Photoshop 26.9 Remove Tool Program Error on Windows

[jeanc37307471]

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}

[Sameer K]

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)

[jeanc37307471]

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.

[jeanc37307471]

@Sameer K 

[Aleke]

Hi @jeanc37307471, thanks for sharing your System Info!

Quick question, is your account managed by a business or school organization? That could explain why the Neural Filters are greyed out, especially if your account doesn’t have the necessary permissions to use those tools.

If you're still seeing crashes or getting a program error, could you send us a screen recording? That would really help us take a closer look and figure out what’s going on.

Thanks!
Alek

[jeanc37307471]

Hi @Aleke and @Sameer K 

My account is a personal account; it is not managed by an organization.

Furthermore, everything worked fine with version 26.8.1, and it is with the 26.9.0 update that I am experiencing these bugs.

When I launch Photoshop 26.9.1, I get the following error: unable to use the tool because activation failed (Screenshot Photoshop 26_09_0_N01)

The same error message appears with the Beta version (Screenshot Beta 01)

Then, when I try to use the delete tool, I get the following error message: Unable to perform this operation due to a program error (Screenshot Photoshop 26_9_0_N02).

The same error message appears in the Beta version (Screenshot Beta 02)

I downgraded to version 26.8.1 and everything is working perfectly again, so it is definitely the update that has a problem.

[D Fosse]

Uninstall the beta (do you really need it-?)

Then do a complete reset of preferences. Go into your user account and move the whole "Photoshop 2025 Settings" folder to your desktop. This allows a fresh one to be rebuilt on next launch, and returns the application to out-of-the-box factory state.

Depending on the order you installed the beta vs production versions, you may lose file associations by uninstalling the beta. In that case uninstall/reinstall the regular production version, which fixes it.

Having a beta installed alongside the production version is always a bit risky. It's really for, well, beta testing, so if you don't do that I'd recommend leaving it out of the equation.

[jeanc37307471]

Hi,

I installed the Beta on demand to see if the same bugs appeared as well. I already had these problems before that and I already did a fresh install.

[Sameer K]

Hey, @jeanc37307471. Thanks for sharing the details. I've seen something as basic as 'Run as Administrator' helping in a few cases. 

Just head to the Photoshop installation folder (Default - C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2025)

Find Photoshop.exe > right-click > use 'Run as Administrator'.

Let me know how it goes. 
Sameer K
(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)

[jeanc37307471]

Hi @Sameer K . It works! Thanks for the tip. I hope the next update will fix this bug.
Have a nice day.

[Paola38464398fpo8]

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]

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)

[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!

[Paola38464398fpo8 · Accepted solution]

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