Why does Photoshop CS6 blink on Windows 8?

[michaeljstevens]

When using Photoshop CS6, my screen blinks and flashes, especially when using editing tools or adjusting the image (increasing/decreasing size.)  I am an Adobe Cloud member and using a new machine that has Windows 8 which I am still getting used to.  I had been using my CS apps on my laptop/W7 with no problem whatsoever.  Not sure if the OS makes a difference.  Suggestions?  Thank you.

[Snofox42]

Windows 8 came on a new machine three weeks ago. I didn't break nothin'. Except the bank.

[jruud]

My battery life doubled when I switched to Windows 8. 😕

[Chris Cox]

Did you get the driver from the GPU maker, Microsoft, a system builder, or somewhere else?

You really should get them directly from the GPU maker.

[Snofox42]

I got the driver from AMD directly. The system builder's (ASUS) was older. I tried it, because sometimes an earlier driver works, but not this time.

[Snofox42]

OK, I have tried everything, and now I really need help. My AMD driver (the newest I can get) is version 8.982.10.0, dated Aug 28 2012. This is all I get from AMD's site. But I know they have a beta driver for my card, version 13.10.x, so there MUST be drivers available between version 8 and 13, yes? How do I get them? I can't send a help message to AMD, because they are impenetrable... there is no way to contact them. Is there a reliable download site other than AMD's feeble effort?

Second, I know some have installed beta drivers for my card in the past and this solved the problem with Photoshop CC (which is getting worse no matter what I do). Can I really screw up my system by installing a beta graphics driver? Will I be able to recover if anything goes wrong?

Finally, I have given up on CC for the moment, and installed Elements 11, and while I am really impressed with it, it isn't Photoshop. However, given that this problem is at least 9 months old, and because Microsoft apparently doesn't give a damn about fixing it, I am not hoping for a solution to CC anytime soon. If I can't get a beta driver to work soon, I am sunk. Clients like to get some photos; they are very strange that way.

[Chris Cox]

Users have reported that so far Catalyst 13.10 is stable and fixes the known issues for AMD GPUs.

Microsoft does care, and does know about this, but they haven't released a fix yet.

[Snofox42]

Thank you! I will download and install that driver in the morning.

[Noel Carboni]

13.10 is the current beta; 13.9 is the release.  Just so you know...

-Noel

[Snofox42]

I obviously have been doing this all wrong. For weeks!

When I uninstall the current driver and reboot, I presume that Windows supplies my machine with a driver to keep me operational until I install the new driver? [Sorry for the question, but I am a newbie at messing with graphics drivers and other important stuff like that there.]

[Noel Carboni]

Generally speaking, with ATI drivers you need only install the new one.  The old one is removed automatically.  That's certainly the case with Catalyst 13.9, which I am running now.

ATI supplies a tool for removing completely a driver (e.g., in preparation for DOWNgrading to an older one).  I have only ever used it once or twice, owing to installing a bum driver release, and it did function just as you say.

http://sites.amd.com/us/game/downloads/Pages/catalyst-uninstall-utility.aspx

-Noel

[KateMann]

Snofox, I do hope you got this sorted out. I can imagine the frustration ..

but hopefully, today you have a driver that works. Do let us know.

[Snofox42]

Not even the fifteenth try is a charm. I have tried every which way to install this driver (13.9) but it won't install... like the others. After I run the install, Device Manager reports the old driver 8.982.10.0. So I ran the Uninstall utility from AMD and rebooted. Then I went through device manager to check the driver, and it listed what I think is a Microsoft version dated June 2012. So I go to update the driver, find the 13.9 in the AMD folder, click to install...... and Windows flashes a message that IT has determined that I have the most up to date driver and will not allow me to go any further. So I navigate to the driver location myself, double click on the executive, it goes through all of the install screens and .... nothing. The version 8.9 driver from 2012 is still installed. And Photoshop at start up flashes me a message that it has found a problem with the graphics driver and has disabled some features. So now I am worse off than ever.

This piece of junk is going back to the dealer right now.

[bob frost]

You are trying to install the right driver - 32 bit for 32bit windows and 64 bit for 64 bit windows? Not noticed you mention the 'bits' of your computer.

Bob Frost

[Snofox42]

Yes, it's the 64-bit driver. It's in the right folder location, but Windows won't let me access it. I tried to install it by double clicking on the .exe file but that fails to replace the installed driver every time. If I uninstall the drivers first, the new install fails to replace the driver that is used by the machine after I reboot from the uninstall process. It's a loop that I can't get out of, and AMD's customer service is... well... where is it?

