PS version confusion

[perrybrus]

I've just updated PS and while I was watching the update process another PS update popped up in my CC desktop application. When the first update process was finished it says I'm at version 21.0.2 but the other update still sits in my desktop application waiting to be activiated but that version number is lower at 20.0.7. When I go into PS to see what version it detects it says 20.0.7 - so what happened to the 21.0.2 update that is confirmed in the desktop manager? I've had similar version conflicts occuring before with many Adobe apps and accepting the latter "update" for a lower version has always created version havoc and issues. Why do I get these?! How do I remove the update request for 20.0.7? It obviously isn't the latest version.

[davescm]

Hi,  you can have both CC2019 = v20   and CC2020 = v21 installed on the same PC. It was given as an option when you updated CC2020. Many of us keep the last version around just in case the new version brings any major bugs.

Today bug-fix updates were issued for both v20.0.7 taking it to v20.0.8    and  for v21.0.1 taking it to v21.0.2

You can safely uninstall v20.x.x. if you no longer need it.

Dave

[perrybrus]

What do you mean? I was never presented with any options. I have just installed 21.0.2 but inside PS it says I'm at 20.0.7. So why does it say my version is 21.0.2 in the desktop manager, shouldn't it actually reflect what version I have installed? Isn't that supposed to be the version I recently downloaded like it says in the manager? Makes me wonder what version I have installed of course cause theres a conflict between what it says in the manager and what the application says I have. I tought the possibility to roll back was an option, so why is the older version presented as a prompt in the manager? And why isn't PS detecting the version I installed? I think this back and forth strategy is confusing. If this is a fixed strategy then why doesn't it occur all the time with  every update for all the programs? As mentioned the 20.0.7 version suddenly popped up in the manager while I was installing 21.0.2. I haven't accepted the 20.0.7 innstallment. Am I running the version that PS defines in the Help - About Photoshop menu or am I running the version that CC manager states I recently innstalled?! Confusing.

[davescm]

It sounds like you have both v20.0.7 and v21.0.2 installed, as I have here, in fact I also have v19.1.9 installed.

When there is a major update (not minor bugfix) for example from version 20 to 21, the desktop app has always given you the option to keep or delete the older version. It used to default to delete, but it now defaults to keep which is better , provided you have the disk space as, if there is a big issue with the newer version, you can always try opening your files in the older version.

When there are bugfix updates, as there was today, you will be offered updates for all installed versions for which there is an update. So, today that was for both v20.0.7 taking it to v20.0.8 and  for v21.0.1 taking it to v21.0.2

As I said earlier, if you don't want the older version (v20) just click on the three dots in the desktop app, and uninstall it

Dave

[perrybrus]

Still don't get it. How can two versions be innstalled at once? I'm going with what PS tells me and it says my version is 20.0.7 but the desktop manager says 21.0.2. There's no sensible reason why the desktop manager should say a different version than PS. So this is just confusing. In general the whole strategy of delivering different versions in the desktop manager is confusing. Providing older versions should be a silent service available as a self administrated rollback. Now I'm just confused.

[davescm]

You can have several different versions of Photoshop installed at once. I currently have three, I used to have six.

Your desktop is showing that you have two. You are being offered an update to both.

If it is confusing - just take the updates to all so each has an open button next to it in the desktop app. Then for the version you no longer want click the three dots next to the open button and choose uninstall

Dave

[D Fosse]

You can have two versions because they are separate programs.

You updated v20 after updating v21. The latest installed version will take over file associations, so that's the version that opens when you double-click a file.

Photoshop should always be installed/uninstalled/updated in version order. A problem with the installer is that it doesn't tell you this.

You can probably fix the file associations in Bridge or Windows "open with...", but if that doesn't work you need to uninstall v20, and perhaps also 21 - and then reinstall.

[perrybrus]

I didn't accept the 20.0.7 update cause it tells me to decide what to keep in terms of interface settings etc. This is exactly what caused havoc the last time around and this is why I hate how Adobe administrate these updates. It's just terrible. Last time this happened I lost alot of program settings and misc setup stuff altough I chose to keep all. I just wanna have ONE version of the application and IF I want to roll back that should be a silent service for me to use in the desktop admin and not something pushy that I'm forced to work with just because there's a new version. I have updated to 21.0.2. That's it! Shouldn't be this difficult. Now I'm caught in the aweful version confusion yet again that is created by Adobe. This whole Creative Cloud system is Confusion Cloud. It's creative in all the wrong ways. It should just provide the version I installed. Nothing more or less.

[jane-e]

“I just wanna have ONE version of the application”

Adobe offered you the choice to keep the previous version or to uninstall it when you installed the newest version. The default choice is to keep the previous version. Most of us prefer it this way in case there are bugs that affect our productivity. You can make your wishes known to the product managers here:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/

Jane

[perrybrus]

I was never offered to keep previous version when I accepted the 21.0.2 update. As mentioned, while 21.0.2 was innstalling the 20.0.7 version update appeared in the desktop manager. It feels really strange to be offered an update for a prior version. As showed in my prior post the CC desktop manager confirms my 21.0.2 update but PS does not. So there's clearly something not right with this. I'm not going to accept the 20.0.7 update.

[davescm]

You seem to be misunderstanding, or ignoring, the advice given.

You weren't offered any previous version options with today's bugfix update. That is normal.  You will have been offered the option when you updated from version 20 to version 21 some time ago. You may not have seen it, or remember it, but the default was to keep the old version (v20).

When you open Photoshop - you are opening one of the installed versions on your system. In your case you are opening Photoshop 20.0.7. So you are opening the older of the two versions on your system.

The desktop manager is showing both your installed versions. Photoshop 21.0.2 and 20.0.7.  You can choose to ignore the update to 20.0.7 but given also that today's update included security fixes, it would seem sensible to update the 20.0.7 version to 20.0.8 if you are going to keep it. 

If you never want to use use the older version then uninstall 20.0.7 and just leave 21.0.2 on your system. Next time there is a major version update (to v22.x.x) - watch out for the option to keep or remove the older version.

Dave