CROP not working in Photoshop Elements— HELP PLEASE!

[KrisINChicago]

Hello, long time Elements user, just started using Elements 2022 on HP envy 360 laptop.  The crop function is not working...I've tried everything I can think of.  It it bouncing around, or won't let me just drag from a corner and "pull" the crop to size the image as I want.  When using one of the 4 auto choices--it won't let me move it around with the center dot and 95% of the time I don't like the auto crop location.  I've tried in quick and expert.  It may work once but then goes right back to being impossible to control!  Please help!  I have 7,000 safari photos to work with and I can't get anywhere!! THANK YOU! 

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[Walter_H]

Hi KrisINChicago,

Try this. On the menu bar along the top of the window, click Edit, then Preferences (at the bottom of the drop-down list), then in the General section UNCHECK "Enable Crop Pre-Selection".

Then, in the Crop tool options panel set it to "No Restriction".

And, another way to crop an image is to use the Rectangular or Eliptical Marquee tool to select a portion of your image and then, on the menu bar, click Image, then Crop.

[KrisINChicago]

Walter,
Thank you for taking your time to try to help me! This worked....ONCE....then it went right back to being totally glitchy and not just letting me do a crop on my own. I went back and checked, and "Enable Crop Pre-Selection" is still now UNchecked -- but the crop function is back to not working in either quick or expert! I have tried using "use photo ratio". "4x6", "no restrictions" - all the same. Sometimes it looks like it is letting me do the crop but as soon as I release the mouse it will jump to another area of the photo or get very small or even crop down to ZERO image or even sort of "jump". ANY OTHER IDEAS? I am desperate! I can't get anything done. I don't want to do the crop in quick fix in organizer because I don't want to create a version set - I only one 1 version of the image. I can only spend so much time on 1 image....I have 7,000 images from 3 weeks in Africa. Again, THANK YOU for any help at all!!!! Kris

[Walter_H]

KrisINChicago, one more thing to try. In the upper-right corner of the Crop tool options panel, click on the menu icon and choose "Reset Tool". Also, did you try using the Rectangular Marquee selection tool and then Image > Crop?

[KrisINChicago]

Thank you for continuing to try to help me!  I had tried that suggestion (reset) several times, but I rebooted my computer and tried it again...along with your earlier suggestions again too.  (I also have used the marquee tool a bit too - but greatly prefer the crop function WHEN it works)

The crop function will work once or twice but then goes back to being very glitchy - will crop something VERY small, a snippet of the crop I attempted.  That is the main issue I can describe.  Same problems in quick or expert.  Generally--it is UNUSABLE.  Does ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS?!?!  Desperate and frustrated in Chicago!!!  

[KrisINChicago]

The CROP function is completely glitchy in Elements (quick or expert) on my HP laptop-360 envy.  I have just downloaded Elements 2022 for the first time on this laptop.  I have used the crop function for many years on a desktop with no issues.

When I try to crop, dragging the corner function does not create a cropped image as I wish...it sort of bounces around and will settle on what it wants.  Even IF I click green check mark to take the crop, it will often then produce a cropped image MUCH smaller than what I had clicked "yes" to....CRAZY!

I have tried rebooting, clicking "reset" in bottom right corner when on the crop screen, changing unchecking and then rechecking "unable crop reselection" in "preferences - general" - may work once or twice after changing something - but then goes right back to unusable.  I have also checked "reset preferences on next launch" and rebooted.  Whatever I do, it may work once or twice, and it keeps glitching!

PLEASE help me!!!  Really need this to work ASAP!  (I have tried Marquee tool and then crop - but find it clunky and I have tried cropping in the organizer, but I do not want multiple images--I want to just crop and save one image--such a pain to have to delete original image.)   I have 7,000 images to review/edit from 3 weeks in Africa.

ANY ideas greatly appreciated!!!  About to trash this software!! 

[Walter_H]

KrisINChicago,

I'm sorry my suggestions didn't help. I do NOT have problems with the Crop tool on my Windows desktop or my Windows laptop. What are the specifications (processor, memory, disk size) of your HP 360 Envy? Is it Windows or Mac?

[KrisINChicago]

Thank you for trying to help me. I just can't believe I can't resolve this. I don't think it is my laptop because I have had zero problems with anything else. the laptop is only 20 months old, plenty of storage, running Windows 11. I really appreciate that you have tried so hard to help me, Walter!

[Walter_H]

KrisINChicago, did you install any 3rd party plug-ins? If so, maybe a plug-in is misbehaving and causing the crop problem. You can start the Editor without loading the plug-ins by pressing and holding a Shift before and while the Editor loads. You'll get a prompt to confirm loading without the plug-ins.

And, as a last resort, you might try uninstalling PSE 2022 and then reinstall it. On occasion, that sometimes fixes problems. If you decide to do that, it will prompt you to remove the Preferences - I would answer Yes.

Good luck!

[Petr24486832mulb]

Hello, long time Elements user, just started using Elements 2022 on HP envy 360 laptop.  The crop function is not working...I've tried everything I can think of.  It it bouncing around, or won't let me just drag from a corner and "pull" the crop to size the image as I want.  When using one of the 4 auto choices--it won't let me move it around with the center dot and 95% of the time I don't like the auto crop location.  I've tried in quick and expert.  It may work once but then goes right back to being impossible to control!  Please help!  I have 7,000 safari photos to work with and I can't get anywhere!! THANK YOU! 

You need to ask program questions in the forum for the program you are using
To ask in the forum for your program please start at https://community.adobe.com/feltet.dk/ 
Moving from Using the Community (which is about the forums) to the correct forum... Mod

By @KrisINChicago

maybe you should ask the question in a more qualified forum