V 25.11: keyboard shortcut not working and Contextual Task Bar flashing

[Dominique_R2]

Hello everyone,

I have recently upgraded to version 25.11 of Photoshop and like several others, I am not happy with the slowing down of my PC, while the new stunning things AI can do are of no real use to me.

However, I am writing about a different thing, and I will describe what's happening:

1. After developing my RAW file in Lightroom Classic, I export it into Photoshop for retouching.

2. Once that is done, I save my file as a TIFF.

3. Then, I create a JPEG by using File | Export | Save for Web (Legacy)... This is what I have always done, I find it more practical and better suited than the other, more recent export options, and I'd lie to continue to do it. I have forever used a custom keyboard shortcut to access that function: Ctrl-Alt-S, which worked just fine until this last version.

4. What happens now is that, sometimes, the shortcut works and calls up the Save for Web screen, but sometimes it doesn't. What happens then is that the Contextual Task Bar (which on my screen is parked in the bottom right angle) flashes very briefly, and nothing else happens.

I thought there was a shoertcut conflict somewhere but I cannot find it. Moreover, when I assign a different shortcut combination to my Save for Web function, it still doesn't work, and I have the same symptom of the Contextual Task Bar briefly flashing. Nothing else that I can see is happening. It happens regardless of whether I used the Contextual Task Bar while retouching that particular photo or not.

When I restart Photoshop entirely, the shortcut works again... until it stops working, and I cannot figure out why, and what to do about it.

I am considering reverting to the previous version.

Would anyone have a clue about why this is happening? Many thanks in advance!

Dominique

[Bojan Živković]

One possible reason could be that you inadvertently switched the input language. Do you have multiple language packs installed? To check, press the Windows logo key and then hit the Space bar.

[Dominique_R2]

Thank you for your suggestion. I checked like you said, but no change there. Furthermore, if there had been such a change, many (if not all) keyboard shortcuts would be affected, wouldn't they? But only this one is, the others (whether they be basic Adobe ones or customized by myself) still work fine and do not trigger any flicker in the Contextual Task Bar.

[Bojan Živković]

Perhaps a preference reset can help; it often assists people with unusual issues.

[Dominique_R2]

Oh, you mean resetting to Defaults? Yes I'm sure it would solve the problem because then the keyboard shortcut would cease to exist altogether, as it was created by me! :o)

As they say, you don't cure a fever by breaking the thermometer... ;o)

[Dominique_R2]

I understand that those semi-random issues are the hardest to diagnose and fix. By semi-random, I mean random (you don't know when they will happen, they don't always happen at the same moment) but not truly random (you know they WILL happen, there is not one time they will not, you just don't know when).

Therefore, I have decided to revert to the earlier version of Photoshop, the 25.9.1, which I am in the process of reinstalling instead of the 25.11.

Thank you all for your help.

[Bojan Živković]

You can save and reload custom set KBDS.

[Dominique_R2]

Indeed, yes, thank you.

Now I have the previous version back, the speed is back too! And it's great. I admire (with mixed feelings) what the new AI can do, but being a "heritage photographer" (which involves mostly old stones, architecture, monuments, still lifes and inanimate objects), I have no use for it. The "limited" AI that exists in version 25.9.1 is great for my needs, which are mostly to cleverly erase a "Restrooms" sign from a 12th century wall... :o)