Compatibility Issues with Windows 11 and pre-2022 versions of Photoshop Elements

Report · Dec 19, 2023

I just installed Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 on my new Windows 11 laptop.

My first installation attempt, I got this message from Program Compatibility:

"This app can't run on this device

PX Engine

Unknown

This app can't run because it causes security or performance issues on Windows."

I tried installing again using Compatibility Mode with Windows 7. I got the same message from Program Compatibility. But I realized that the software was successfully installed (I am not certain whether it happened after the first or second installation attempt).

I've seen posts online from people saying they are successfully using pre-2022 Photoshop Elements software on Windows 11 devices. However, I've also seen posts from people who say their PC would no longer boot after installing pre-2022 Photoshop Elements software. They had to completely reinstall Windows.

I'm terrified that my PC won't reboot next time I restart. Is there anyone here who is familiar with this specific issue? Or anyone who is successfully using pre-2022 Photoshop Elements on their Windows 11 device *or* who has experienced this software causing their pc to no longer boot?

My PC is brand new and I haven't done any backups. I am going to download the Windows 11 media creation tool incase I need it after reboot 😓

One person said the problem is the file PxHlpa64.sys. I have my Folder Options set to show protected operating system files, but I can't find this file. Maybe that's a good sign?

Report · Dec 19, 2023

All I can tell you is that I have Elements versions 4 and 10 through 2024 working on a Windows 11 machine without issue. Elements 2018 isn't even running in compatibility mode.

I suggest you:

Open the C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2018 folder
Right-click on the PhotoshopElementsEditor.exe file
Select Properties from the context menu
Go to the Compatibility tab
You can then run the Compatibility Troubleshooter or check the Compatibility Mode box and make a choice from the available options.

Report · Dec 19, 2023

Greg - Thank you for sharing your experience!!! Also for the Compatibility Troubleshooter suggestion. I believe I did go through those steps earlier, but no harm in doing it again lol. I'm also going to make sure I am prepared for the possibility of my computer not booting properly before I restart 😅

Report · Dec 29, 2024

Dove si trova COMPATIBILITA' ??????????

Report · Dec 29, 2024

DOVE SI TROVA COMPATIBILITA' ??????

Report · Dec 29, 2024

@danilo_3924, you are looking at the Properties of the program folder, not the exe file. Double-click on the blue folder icon and it will open the contents of the folder. There you will find the necessary file: PhotoshopElementsEditor.exe.

Report · Dec 30, 2024

TROVATO COMPATIBILITà OK POI ?????

Report · Dec 30, 2024

@danilo_3924 you have found the compatibility tab to run the raw plug-in installer, not the Elements Editor or Organizer programs.

But now that I have taken a closer look at your question, there should be absolutely no reason to run Elements 2023 in compatibility mode. So what is the real problem that you are trying to solve?

Report · Dec 31, 2024

non trova nulla mi sono stancato ?????????????????????????????????

Report · Jan 25, 2025

SabolitaStar797, I had the same issue with a new install of Windows 11 Pro. My new desltop came with Bitlocker running by default. I tried to install Photo Elements 9 from a CD and got the same message and locked me out. I rebooted, bitlocker then required code from my Microsoft account to unlock. Bitlocker indicated a successful unlock, but it really wasn't. I spent hours going through all of the options to repair and all failed. I finally connected with technical support at Dell. The only option was to do a complete reset, which deletes all loaded applications and do a fresh install of Windows 11. Since the initial attempt of loading Photo Elements failed with the same error message I believe my only option is to upgrade to a Windows 11 version or find an alternative to photo elements. Keep in mind my attempt NEVER completely loaded the software. As soon as Windows 11 and bitlocker identified the "px engine" drivers it locked me out. The desktop was a new delivery Jan 2025.

Report · Jan 25, 2025

I have since turned off the bitlocker and decrypted the drive. I may attempt again with "Greg S" instructions. An upgrade to the New Adobe Photo Elements subscription is too expensive for the limited times I use it.

Report · Mar 07, 2025

Same here. Photoshop Elements 7 in new Windows 11 Pro PC. Installed succesfully and needed a reboot. Killed the PC, into continual 'repairing PC' and 'unable to repair PC'. Got into safe mode but could not uninstall Elements 7. Used Windows 'refresh PC' but even then I lost almost everything and PC did not work properly. Loads of issues. Had to bite the bullet and do a complete fresh Windows install. What a waste of time.

Report · Oct 06, 2025

@RodBod Hi, have solved the install issue with PE7 or given up ??

It seems the issue you may be exeperincing is incompatibilty of the PxHlpa64.sys driver file with W11 and its Core Isolation Memory Integrity System. refer this URL:- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4042015/pxhlpa64-sys-incompatibility-with-window...

Following PE7 installation and prior to rebooting, the driver file PxHlpa64.sys should either be deleted (it is not needed as it was used by Adobe, Corel etc., etc. to support DVD burners, remember them??). Otherwise you need to rename the PxHlpa64.sys driver file to something like PxHlpa64.OLD. The file can be found in C:/windows/system32/drivers.

Refer here for a more detailed explanation of my experince when installing PE12 on August 15:-

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-elements-discussions/photoshop-elements-12-windows-11-compa... (you will need to scroll down the page to locate)

Report · May 07, 2025

Yesteday i installed PE12 onto new laptop, using compatabilty mode Windows 8, without any issue.

