Unable to continue because an hardware or system error

[Manuel5C1D]

Dear gents

I am usig my old and very expensive Photoshop 6.0 on a W10 Pro environment. From yesterday, when starting the Photoshop I got the mensage:

"Unable to continue because an hardware or system error. Sorry, but this error is unrecoverable"

As far as I know, any Windows update had been installed on the last week, so is not result of an update of the system

It is possible to get suport or instructions from Adobe offices?

[War Unicorn]

CS6 support ended around 2016. CS6's OS requirements also extended to Windows 8 but not anything after that:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/cs6-system-requirements.html

That being said, have you tried things like a preferences reset or an uninstall/reinstall?

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

Otherwise, there may be something going on with your system. (Like a hardware failure on the storage end.)

[Charlie5DEB]

My Photoshop 6.0 had happened as the same issue on last month (March 2021) after WIN10 forced to update. I did uninstall and reinstall but the error message came up eachtime when started Photoshop 6.0.

Charlie

[defaultlrv0kf1fbu19]

I have to wonder how much Adobe paid to Windows so that a windows update results in killing the application.

[Ged_Traynor]

@defaultlrv0kf1fbu19 

Operating systems are updated on a regular basis, as is the software that runs on them, do you really expect software that was developed 10, 15, 20 years ago to work on modern operating systems.

[D Fosse]

You're joking, right‌‌, defaultlrv? Gee, you had me fooled there for a second.

So Microsoft should halt all development for fifteen years, to keep Photoshop 6.0 running....good one - 😄

[War Unicorn]

So-called "perpetual" versions of software (like Photoshop 6.0) are more like "until it doesn't run anymore" versions, usually via obselescence. I currently have this argument constantly with Reason users, who are up-in-arms over the DAW having a subscription model alongside its perpetual model. (They're basically worried that the perpetual versions eventually won't get support or simply work anymore. They actually believe that because they paid a lot of money for it, it should always work, despite it being released like 15 years ago.) lol

[JJMack]

Windows Photoshop CS6 version still run on Windows 10.    My three Dell workstation can not install Windows 11 for the Xeon processors are not listed as supported process by Microsoft  for windows 11. Therefore, I'll only be able to use CS6 till October 2025 when Microsoft  stops supporting Windows 10. 2025-2012=13 Years of use  $1000/13years = $77 per year.   Was a good deal IMO.....

[davescm]

Photoshop 6 (from c 2002) or CS6 (from c2012) ?

Adobe support has ended for both those products, but I would start with a preference reset

Dave

[Manuel5C1D]

Thanks for the help. But try to understand the problem. A lot of years ago I buy the very old Photshop 6.0. It is a very usefull tool to manage photos from my cameras. Usualy I want to correct just the sise of the photos to a standard used on my reports. I don't like to change my software any time a new litle change is made. And I do not like to rent the software. When I need a software I purchase it and it was a lot of money on that time.

It was possible to work under the MS Windows XP, under the MSWindows 7 and with MSWindows 10.This week end it was impossible to run Photoshop. And it returned the error. I tryed to restart the Photoshop, uninstalling and reinstalling it. After the first use, on a second use of the sotware, it returned with the same error (Unable to continue because an hardware or system error. Sorry, but this error is unrecoverable).

So, I believe that some change had been made, probably not from Adobe but by Microsoft.

So, what can I try?

[Peru Bob · Accepted solution]

.

So, what can I try?

By @Manuel5C1D

Photoshop Elements:

https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

[defaultlrv0kf1fbu19]

We don't need support, we need it to work.

I have to wonder how much Adobe paid to Windows so that a windows update results in killing the application.

[Manuel5C1D]

Dear gent's

It seems that Microsoft is providing the businiess to Adobe and Adobe feels good with that. The update of the W10 made the crash of more than one Adobe software pack. And the answer from Adobe is just "buy a new pack of software". Solving the erros and the bugs is not the focus of the company. Client support is not the Adobe business, does not give return.

[davescm]

Client support for a purchase made 18 years ago, for which you chose not to purchase or subscribe to any of the 16 major updates since, and which  has worked until you chose to change the environment in which it runs??? 

If you choose to freeze applications in time then the only way to guarantee you have no issues is to also freeze the hardware, i.e PC and cameras, and OS environment.

Dave

[War Unicorn]

This. I see users who have the very first version of Reason running on a Windows 98 system (complete with hardware for that time). Talk about hardcore.  🙂

[defaultlrv0kf1fbu19]

It was working on W10, now it is not.

I have to wonder how much Adobe paid to Windows so that a windows update results in killing the application.

Corperate corruption at its finest. The solution of "but new application" only supports the corperation, not the customer.

MAYBE would be accetable if Adobe offered a trade in discount.

Now it is "buy new app" and hope they don't kill the app in a year or two.

[Test Screen Name]

Adobe offered a trade in discount for the next two versions. They expected their customers to upgrade in that Window.

No, you can't buy a new app. You can only subscribe. Since you get upgrades with the subscription, you don't have to worry about back luck or conspiracy killing your app.

[John26751317gd8u]

Loving the patronising answers here.

I have the same problem. It's been running on Windows 10 happily for years. Now, I install - it runs and works fine. I close it. I reopen it, and get the error message saying there's a problem. I uninstall. I reinstall. It works, ONCE....then I close and get the same error message. Rinse and repeat. 

Stick your subscriptions too incidentally.

[A.L.F.2535760648f8]

The solution is simple. Right click on the photoshop icon and choose properties, select the compatibility box then at the botom click on Change Settings for All Users, select the box run this program in compatibility mode then select windows 98/windows ME then click apply and then OK and reboot your computer. That's it! This should fix it!    

[shree340531111uar]

This works for me... Thanks for help!

[A.L.F.2535760648f8]

Run photoshop on windows 98/ME. This solves the issue. Right click on PS icon then go to properties/compatibility/change settings for all users/run programs on compatible mode/windows 98/ME/apply/OK/reboot. And that's it! cheers and Go Vegan for the animals and the planet.

[eric291296933csl]

Hello,
I have the same question for my Photoshop 6.
It was alright until I update the windows system and restart the computer as per Windows request.
And the message "hardware error or system error" appeared and I have tried a dozen times to reinstall the program and even delete my anti-virus pc-cillion system, but all in vain.
I guess Microsoft made a deal with Adobe to stop the poor old Photoshop version buyers to run their Photoshop 6 on the Windows system.
This result will force many like us to install the latest version of Photoshop.
It feels bad for me.
Is there any program that can do a job close to Photoshop?
I am not considering not supporting Photoshop anymore.
Regards,
eric

[Test Screen Name]

You supported Photoshop when you paid for version 6, over 20 years ago. 

OF COURSE Adobe will be delighted any time old versions stop working, because at last some people will spend some money.

[Jeff Arola]

eric,

Did you try the suggestion made by A.L.F. a few posts up?

The solution is simple. Right click on the photoshop icon and choose properties, select the compatibility box then at the botom click on Change Settings for All Users, select the box run this program in compatibility mode then select windows 98/windows ME then click apply and then OK and reboot your computer. That's it! This should fix it!    

[defaultlrv0kf1fbu19]

This is interseting . . . I applied the "compatability mode" fix a year or two ago and has been OK but minor fuctionality was lost. For kicksd I just now turned off compatability mode and it still runs and the lost functions are back. Does anyone know if Windows patched the issue or did I just get lucky?

Just a note: I have disabled all future windows updates about 3 months ago.