P: Freezing, cursor stuck when scrolling/flick panning

[jethrodesign]

Hi, over the years we've generally found Photoshop to be one of the most stable of all apps we use. But lately, it's been freezing a lot when doing relatively simple editing. We've updated to the very latest version (21.1.2) on a late 2013 Mac Pro with 24GB RAM. 

What seems to be causing the freeze is just scrolling around a zoomed-in image when using the spot healing brush tool on grayscale TIF images that aren't overly huge or complex. But this may just be coincidence since it's a pretty common task. But using the space-bar scroll will just suddenly freeze and the image becomes completely unresponsive. Fortunately, I am typically still able to access menus, including 'File/Save'! Sometimes I'm able to just save & re-open the file to get it to work again, other times I must restart PS.

- Is this common? 

- Anything we can try to resolove (if clearing prefs, any specific - as they seem to be pretty widespread and in multiple places)?

Seems like this has only recently started happening, so not sure if one of the recent updates has caused this. We've never experienced this kind of thing with PS over the years.

Thanks! 

[Fihn]

I've had a problem for a while, where I have a few PSD files open and the one I'm working on will 'freeze'. I can't interact with it in any way - even changing the tool I'm using (ex. brush to wand) won't change the cursor while it's over the document. Thankfully I can save the file and reopen it. Strangely it only affects one file at a time - the other files that are open can still be worked on. It might be worth noting that I usually work in a 2-up horizontal layout with images side by side.

Finally, today I discovered that it seems to be related to flick panning. I disabled it and haven't had the problem since. It's a terrible fix though, given that non-flick panning was slow when it worked well, and has become even worse in the latest version where you must wait for the image to catch up after panning.

Has anyone else experience this and possibly found a fix?

[kajsidogpilot]

This has driven me crazy the last couple weeks also. Every couple minutes I have to save the file and reopen it. It only occurs when I'm flick panning, a feature I didn't realize I could turn off. Giving that a go so thanks!

[Fihn]

I've given up and gone back to v 20.0.8. I trieid earlier versions of 21.x but they all have different bugs (ex. tool presets vanishing every time you restart PS). So far I have about 30 hours of work done with 20.0.8 and flick panning hasn't been a problem. Hopefully they get a fix for the latest version, but I've heard so little about it I'm not sure if it's even on their radar.

[Damnengine]

Same problem, or my image gets stuck in the right bottom corner somehow. I'm on windows, PS 21.1.1

[dawidzadlo]

I'm working on a project. Suddenly, the brush tool (but also any other tools) turns into regular "arrow" cursor and stays that way. Since now, I am not able to do anything: I can click whenever I want (tool bar, layers, panels etc, work area) but nothing happens. The only thing I can do is to save the project, close it and reopen so I can continue the work (I dont have to close Photoshop, just the project I work on).

It's been happening since last update, on every project I did, sometimes one time per hour, sometimes more. Reseting Photoshop settings doesn't help. I work on Windows 10 and use Wacom Intuos4.

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Does turning off »Use Graphics Processor« in the Performance Preferences (Photoshop > Preferences > Performance > Graphic Processor Settings) and restarting Photoshop have any bearing on the issue? 

Does switching to another application and back have any effect? 

What have you done for trouble-shooting so far? 

Restoring Preferences after making sure all customized presets like Actions, Patterns, Brushes etc. have been saved might be a good starting point:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/kb/basic-trouble-shooting-steps.html

[dawidzadlo]

After turning off »Use Graphics Processor« everything seems to work. What could that mean?

I would prefer to keep that feature on.

As I mentioned before, it started to happen right after I update Photoshop to its newest version, I also restored the preferences earlier and it didn't fix the issue.

[jethrodesign]

Argh, just happened again. I was once again zoomed-in a bit on an image and in the process of scrolling (space-bar drag) the image when it just froze. It seems like it is just the image window that is freezing. I can switch tools, turn layers on/off, etc. Even zooming using Navigator 'appears' to work, it's just that the image display does not change at all. I have to Save & Close the image, then re-open to get through it.

- Any ideas? This is starting to happen fairly freqently.

[DERJUNG]

Yeah, I also have a problem with freezing. Good that I'm not alone with it, bad that there doesn't seem to be a real solution for weeks unless you go back a few versions (PS2019). So it's more the program itself than the operating system. I have also worked with competing products (Pix... & Aff...) and both of them are not frozen. But no agency standard yet.

Here are my reports on it from an "f...." expensive Mac Pro from work. On a clean install... just to make sure 🙂

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/photoshop-21-1-2-freezing-on-catalina-10-15-4...

