Photoshop CS5 freezes

[Yefolio-KBIqSr]

Hi,

Have been using PS CS5 since the trial became available. But seems CS5 responds a lot slower than CS4. Sometimes, it just freezes or slow the whole computer down when I tried to open a many-layer file. I had to force quit the application, It's really frustrated because the system responds very slow even I tried to quit PS. Once it's quite, everyting's back to normal. Does anyone have this problem?

Thanks,

[_scott_]

Wade... 2 video cards driving 3 monitors? 24 GB RAM? and no, I don't have a great deal of plug ins (and of course all plug ins were deactivated to test with the issues).

[gator soup]

I've pulled the trigger on a new 2010 MacPro

I replaced a perfectly good late 2006 Mac Pro with a early 2008 Mac Pro when I was crashing CS3 and CS4 at will and everyone was telling me I had bad hardware (after two zerowrites and start from scratch installs with only the OS and Ps installed).

The problem followed the new hardware.

Now eveyone knows why (a couple ACR bugs I identified, Quickdraw, TextEdit, 10.5x) the list goes on and on...

10.6 and CS5 updates fixed most of my crashing problems - but now I have to go back to my 2006 Mac Pro (10.4) to use my fonts without crashing on endless font problems under 10.6.  That and I still move all my Adobe printing to the 10.4 machine.

[_scott_]

Well, if nothing else the new Pros will eliminate the dual video cards. as well as move from nVidia to ATI. Most of my issues in the past seem to have been related to that. I don't truly expect the new Pro to cure my issues with Photoshop.... but we'll see. My Photoshop issues weren't the only reason for the purchase. An '06 Pro is getting long in the tooth now.

[davisdont]

ScottWeichert wrote:

Well, if nothing else the new Pros will eliminate the dual video cards. as well as move from nVidia to ATI. Most of my issues in the past seem to have been related to that. I don't truly expect the new Pro to cure my issues with Photoshop.... but we'll see. My Photoshop issues weren't the only reason for the purchase. An '06 Pro is getting long in the tooth now.

i had alot of issues with photoshop cs5. 12.01 solved some, but swapping in an ati 4870 gpu instead of an nvidia card made a WORLD of difference.

solid ever since. no freeze, no windowserver crash forcing a logout, and gpu acceleration is reliable.

good luck!

glad i didn't get the imac

[bhglr]

Found this thread today.

I am running a MacPro 10.5.8 8GB 1066 DDR3. I always get this same freeze of CS5 with the OnOne Plug-In Suite 5. Windowserver suddenly shoots to 100% and everything locks up or respods extremely (an that's an understatement) slowly. I have Activity Monitor open so I can can force quit easily but it takes a few minutes. Windowserver immediately drops to <1%. It doesn't happen everytime I launch the plug-in... appears to be random.

[Guest]

I'm with Scott Weichert. I paid my thousand dollars to Adobe for the Master Collection upgrade and have since deleted the icon for Photoshop CS5 off my dock. I'm back on CS4 with which I have no problems and have completely given up on CS5. I agree, the upgrade to CS6 ought to WORK and ought to be free.

[Bikerthatwas]

I have a similar problem but the programme doesn't freeze or crash - it merely (!) refuses to open any previously created/imported file, black and white or colour, picture or other illustration.

Like other contributors to this forum, I uninstalled, reinstalled, rebooted in many ways, without success.

However, using CS3 made all OK.

Then I saw the suggestion that one should try creating a new user and try opening files with that. Well, I have several users already, so I switched to one of them.

Wow, it worked!

Problem now is, how do I:

1     Easily transfer everything from one user to another or

2     Change the name of the faulty user in the hope that CS5 will work using a new name?

Any suggestions/ideas/hints/help..................

[D Herrick]

I'm having the same problems listed on this thread here as well with two different machines. Was thinking about loading up the entire office with CS5. Not now. What a POS version. I can't believe it. Going back to CS4.

[Chris Cox]

Did you read the responses in this topic - where most of the causes were tracked down to bad OS installs, corrupt fonts, and OS bugs related to fonts?

