How to update Adobe apps properly?

[wlashack]

Hello,

I actively use several Adobe apps (Windows 11) like Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, PremierePro…

I also use custom settings, keyboard shortcuts, workspaces, presets, brushes, colors etc. in every one of them.

My problem comes with (auto)update when I lose all this stuff, which is…

I believe there must be an easy way how to keep or transfer all the important custom stuff from old versions to new ones but I have not find a way how to do it so far.

Can someone tell me how to do this? Thanks!

[AxelMatt]

...

My problem comes with (auto)update when I lose all this stuff, which is…

....

By wlashack

That's not a problem. If the CC client shows the message that updates for the appropriate applications are available click on install. The updates will be installed and all settings will be kept.

If there are major updates availabe it's the same. The new version will be installad and settings, workspaces etc. will be kept. There's only on difference, before the install precess start you'll be asked if you'll keep the former version or it should be deinstalled. 

I've installed many updates in the last years and I don't have problems with all the settings, preferences and so on.

[wlashack]

That is strange, because I can say the opposite — I lose everything with every new autoupdate.

I have set to update automatically and keep only latest version on my computer.

[Semaphoric]

Check in the CC desktop app, in the Apps section. Open the three dot menu next to where it says "Installed  Apps", and choose Manage Auto Updates. Under Photoshop, open the Advanced Options, and make sure 'Import previous settings and preferences' is checked.

Personally, I leave Auto Update turned off, after I got burned by it too many times.

[davescm]

See the link attached. You can set individual apps to import previous settings and preferences

https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/help/creative-cloud-updates.html

Dave

[wlashack]

Oh! That is it! Thanks a lot.

One more question — if i need to reinstall computer or move my settings to another one — how to do that?

[davescm]

I would recommend installing fresh on a different PC. The preference files contain more than just user settings and are PC specific, so copying them would cause more issues than it solves. However, once up and running, you can copy over presets, actions etc by saving them to a location on your first PC and copying and importing them to the second.
https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html

Dave

[wlashack]

Thanks a lot.

But there is one big downside — this is possible only in Photoshop. I did not find it in other apps I use (Illustrator, InDesign, Audition, MediaEncoder, PremierePro…), seems they do not have such an option.

Afaik various presets are not stored in a single folder but here and there so finding what to backup/restore manually for all apps is something almost impossible. I am looking for a solution that works for all Adobe apps and one is able to make it some easy way. Is there one?

[jane-e]

...this is possible only in Photoshop. I did not find it in other apps I use (Illustrator, InDesign, Audition, MediaEncoder, PremierePro…), seems they do not have such an option.

By wlashack

This is the Photoshop forum. Illustrator and InDesign store swatches, styles, etc., in the document or template the document is based on. You might need to ask about the other apps in their own forums. The list is here: https://community.adobe.com/

Jane

[wlashack]

Thanks for answer.
I did not find one common thread and did not want to ask ten times the same question in ten separate ones, so I chose one. And yes, I hoped all apps use the same system (which they definitely should) or even better — Adobe have a simple solution for this thing throughout their portfolio (which they definitely should have). 

[davescm]

To understand the differences, you have to look back in history. Many of the applications, now under the CC banner, were developed independently and sometimes outside of Adobe. Therefore they way they store their base information such as the swatches and styles mentioned by Jane, are very different. Making changes to the way they are stored and used does sound sensible but in practice would risk a furore from the core user base for the application(s) that changed.
As an example, imagine the pushback here if Photoshop's styles and swatches were changed so that they are stored in a document or template to align with Illustrator and InDesign. There was a massive pushback in these forums when simpler changes were made to try and align between applications, such as the use of the Alt key when transforming. So alignment does sound sensible, unless you are a long term user of one of the apps that changes, then it sounds like Adobe making changes just to annoy its users...

Dave

[wlashack]

I understand your point of view but on the other and practical hand to make things work sometimes means to accept changes. You cannot keep history to create future.

But OK, If I understand the point of what you said, there is still no way to migrate Adobe apps the normal way. It is a pain and there is no tendecy to change that. Good to know.

Thanks.

[davescm]

I actually agree with you, it would be sensible to have more alignment. I am a user of Adobe software, not an employee, so come at this as a customer. However, I've also seen the outcry in these forums, whenever Adobe have tried to make small moves toward such alignment. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place. 🙂

Dave

[wlashack · Accepted solution]

Every creator is confronted with opponents of every change. That's part of it, and real creators know not to let this affect their progressive approach in any way. But that has taken us beyond the scope of this thread. 😉

[jane-e]

I understand your point of view but on the other and practical hand to make things work sometimes means to accept changes.

By wlashack

When CS came out and the apps started shipping together instead of separately at different times, Adobe made several changes for the sake of consistency. I clearly remember two that caused huge uproars and the screams from unhappy users were so loud they could be heard around the world.

• Photoshop: they changed the shortcuts so Cmd+1 was now for a View command instead of for Channels. They put this one back in with the word "legacy" after complaints abounded.
• Illustrator: used the upper right quadrant of the x, y axis, meaning that the zero point was at the bottom left of the artboard and measurements on the Y axis went from bottom to top. When they changed this to match other apps and use the lower right quadrant, those who only used Illustrator went ballistic. 

Not everyone uses all of the apps and quite a few have used only one app since the first release. 

Sometimes Adobe needs to make changes and other times it's the user who needs to adapt to the differences.

Jane

[wlashack]

I do not want to argue. It is as it is and I accept that fact. I only asked in case I a missing something important that makes my life with Adobe way complicated. And now I know what I know and am grateful for info I got here. Thanks to you all.

[jane-e]

@wlashack 

Like Dave, I agree with you — and am not arguing. I use multiple apps and am happy to see changes that make them more consistent. I have also heard the screams from those whose app has had a major change. 😊

Jane