[Snofox42]

So, a related question. This machine is going back today. If they offer to swap out the vid. card for another, I will try it, but I am a little disappointed with AMD and don't want anything to do with their cards. Is there a vid card that is  known to work with Photoshop CC but will not break the bank?

[Snofox42]

In desperation, I tried again, this time with the 13.10 beta. It seemed to be going OK, right up until the very end, when Windows 8 flashed me a message that it had blocked the installation of an unsigned driver. Sigh. Also, now I can't turn off Defender anymore, because  Win 8 needs a named graphics device. So I have managed to screw something else up by uninstalling all AMD drivers and programs. Windows 8 is a nightmare. Whoever heard of operating systems that won't let you update drivers???

Sorry for the rant. I will stop. I desperately need a vid card that works.

[Snofox42]

Just to prove I'm not mad, I wanted to see if the original driver would install. I found it, used the same procedures as for the others, and it installed! But I still can't update it.

[KateMann]

I feel badly for you Snofox. I hope you can get a machine that will work

with PsCC. It isn't Ps, it's the driver. It isn't windows 8 either. I am

running Win8 and have an nvidea 650 something and it works splendidly. ASUS

laptop. Killer machine actually. So, keep us up to date. I think the nvidea

cards and the AMD cards are pretty much the same prices. Good luck!

[bob frost]

Just a few ideas - have you got full admininstrator privileges? You should be able to over-ride windows desire to protect your from installing an unsigned driver. Have you clicked on the properties of the installation program and told it to run with admininstrative rights (Properties/Advanced)? Have you turned off Windows User Account Control (User Accounts/Account Control slider)?

Bob Frost

[Snofox42]

Thanks for the thoughts! Unfortunately, both measures failed. The new driver 13.9 will not install, and the beta won't either. Windows will not allow me to update the drivers no matter what. On the other hand, this video card (Radeon 7670) is the cheapest in the 7000 series, and I have noticed that although all other models of the 7600 series are listed as being compatible with new drivers from AMD, the 7670 is conspicuously absent. My Windows may also be quirky.

So, back the machine goes for a reformat of hard drives, reinstall of Windows 8, a new power supply to run a new nVidia graphics card. This is my first experience with an ATI graphics card, and by God it will be my last.

On the other hand, I have become very impressed and happy with the capabilities of Elements 11. There is no LAB colour space, which I miss, but otherwise it's implementation of layers etc. leaves little to be desired. And it is rock solid steady and runs my plug-ins without a murmur. So something good came out of all of this. Of course, if Microsoft would get its act together, we wouldn't have to do all of this.

[KateMann]

Good Lord! You have certainly bought the computer from Hell. My condolences.

[KateMann]

BTW, did you name the brand and model of the computer? It seems that they

have sold a computer that cannot be upgraded and might not be compatible

with the operating system.

On Sun, Sep 22, 2013 at 1:00 AM, Katherine Mann <ms.katherine.mann@gmail.com

[Snofox42]

OOh . . . I didn't know such computers existed. It's an Asus Desktop PC CM1435 16G RAM and Radeon 7670 Graphics Card. The tech at the shop where I bought it is upgrading the video card and reinstalling Windows, so it seems to be upgradeable. Actually, the tech has this same computer and has upgraded his graphics driver with no problems, and has no problems otherwise. I think my computer came with a bad install of Windows, on a number of grounds. Even so, ATI graphics, with their disorganized and uninformative web site and their lack of customer support has seen the last of me.

[KateMann]

hmmm, I am running an ASUS NJ56 something or other - 8G RAM and an nvidea

650 GT graphics card. Windows 8, which, despite all that I had heard, I

have no problems with. Fast and efficient. The GPU is happily running an

ASUS PB278Q at some ungodly high resolution - 2460 x 1440 or something. I

have had no problems upgrading the graphics driver, which I have done

several times. I think you are probably correct - your problems will likely

be solved with a fresh install of WIndows. But what a total pain!!!!

[Snofox42]

Success! A new vid card (nVidea 650GTX --- thank you Kate Mann for referring me to that) and a format and fresh install of Windows, and my machine is running as it should. I have been using Photoshop CC all weekend for many hours without a complaint. And Windows 8 is behaving as well... it allowed me to update the nVidea driver. Wow, it's really something to be able to use LR5, Photomatix, then jump from there to Photoshop, use plug-ins there and do all kinds of tweaks with layering etc without a hitch and with good speed.

Thanks to all for your help, especially to Kate. And if anyone is keeping records, the ATI Radeon 7670 may be fine for games, but it is terrible for Photoshop. And their customer service is non-existent... I am still waiting for a reply from them.