[Ric Cohn]

I just ordered a new Macbook Pro and am planning on upgrading to CS5. I was hoping that most of the problems of new software and OS would be worked out by now. I skipped CS4, because I found it underwhelming, but I do like some of the new features in CS5, and would really like to get it working-- but I'd also like it as stable as CS3 has been.

I've just finished 2 days using CS5 (at an Ad Agency) and experienced a lot of crashes. I was working on a brand new iMac- i5 chips, 4 GB ram, latest 10.6._. Not what I'd call powerful, but it should be capable of running CS5 without crashing. I've found CS5 to be unstable on older systems, and most places I know have yet to upgrade from CS4 to CS5, but this was a brand new computer with all fresh installs.

To be fair, most of the crashes occurred before I realized the IT guy had installed CS5, but didn't run updates (mistakingly assuming that newly arrived disks would have the latest software). However, although things definitely improved after the update I still experienced some crashes. I had Open GL and Flick panning turned off, as I believe these can cause instability on underpowered systems. Most of the files I was working on were very small (1000 px or less), but with 10-30 layers.

I know there have been a lot of discussions about the best way to make CS5 happy. Can anyone point me to somewhere that the good advice is gathered?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Ric

[Was DYP]

Everything you need to know is pretty much already listed in this thread.

But let me emphasize two things that are a must.

Proper font management. Keep all fonts (that the OS does not need) out of the system and user font folders. Use a fonts manager to enable fonts that are keep in there own folders and to prevent duplicates. 10.6.x is much more finicky when it come to font problems. We saw this immediately with CS4 when 10.6 was released, and continues to be an even bigger problem with CS5.

Once you get a crash, you will likely have corrupt caches which perpetuates more crashes. For what ever reason this appears to be a bigger problem in 10.6.x than previous OS versions. You will probably want to use a utility like ONYX to get at and delete these cache files and then reboot. If you remove fonts from the system and user font folders deleting the font caches and rebooting is a must.

[Ric Cohn]

"Everything you need to know is pretty much already listed in this thread.

But let me emphasize two things that are a must."

Thanks for the reply. Good to know about the font issue. When an earlier version of Photoshop came out (CS2?) it was also more persnickety about fonts than previous versions and I went through some problems before getting Font Doctor and cleaning up my fonts. It sounds like I'll need to do the same kind of clean-up on a fresh 10.6 install.

As for the information in this thread, while I see some excellent advice I also see some contradictory advice based on incomplete information. I know that sometimes something may appear, at first, to work when in fact the problem comes back and the "solution" turns out not to be the solution that it at first appeared to be. That's a potential danger in a user-to-user forum. The excellent users on this forum generally are good at correcting their own or other's mistakes, but still, after reading a number of pages of user comments, sometimes the answer is clear as mud.

If it hasn't already done so, I think Adobe should maintain a document or web page listing all known problems and their solutions (if known). If so, I'd certainly like to read it. Perhaps Adobe is reluctant to list all the potential problems because they're afraid it will make their software appear unstable? Potential problems don't appear to stop people from taking prescription medications (thinking of all the lovely side-effects listed at the end of drug TV spots). I think we are all adults and realize that nothing is perfect, but that knowledge is power.

Ric

[D Herrick]

Something must be flawed in CS5 if CS4 can run the exact same font and computer setup without lockups, freezes and crashes.

Dave's Bat Phone

[Was DYP]

D Herrick wrote:

Something must be flawed in CS5 if CS4 can run the exact same font and computer setup without lockups, freezes and crashes.

Dave's Bat Phone

Nothing flawed, just different, one written in Carbon, the other Cocoa so it can run as a 64-bit app. If there is something about Cocoa that it is even more finicky about fonts, caches etc., that is the big question, but it does appear at this time that, that is the case.

Like it or not. more maintenance is required.

[Pace52]

This is a LONG discussion and too much for a NON computer 57 year old female that is an artist.

