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jeanc37307471
Participating Frequently
August 2, 2025
Answered

Photoshop 26.9 Remove Tool Program Error on Windows

  • August 2, 2025
  • 3 replies
  • 3145 views

Hello

 

Since the last Camera Raw 17.4.2. 2283 and Photoshop 26.9.0 on a PC with Windows 11 I have  the following problems:

 

While using the buffer tool I got the following message: unable to perform this operation due to a program error. I get the same message with the delete tool

 

In a second time, Photoshop crashed. L

Neural filters have also been greyed out since then.

 

 

I restarted Photoshop and the computer: No improvements, the problems persist.

I reinstalled Photoshop but nothing helps, I still have the same bugs.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

{Title updated and post translated for discoverability}

    Correct answer Paola38464398fpo8

    Hi @Sameer K,

    As requested, I’m attaching my complete System Info in the .txt file.

    Just to recap:
    – The issue still occurs with “Remove Tool Processing” set to “More Stable”
    – The issue also persists in the latest Photoshop Beta
    – The only version where the tool works correctly is Photoshop 26.8.1

    Please let me know if this has been escalated internally, or if a fix is in progress.

    Thanks for your time and help!


    Update: I finally solved the issue!

    I launched Photoshop as Administrator (right-click > Run as administrator), and the Remove Tool now works perfectly, no more program error.

    It was a permissions issue all along.

    Hope this helps others too. Thanks for the support @Sameer K 

    3 replies

    ihsanm20702490
    ihsanm20702490
    Participant
    March 5, 2026

    I am currently using version 27.4.0 and encountered the exact same issue. Just as you pointed out, running Photoshop as an administrator resolves the problem. The issue is indeed related to permissions; however, instead of running it as an administrator every time, I recommend following these steps to resolve it permanently:

    Manually Editing Adobe Folder Permissions

    If you prefer not to run the program in administrator mode (for instance, the drag-and-drop feature may sometimes fail to work in administrator mode), you need to grant full control to your user account:

    1. Navigate to the C:\Program Files\Adobe folder.

    2. Right-click the Adobe Photoshop 2024 folder (or whichever version you are currently using) and select Properties.

    3. Go to the Security tab and click the Edit button.

    4. Select your own username from the list and check the "Full Control" box in the section below.

    5. You may also need to perform the same process for the AppData folder. To find it quickly:

      • Press Windows + R, type %appdata% and hit Enter.

      • Find the Adobe folder in the window that opens.

      • Right-click it and follow the same permission steps (Properties > Security > Full Control).

    P
    Paola38464398fpo8
    Participant
    August 8, 2025

    App version: Photoshop 26.9

    Platform: Windows 11 (64-bit)

    GPU drivers: Up to date

     

    Steps to reproduce the issue:

     

    -Open any image (RGB, 8 or 16 bit)

    -Select the Remove Tool

    -Paint over an area

    -The tool crashes with the error:

    “Could not complete the request because of a program error.”

     

    The Remove Tool used to work perfectly in Photoshop 26.8.1, and I’ve confirmed that going back to that version solves the problem.

     

    What I tried:

    – Reset all tools

    – Unlocked all layers

    – Tested with rasterized layers and new documents

    – Disabled GPU acceleration

    – Reset Photoshop preferences

    – Full reinstall

    – Whitelisted Creative Cloud and Photoshop in the firewall

     

    Expected result: Area should be removed using content-aware algorithm

    Actual result: Tool crashes with a program error

     

    Can anyone help me solve this problem?
    Thanks

    Sameer K
    Community Manager
    Sameer KCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    August 8, 2025

    Hey, @Paola38464398fpo8. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll move this post to discussions. I'll need more info to help you figure this out. Please share the system info from Photoshop Help > System info > Copy and paste into a text document > upload and attach here. 

     

    I've just tried this with a larger document, and I couldn't recreate this issue with the steps you've provided. In Photoshop > Edit > Image Processing & set the Remove Tool Processing to More stable. 

     

     

    Also, please test and confirm if the issue exists with Photoshop (Beta). You can get Photoshop (beta) from the Creative Cloud > Apps tab > Beta Apps section. 

     

    Let me know how it goes.

    Thanks!

    Sameer K

    (Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

     
      P
      Paola38464398fpo8
      Participant
      August 8, 2025

      Hi @Sameer K,

      As requested, I’m attaching my complete System Info in the .txt file.

      Just to recap:
      – The issue still occurs with “Remove Tool Processing” set to “More Stable”
      – The issue also persists in the latest Photoshop Beta
      – The only version where the tool works correctly is Photoshop 26.8.1

      Please let me know if this has been escalated internally, or if a fix is in progress.

      Thanks for your time and help!

        Sameer K
        Community Manager
        Sameer KCommunity Manager
        Community Manager
        August 6, 2025

        Hey, @jeanc37307471. Welcome to the Photoshop Community. I'll need more information to help you figure this out. Please share the system information from Photoshop Help > System Info > Copy and paste it into a text document > Upload and attach it here. 

         

        For now, 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 2025 > Rename > Adobe Photoshop 2025. old), You can restore these preferences later if you need to.(https://adobe.ly/4860qM9)
        • Restart the computer.

        These changes will give a fresh start to Photoshop as a fresh install.

        Also, please test and confirm if the issue exists with Photoshop (Beta). You can get Photoshop (beta) from the Creative Cloud > Apps tab > Beta Apps section. 

         

        Let me know how it goes.

        Thanks!

        Sameer K

        (Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

          J
          jeanc37307471Author
          Participating Frequently
          August 6, 2025

          Hi Sameer,

          Thank you for your help.
          I followed the steps you gave me, but I still have the same problems and error messages. Nothing has changed: I can't use the neural filters or the delete tool.
          I tried with Photoshop Beta and I have exactly the same issues.
          I'm attaching the system information file.

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