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/photoshop-21-1-2-freezing-on-catalina-10-15-4-system-freezi...

[davidg93644855]

I also have this problem and have done for a couple of months. I have read multiple feeds of others with the same problem regardless of the layout they are working on. What is Adobe doing to rectify this???

[claudel84161621]

I'm having the same issue for the last couple of months already... already made a different post about it but still no fix.

This really slows down the workflow.

[gener7]

First try Edit > Preferences > Performance and check on Legacy Compositing as well as tamping down the Drawing Mode of your GPU under Advanced Settings.

[jonathanu5375515]

I'll add myself to the list of users experiencing this problem when working on large multi layer files. the only saving grace is that I am able to save the file upon freeze close it and reopen it. 

[Generous_body0D4A]

Same here. Really disruptive to work flow. I use PS more for painting than editing so i frequently zoom in and move the viewing area around. i can't quite place what exactly causes it but generally it comes when i do a series of quick movements/inputs. Was never a problem in legacy versions. Hope theres a fix or if i'm missing something please let me know.

[nd68901851]

I just wanted to comment here since there's no solution posted in this thread. The changes gener7 mentioned, Drawing mode and Legacy Compositing, did not work for me.

I'm using a Wacom tablet (all drivers, windows updates, etc. up to date) and ran into this issue. What finally worked for me is disabling Windows Ink (which has been a source of a lot of Photoshop bugs since 2018). It requires a couple steps but if you google "UseSystemStylus 0" you'll see how to do it. Or this youtube vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nL10xGIA_s

(Edit: or see below)

If any Photoshop devs are reading this, if you want to reproduce the issue:

1. Use a tablet that uses Windows Ink

2. Make a new document

3. Zoom in (so that you can flick pan)

4. Activate the hand tool (H)

5. Rapidly swipe back and forth with the stylus (making it rapidly flick-pan left and right). It will almost always freeze after about 5 or so flicks. 

For me it does NOT freeze when flick panning with a mouse, only with a stylus.

Edit: It's actually only a few steps for disabling Windows Ink so here they are:

1. Open notepad

2. Write a single line that says: UseSystemStylus 0

3. Save the file as: C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2020\Adobe Photoshop 2020 Settings\PSUserConfig.txt

4. Disable Windows Ink in your tablet settings. For Wacom it's under "Mapping" or "Calibrate".

5. Close and re-open photoshop and it should (hopefully!) work now.

[philh7091657]

This is also happening to me on a Windows 10 machine. Scrolling a zoomed image with either keyboard (space bar) and mouse or a pen and Tablet. I am abe to save the file and reopen, but this is now happening more frequently and is becomming very disruptive.

[SarahRosey]

Add me to the list of people experiencing this! Still no fix??

[johnn18406422]

I still have this problem, the cursor is super slow, can't work with this.

Is adobe doing anything about this?

[melodyt33322275]

I've also been experiencing this issue as well, my only solution was to roll back the photoshop to before the 21.1 update and I haven't had issues since. Adobe really needs to fix this issue. 

[SarahRosey]

SOLUTION!! 

PixImperfect the photoshop god uploaded a video today on how to fix this, its just a simple click of the button!

Please make sure to give him some love for his help. This fixed the issue for me, thank goodness he figured it out because clearly, Adobe wasn't giving us answers. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNQMsF9hgdM&ab_channel=PiXimperfect 

EDIT: JUST KIDDING, STILL FREEZING, JUMPED THE GUN BECAUSE I WAS EXCITED ugh

[tun723]

same here on Windows 10 64bit, AMD ryzen 3900x, RTX2060

[Clemmiez]

You can also add me to the list, this has been very annoying. Always gotta save my work, close the document and reopen to fix it.

Happened to me yesterday 5 times in the matter of an hour.

[AgaNagA]

Same problem, reported this many many times but still no fix. Just simple scrolling and panning with spacebar and wacom pen causes freeze on working window. 
ADOBE SUPPORT !! WHERE ARE YOU ??
tired of being used as a beta tester while paying for this

[jjaccoma]

This has been happening to me as well, would really like a fix to this. A lot of times I'll save, reopen the document and it immediately freezes again as I'm zooming back in on the spot I was working on.

[lake_house_photography]

This started happening to me yesterday, and happened twice today. Suddenly I can no longer scroll around - either using the hand tool or the scroll bars. Luckily can still save. Need to exit PS and restart to give temporary fix. I am running Win10 64 bit, AMD Ryzen processor. 

Really hoping for a fast fix as very disruptive.