  I installed (Upgraded from CS3) CS5 Suite on My mac pro Running 10.6.4.  Never a moment of problem with prior Creative Suite editions and went almost three weeks before the freezes began.  I read somewhere on the internet to take off some MM fonts, but could not find those in my font folder.

Any easier suggestions for us non computer people other than the news of wasted money upgrading?  There are many things I like with CS5 but not this in Photoshop.  I can save manually not to loose my work and have learned to do that. I have non lit screens from File, Edit etc all the way across. I can still use my curser and drag and size things, change fonts but not able to do anything with the upstairs menu on top.  If this is NOT the place for me to find out how to deal with a non-functioning program, I need to know where.

I have sent crash report after crash report after crash report to Adobe as it occurs.  I am responsible for creating 8 pages of ads for an international magazine and frankly this is not helping. Most of my work is thankfully done in Illustrator but many things come through Photoshop first.  I may have to switch back to CS3.

Please advise what to do because I am way lost with all of this back and forth bickering on this forum.  I seek advice on a newly installed program that worked for three weeks and now freezes up with the top menus.  I rely on this program to make my living.

Laurie

[Was DYP]

Please advise what to do because I am way lost with all of this back and forth bickering on this forum.  I seek advice on a newly installed program that worked for three weeks and now freezes up with the top menus.  I rely on this program to make my living.

Laurie

Have you done what I have suggested regarding caches, repairing permission and fonts?

[Pace52]

THere is SO much on all those pages... and I am not computer literate. Unfortunately my son in law that is IT is PC only. I went to a MAC four years ago because I killed PC's every 18 months. This is a record for me!

I only know how to clear Caches internet wise... I do know how to repair permissions but if you are referring to the MM font thing, I could not find it anywhere in my font file. Where is your posting if you clearly outlined for us uncomputered folks to do this... caches other than internet and the 'font thing"?

I sincerely APPRECIATE your help. Thank you.

Laurie

[Pace52]

Should I turn off the GL?? And I tried looking for it, but have no idea where to find the video card.

Laurie

[Pace52]

"With no applications running,

1. Delete CS5 preference files

2. Repair Permissions

3. Remove all fonts that the OS will allow from the Library/Fonts and System/Library/Fonts folders. Use your user /Library/Fonts folder for all known good fonts if you're not using a font manager. Do not place the removed fonts form Library/Fonts and System/Library/Fonts folders anywhere that the OS or applications can see them. You can always add these back one at a time, checking to see if any of these are causing the crashes.

4. Delete all caches. Download Onyx, which is free, to delete all caches. http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11582/onyx

5. Then reboot."

I found this... Not sure how to delete CS5 preference files. I just ran Repair Permissions. How do you 'remove fonts". What will this do? Not sure what a font manager is, but fonts are impt in my work. If I remove them should I put them on an external back up drive or I can put them on a second inner terabyte drive? Will I still have fonts? This I am not understanding.

I did clear my internet Caches bis there more? I also run CLEAN MY MAC. Hopefully that is not bad... that trashes a lot of stuff for me. OR should I download that ONYX too?

Laurie

[Pace52]

ADOBE is telling me to recreate Photoshop Preferences in my use files. Has anyone had any success with this before I try it?

[gator soup]

Try creating an OS New User account first and try to duplicate the problem — if the Photoshop problem clears in a New User — then trashing your old User Photoshop preferences is a first step to track down the corruption or bad setting.

I would opt for manually dragging the suspect preferences to the desktop (or dragging your backup set in place) so you don't lose all your settings...

[Pace52]

I hate being so computer illiterate. 

Not sure what a NEW OS user is to begin with.  I did relabel my Preferences and just reopened to work in it where I guess it has to

set new ones. Not sure what that means either... but I will work on files tonight and in the morning with heavy layering etc and see if it happens again. I did clean out old files but still do not understand what FONT caches are or where you deal with those.

When you say SETTINGS...what do you mean?  I only have set a few things in Photoshop...mostly I set preference in Illustrator.

