Mini Bridge isn't showing thumbnails

[Art Trucker]

I've tried everything I know even to the point of reinstalling Windows 7 and no luck.

I make sure to run Bridge on startup, but once in either 32 or 64 Bit versions of Photoshop, Mini Bridge refuses to show thumbnails.

I just get a small message promt that reads "Waiting for Bridge", and nothing else.

I'm running Windows 7 64-bit, all machine specs are way within the requirements and all drivers, directX, etc are up to date.

Needing help!

Thanks!

[Art Trucker]

Come on with all the gurus on here, no one is capable of giving me even a hint as to what is wrong?

[Mylenium]

Run Bridge standalone and let it generate the thumbnails? That aside, it's a security problem most definitely where one app is not allowed to access other apps or launch services. Check your permission settings an other security stuff.

Mylenium

[MDenver]

I had the same issue, it was caused by the firewall, I had blocked the Photoshop executable by accident. Nevertheless, it's just stupid that mini bridge requires an outgoing internet connection, great way to confuse people if they have this issue too if their internet is down...

[cpssep]

OK...I have uninstalled my security suite, no firewall is on, completely uninstalled cs5 and then reinstalled. Still same problem. Bridge works fine. I can open a photo from bridge to photoshop and I can switch between them. But mini bridge will not connect! I am on a laptop computer with wireless internet connection. Could that be the problem? Thanks

[cpssep]

Please, is there anyone that can help?

[LarryBrad]

I am running Photoshop CS5 Extended on Windows Vista Ultimate X64.  When I open minibridge, it simply goes in to "Waiting for Bridge CS5..." but never completes or, as stated here, it never shows any thumbnails.  Tried running in admin mode (nope), turning off Mcafee (nope), checked Mcafee for any blocking action (nothing), and no system/application event errors recorded.  The full bridge works fine separately or launched from withing Photoshop CS5.  I hope that Adobe will make a suggestion here so that we all will not have to call for support.

[cpssep]

I wish I could help but I am having the exact same problem. I hope someone can help with this problem!

[Guest]

Mini bridge works perfect for me. I am running PS CS5 in Admin mode. Bridge is not open either. Reading directly from My pictures plus other folders I made up for storage on another drive

Windows 7 professional 64 bit.

[cpssep]

I have uninstalled cs5 and reinstalled several times, still the same problem. Just get the "waiting for Bridge CS5...". Bridge is working fine. Mini bridge is not! I am getting very frustrated.

[Guest]

If you have Windows 7 and have your pictures installed in Libraries, just like in PS CS4 where bridge could not read the folder, you need to go to My Pictures or some other folder and read them. Other then that thought I don't know why mini does not work for you.

You did right click on PS CS5, located in start all programs, to choose the software to run as Admin? The software itself has to be set to run as admin to get all the permissions.

[Guest]

I noticed in Help, system information, Flash is listed at the bottom with mini and a few other things listed below it. I don't know if this will help or means anything but do you have the latest Adobe flash installed? Just a thought and may have nothing to do with your problem.

[cpssep]

I really appreciate the responses. I have not had any luck though. When I am in photoshop, if I click on the "launch bridge" link at the top, bridge opens, but the "go to bridge" icon located in mini bridge does not open bridge. It's like mini bridge is not linked at all to bridge. I have not been so looking forward to the release of CS5 but this has turned into a not so great experience. Thanks again for the help.

[cpssep]

oops...I mean I have been looking forward to the release.

[LarryBrad]

I finally got my Mini Bridge running on a Windows Vista X64 system by somewhat backing into a solution.  Real MS Windows gurus can interpret this and, if necessary, provide a good solid explanation and permanent solution for Adobe and other users.