The program loads fine and displays the intial selction screen. However, once a selection is made of organiser or editor the following message is displayed. Choosing to sign in does not lead to a registtration page, it goes to the Adobe stock images site. Called Adobe and was told this is due in PE12 not being compatible with W11, you need to upgrade to PE25.

Can anyone provide an insight into how the signup splash screen maybe removed as i am sure PE12 would run if this was not triggered?? I will check back later as unable to receive email notifications via Adobe account email, due to problems having if updated from a now old defunct email address to current.

Report · May 07, 2025

@malcolm_3742 try disconnecting completely from the internet and activate the program offline, using the instructions found in this Adobe HelpX article.

Report · May 07, 2025

Wow, there are workarounds and workarounds this is amasing!!!

Thank you very much I will certainly give this a go and let you know how i get on.

Am currently installing the version downloaded today on a W10 machine to see if this also pops up the sign in tab.

Report · May 07, 2025

Same unuseable sign in tab received on W10 install of PE12.
will now work through the workaround.

Report · May 14, 2025

I have tried the work around suggested, unfortunaltely unsuccessfully. After 3 or so attempts received the error "PE12 was active on 2 allowable instances, deactivate a licence to enable installion on another PC", or something along those lines.

I currenty have one active instance and certanly do not want to turn that one off in case I cannot reactivate it. Giving this some thought, I now realise I had uninstalled the 2nd instance from an old laptop, quite sometime ago without signing out. Opps!!! Therefore it makes it extremely difficult to deacitave the still activated, but deleted licence on the old laptop.

I reinstalled PE12 back onto the old laptop in the hope that reinstalling it I could then 'offline' reactivate then sign out to deactivate. Obtaining the offline activation and response codes worked fine. However, any reponse code generated was not accepted by the reinstalled instance of PE12. That left the last option to activate from within my account.

I checked my Adobe account which revealed no listed installations to deactivate. However, PE12 was still available to install. I then called Adode support, who flately refused any assitance to deactivate a still active but deleted licence, only suggest I purchase a subscription online for the PE25, "Thanks for calling goodbye".

Now time to look at open source options of which there are a few very good offerings. That is of course, unless some one knows how to deactivate an instance that is still signed in.

Report · Jun 28, 2025

I don't necessarily have an answer for you. But I can say that after 3 weeks of attempts and failures I succeeded in getting a Windows 11 installation on my new PC I built about 4 weeks ago. I spent some time setting it up as a dual boot using two different NVME's (what a nightmare). My 20 year old PC is running Windows 10 Pro and I really didn't want to have to reinstall a majority of the 82 programs on it. The old PC did not (of course) have the ability to allow me to upgrade to W11, so my route to final success was to create a clone on the second NVME of the W10 drive (after some cleanup) and to get that working in the dual boot mode.

After getting to that point I wanted to do some work on the W11 machine that needed my Photoshop (Photoshop Elements 7.0) since I'm not about to use my Social Security check to pay for any of the newer versions. Well not only did that install totally disable the W11 part of the dual boot, but somehow broke the W10 part as well. Having spare cloned versions of both was the saving grace, so to prevent further disasters I single booted the W10 on the new machine and disconnected ALL of the other drives and pressed the GO key on the Windows 11 Pro upgrade. Surprised the *&^* out of me, it worked! An even bigger surprise is that the PSE-7 that was installed on the W10 works without any problems on the now upgraded W11. So far the W11 has accepted all of the programs I've tried, except for some of my really old games.

Why the installation of PSE-7 caused such a calamity while the upgrade had no problems is a question I'm not going to try to figure out. I've survived from an old DOS machine to my now almost ready for retirement W10 machine that came with Windows 98, upgraded to W-XP, W-7, then W-10. In in each case only when I was kind of pushed into the upgrade, which was free of charge, but definitely not free of hair pulling. As a retired programmer (Mainframe IBM using COBOL/JCL etc) I can spell HTML and will go into a registry to make changes when I have no other way to make the machine do what I want, I'll just keep on researching, learning, and experimenting with the new kid on the block, and reading (like here) about the problems and sometimes solutions that others have found.

Report · Oct 06, 2025

@Retireded It appears the issue you may have exeperinced is incompatibilty of the PxHlpa64.sys driver file with the W11 Core Isolation Memory Integrity System. refer this URL:- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/4042015/pxhlpa64-sys-incompatibility-with-window...

What i discovered was during installation of PE12 and prior to rebooting, the driver file PxHlpa64.sys should either be deleted (it is not needed as it was used by Adobe, Corel etc., etc. to support DVD burners, remember them??), or otherwise rename the PxHlpa64.sys driver file to something like PxHlpa64.OLD. The file can be found in C:/windows/system32/drivers.

Refer here for an my experince when installing PE12 and dealing with the PxHlpa64.sys driver on August 15:- https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop-elements-discussions/photoshop-elements-12-windows-11-compa... (you will need to scroll down the page to locate)

n regard to W11 Pro, i have 2 new laptops running W11Pro on 2 identical laptops one of which is 'A' okay while the other is 'B-" okay as it does not recoginse any PHDD when its plugged in. You have to use diskmgmt.msc to recognise the drive and assign a drive letter for W11 to recognise the drive. Of course, "knowone has seen that before" !!! Not even the 'expert experts'.

I have a few collegues like yourself who have all had random and vaired issues with W11 Pro. We have agrred to come to the conclusion of W11 being very much a work in progress, trying to cram numerous 'elderly' operating systems into the ubeaut, wizz bang, all in one, do everyting operating system.

Report · Sep 01, 2025

NO help at Adobe HelpX article.