Thanks for your help and quick response.  I did not throw away the old preferences, I did relabel them.

Is there hope for this or have I spent $800 upgrading with PHotoshop CS5 being unusuable?  Has anyone solved this issue yet?

[Wade_Zimmerman1]

This is how you do it on windows and Mac

PC

1. Quit Illustrator.
2. Rename the AIPrefs file (for example, to AIPrefs.old) in the Users/(user)/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator CS3 Settings folder.
3. Start Illustrator. Illustrator creates a new preferences file.

Mac

1. Quit Illustrator.
2.Go to User/username/Library/Preferences/ Adobe illustrator CS4 Settings and trash the settings folder, the whole folder not just the contents of the folder..
3. Start Illustrator. Illustrator creates a new preferences file.

Often repairing the permission is helpful as well especially if you have a permissions  problem on the scratch disk be it your startup disk a partion on another drive or a dedicaed start up disk.

Trashing the Settings folder will do harm and give you a fresh settings folder.

I have to chime in on this one and say I do not see any of these problems but I have an original MacPro and am waiting for a better performing Mac Modl o come out before I update, my instinct tells me to the pass the current crop of Macs. I have yet to hear anything wonderful about it and I did a test at the Apple Store and found that they are no speed wizards.

They have a bit more support for some performance features but I think this is not their finest day. As far as the Window boxes go from the problems they are encountering I would say the same thing.

Maybe the problems some of you are having is Adobe fault but i think it is intel or the way Microsoft and Apple are trying to protect the use of their boxes by perhaps using security features not well thought out. I think that is what might be causing the problems.

[sitebender]

This is all so maddening. I very rarely purchase an upgrade when it first comes out because I'm wise to the whole paid beta software development model and I don't have time to troubleshoot/fix the problem on my dime. Purchasing CS5 as a pre-order was a rare exception and as it turns out, proved to be a big mistake on my part. I have the same constant type tool related system hangs that have been reported here for the past several months. I'm very qualified to troubleshoot my own system, follow tech notes, hunt down and remove corrupt fonts, clean install, reinstall, etc, yet still the problem persists. This is a 1 year old machine, I've spent hours and hours trying to track down the issue and none of the suggested fixes work. My solution was to go back to CS4 Photoshop and let the rest of you figure it out, I just don't have the luxury of time that I used to have. Over the past 5 months I've installed the upgrades as they came in and have checked in on this thread to see how things are going. I loaded up CS5 Photoshop for the day and it hung my system to varied degrees multiple times until it finally hung it to the point where I had to shut down.

I'm at the end of my rope with this version and I want compensation. I all paid a lot of money to upgrade to CS5 and I'm forced to use CS4 for multiple months because nice guy Chris and the other developers can't figure out the problem. Ok, that's fine, but I think I'm entitled to at least a partial refund since I only have a partially functional suite of programs. I'm not even going to bill for the absurd amount of time I've spent trying to get to the bottom of this. If I was the only one with the issue, I can see where I may not have a leg to stand on, but c'mon...look at the number of people who also paid hundreds of dollars for software they can't use. Did I really see suggestions to buy a new computer? Really? Wow. Here's an idea. Come on over, I'll show you how easy it is to reproduce the issue on my machine. We've got a guest room, we'll put a few steaks on the grill, crack a bottle of wine and get to the bottom of this once and for all. No? Ok, then just give me a few hundred dollars back and I'll shut up and use CS4 Photoshop until you guys can pull the rabbit out of the hat on this one.

Never again.

[Adam Jerugim]

"Come on over, I'll show you how easy it is to reproduce the issue on my machine. We've got a guest room, we'll put a few steaks on the grill, crack a bottle of wine and get to the bottom of this once and for all."

I'll take you up on the offer.  Assuming you aren't in the middle of nowhere I'd be happy to go there for a day and see what's happening on your system.  Hopefully this will give us a better understanding of what's going on and help get to the bottom of this issue. 

Please contact me directly:  travlin_adam at yahoo dot com

Thanks,

Adam