My user account on my system runs with Sys Admin privileges if that matters but, that alone didn't get Mini Bridge to run using my account.  I changed file security permissions for "Users" on the bridge.exe file located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Adobe Bridge CS5 to 'full control' instead of 'read&execute' and 'read' only.  At first, this did not help but, in an unrelated event, Bridge crashed after running a .MOV file (another story).  The fact is that Bridge crashed and needed to be restarted.  I restart Bridge.  When it restarted I noticed that Bridge was now running and being displayed in my bottom task bar notification area (very bottom right for Vista x64) -- just like it always did with CS4.   As a point of note, until this change in permissions and subsequent accidental crash and restart, the Bridge icon was not showing up in the notification after I install CS5 (even though I selected run as startup in preferences).

After changing permissions you could stop and restart the process in the Task Manager or just reboot to get Bridge restart with the new permissions.  I tested the solution by rebooting to validate.  It still works correctly.

If this is all that is needed, my guess is that the Mini Bridge process is being incorrectly launched from within Photoshop CS5 as a child process with USERS privileges instead of SYSTEM or ADMIN privileges.  Wild guess but at least it is now allowing my Mini Bridge run.

[alex_sinov1]

I can confirm the solution givem by LarryBrad is working. Having read yesterday this forum and other resources, coupled with my knowledge I was suspecting it had to do with the whole User/Rights system in windows 7, but it hadn't crossed my mind to do that.

I applied the solution and I got it working for the first time. No crashes though, because the "bridge.exe" process wasn't started.

On the other hand I think - or I hope - this is just a workaround, because launching minibridge launches the "bridge.exe" process with a smaller footprint than the stand alone Bridge. This led me to assume it is the same app/process without all the bells and whistles of the stand alone Bridge.

So I tried this: I launched the Bridge app, too. After I launched the stand alone Bridge application and then closed it, the process closed too and Minibridge diplayed a message stating  "Bridge has been disconnected. Press OK to reconnect and continue."

This doesn't seem right to me. IMHO one has to be able to use the Minibridge and if the need occurs, use the stand alone; upon closing, Minibridge should still work.

I'm running Windows 7 x64, btw.

[minus_one-HgqiEd]

i got it work too (XP):

1. i created a new user (TempUser), logged in to it, launched photoshop - and made sure everything (minibridge i.e.) works

2. then i logged back into my account and replaced my C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Adobe\SwitchBoard folder with the one from C:\Documents and Settings\TempUser\Application Data\Adobe\SwitchBoard

(seems like somehow the SwitchBoard folder got corrupted...)

[alex_sinov1]

What is this Switchboard trick? Is it a solution for Win7?I'm a bit puzzled....

    SwitchBoard 

    From Adobe Labs 

 

Thank you for participating in the SwitchBoard project on Adobe Labs. Given that the intent behind this project was to learn from the community about the needs in this area, we have decided it is time to retire this project from Adobe Labs. We have learned a lot from this Adobe Labs project, and while we will not be directly delivering a replacement technology in CS5, we will use what we have learned to add more capability to the Adobe Creative Suite SDK in the future.  Adobe does not support the use of the SwitchBoard technology in CS5.

http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/SwitchBoard

[minus_one-HgqiEd]

Adobe does not support the use of the SwitchBoard technology in CS5.

hmmm... but mini bridge does use "SwitchBoard technology"... and  it's not a solution, obviously, just a workaround (don't know if it would work on Win7 (why not? – try it), i'm on XP)

[alex_sinov1]

Well, maybe someone with a bit more knowledge will shed some real daylight on this problem.

[cpssep]

well, I have spent the better part of 2 1/2 days trying to figure this out. This am I was on hold for an hour and then my phone died. Needless to say, I am really frustrated!!! I tried all of the suggestions with no luck.

[Art Trucker]

OK folks, I believe I may have found the answer.

I deleted the entires in my hosts file and VOILA... Mini Bridge is now working!

So at least my situation was fixed by clearing out the Hosts file... try this solution.

[fxf123]

That did it for my problem Art!  Reset the host file in Windows and Mini Bridge is running now.

After about a day and a half it was starting to get frustrating.

Thanks,

Fred

[fxf123]

Sorry, forgot to mention I am running Vista 64.

[Art Trucker]

Great to hear Fred.. glad to help!