PS 22.5.1 slow opening

[Michael S Gibbons]

Normally Photoshop loads pretty fast on my end.  Win10 user, with Photoshop on a SSD. 

I suspect my problems started a week and a half ago when I...

• Used Photoshop to open a DAE 3d file and export an OBJ file, closed Photoshop and found that it took longer than usual to boot the next time around.
• Photoshop now boots in about 43 seconds, with 33 seconds stuck on 'Reading preferences.'
• Read over the forums and tried suggestions such as backing up and deleting “C:\Users\USERNAMEHERE\AppData\Local\Adobe” and “C:\Users\USERNAMEHERE\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021” 
• Leary of a full uninstall of Photoshop as I can’t quite recall how to properly back up all the gradients, brushes, plugins, and preferences.  (Is there some smart way of doing this with little effort if an uninstall/reinstall is the way to go?)

Is there some sort of registry setting that might have been flipped?

[J453]

Try restoring your preferences using this manual method:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html#Manually

[Michael S Gibbons]

Jeffery thank you for getting back to me. 

So backed up what I could and performed the Photoshop uninstall right from the Creative Cloud Desktop interface.  (The section labeled Installed '... dropdown' then Uninstall.)

Made sure to also remove Local and Roaming AppData

C:\Users\Mgibb\AppData\Local\Adobe

C:\Users\Mgibb\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021

Fully shut down the machine.  Booted back up, opened Photoshop.  The boot process was still slow.  Opened a file. closed the application.  Reopened.  Same boot lag around the "Reading preferences" section.  Around 33-35 seconds. 

Uninstalled one more time, just in case I missed something.  Checked the "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021\" directory to make sure there weren't errant files.  Removed Local and Roaming AppData again.  Used the Dell Alienware Support assist tool to clean the registry.  Checked the registry manually and attemped to clean it.  Shut down.  Restarted.  Tried the installation process again.  Same slow boot where it lags around 'Reading preferences.'

[J453]

If you sign out of creative cloud and sign back in does that help?

[Michael S Gibbons]

Thank you for the suggestion but it didn't help.

• Logged out of Creative Cloud Desktop, restarted. 
• Logged back in, and no change in the Photoshop boot performance.

[Michael S Gibbons]

Thank you for the suggestion but it didn't help.   (and just realized I replied to myself)

• Logged out of Creative Cloud Desktop, restarted.
• Logged back in, and no change in the Photoshop boot performance.

[Michael S Gibbons]

To recap – Photoshop 22.5.1 is slow when booting.  Approximately 33 seconds are spent on 'Reading preferences.'

1. Tried uninstalling Photoshop (twice)  [Did not remove the Creative Cloud Desktop application]  Used Creative Cloud to handle the installation.
2. After uninstalling ensured the following directories were cleared.

• C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Adobe
• C:\Users\ USERNAME \AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2021

1. Did a full shutdown after each uninstall and reinstall.
2. Per the recommendation Signed out of Creative Cloud (Rebooted) and back in.  Opened Photoshop No change in performance
3. Also shut down Creative Cloud and tried booting Photoshop.  No change.   

[J453]

Does booting into a new Admin user account make any difference? https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/basic-troubleshooting.html#permissions 

[Michael S Gibbons]

Tried making a new Admin user account with no success a few weeks ago.

Today's Photoshop update to 23.0.1 made a world of difference, the application loaded in approximately 10 seconds.

So this latest bug fix closes this issue for me. 

[Ged_Traynor]

• Leary of a full uninstall of Photoshop as I can’t quite recall how to properly back up all the gradients, brushes, plugins, and preferences.

By @Michael S Gibbons

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preset-migration.html