talked to someone recently who excitedly told me they had bought CS6, but were getting this freezing bug in using a wacom tablet. Now either it's a small small world or this bug is much more prevalent than even this thread suggests - and Adobe need to pull their finger out. They could at least update us on this thread to let us know what investigations have been done, what's being looked at, what's round the corner.

The silence is deafening.

[Fried Egg Sandwich]

Would love to hear that this bug has been squashed. I've rolled my production Macs all back to PS CS5 because of the hanging bug, and we really miss the new features and UI of CS6.

Such a shame that a brilliant version of Photoshop has been ruined by this epic bug. Really disappointing. Come on Adobe!