Elements 5.02 - Attempt to access invalid address

[Niall_Loftus]

When I try to launch Photoshop 5.02 the welcome screen is displayed and I can open the Organizer, but when I attempt to open the Quick Fix or the other editor programs I get a dialogue box "Attempt to access invalid address"

This problem is on my profile only as Photoshop works when another user is logged in to the PC ( OS: Vista Home 32bit) and was working ok until a few week ago.

I have tried the following with no success:
Reinstalled the s/w.
Deleing the Photoshop folder from the AppData in my profile folder.
Deleting the Photoshop registry entries from Current User.
Searched the web for a solution

I know that I could delete my profile and create a new one, but I would only do this if all else failed as I would loose other settings just when I have all setup the way I want it.

Could anyone give me any pointers to where I might look to resolve this please.

Thank you. Niall

[Guest]

Make sure your user account has full administrative permissions.  Then, at this stage of the game, I would take the following steps:

- Re-create the Preferences file following these instructions:

Re-create the Photoshop Elements preferences file to eliminate problems that a damaged preferences file might cause.

Note: When you use this solution, Photoshop Elements will create a new preferences file and you will lose custom settings associated with your current preferences file. However, the file you rename in step 2 is your original preferences file. If you determine that the preferences file is not causing the problem, then you can restore your custom settings by undoing the instructions below.

To re-create the Photoshop Elements preferences file:

Quit Photoshop Elements.
Locate the Adobe Photoshop Elements preferences files. In Photoshop Elements 5.0, there are two preferences files, one for Organizer and one for Editor:
Users\[ user ]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Organizer\psa.prf
Users\[ user ]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\5.0\Editor\Photoshop Elements 5 Prefs.psp

Rename the extension for the files (for example, to psa.old).
Start Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements creates a new preferences file.

I doubt that this will fix your problem, however, it is always the first thing to try.  If it does not, take these steps:

- Uninstall Photoshop Elements

- Run the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301)

- Reinstall Elements

- Reinstall the 5.0.2 patch

Good luck,
Juergen

[Guest]

Hello Niall

I was having the same problem which started May 14th,2009. When I read the forum regarding this issue I had "voila" moment. Try this. Right click the desktop icon and click properties, then click the compatibility tab, check the box "Run this program as an administrator" in the Privilege sub-category. Click Apply. You should now be able to run the PSE editor. Note: When you do double click the icon, the screen will darken and a message box appears asking for confirmation to run the program. Since Adobe is not supporting this version ( that sucks since they claim it is Vista compatible) and finding a solution with Microsoft this is the only fix I can think of. I have not tried the option of running PSE 5.02 in WinXP2 compatibility mode although that should work as well.

Cheers, Donald Burroughs

[ThmLws]

Donald B.,

I be danged, the same problem with "invalid address" with PSE 5.0.2 started for me also about the 20th - 22nd of May. Your solution worked.

Thanks for your help!

Thom Lewis

[Niall_Loftus]

I am sorry to say that I have failed to clear the error.I have uninstalled, did a reg cleanup and reinstalled and still the error. I have decided to give up and create a new profile. Thank you for you suggestion and I feel better knowing that this post has helped one person with the same problem.

Niall

[Niall_Loftus]

Thom & others,

Did you look through your update to see was there any windows or other updates installed just before you noticed the problem. I had this issue for some time, but I am going to uninstall some updated just to eliminate the possibility that a software update has caused this.

Is there anyone running the Elements 5.02 with a fully updated version of Visa and Office 2003 SP3? (I list office just in case the dll's are common.)

Niall

[Guest]

Just got back from holiday at the weekend and trying to edit my photos I am also getting the same error message?

Will try the various suggestions from other users including reviewing recent windows updates and let you know how I get on.

Seems to be a common problem.  Have tried Adobe support but got nowhere.

[EileenNY]

Hi Donald,

I had the same problem.  All of a sudden (after using it for a year on this computer) it wouldn't start and I got that message.  After repeatedly uninstalling and reinstalling with no luck, I found your advice and checked administrator permission and now it works great.  So thank you very, very much.

I am curious to know what could possibly have happened that we all ran into this in May. Does anyone know?

Cheers,

Eileen

[Guest]

Hi Niall

Donald here again. Do not try and use the WinXP2 compatibility mode. It does not work, only the administrator mode works. Refer to my prior post.

Donald

[Niall_Loftus]

Thank you all. I have tried running the program in Admin mode, but still no joy. I will now try the Uninstall / Reg Cleanup / Reinstall. Will keep you posted.

[anon125]

This could be cheapo adobes way of forcing you to buy later versions.

later versions have other problems that i don't like.

I am using an XP  and have tried everything

even regedit.

it will work in safe mode.

it will now open the organizer but wont go to the editor "cannot connect to editor"

yes i even defragged after removing the software.

i have gone back as far as the  restore points go. in case it was something i installed.

i installed it so many time i put the serial number in a file on desktop so i can copy and paste.

does anyone at adobe have the guts to read this forum - i very much doubt it.

Note i also sent them an email about a premiere 7 problem - the reply was ridiculous!

[raptor55]

This is so frustrating.  I can't use the PS Elements.  I did the right click, but the admin option is blacked out.  I really need the program.  Can anyone help?

[Niall_Loftus]

I have been running my system with User Account Control disabled to stop the annoying message when you try make any system changes. I have turned this on again and I am now able to run PS in admin mode. Posting this just in case someone else ran in to the same problem.

No joy yet in getting a fix by uninstalling updated - the quest continues.

raptor55 are you using XP or Vista? Do you have restricted account? Have you tried using a different account?

[raptor55]

This is my personal laptop.  I'm the only user.  I'm sure I gave myself all the admin access.  If I have a restricted account, it was not done on purpose.

Sadly, I'm not that computer literate.  I only figure how to use a few features on Elements and was thrilled that I could do as much as I could do.

My laptop is Vista.

[Guest]

Hello raptor55

What do you mean by "blacked out" with regards to the admin option? Are you using Vista or XP? Have you change your account/user settings to administrator? Please elaborate.

Don

[raptor55]

When I right click, chose Compatibility, I can't click the box 'run this program as an admin'.  It is not lit up. Sorry, I don't know if there is a more technical term for the activity.  Thanks for your help.

[HTMLValidator.com]

I am using Vista x64 and recently encountered this problem. I tried compatibility mode and running with admin and it didn't work. But when I shut down Internet Explorer, it worked! Try that.

Perhaps some sort of conflict with a recent IE security update.

[Guest]

Sadly I have drawn a blank with the various solutions I have tried including various ones from Adobe website at http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/333/333200.html which is for XP users.

The only thing I have not tried so far is a reinstall of XP which I want to avoid if possible. Have given up with Adobe support, do they actually exist?

I have other editing software I can use for now. Like other contributors I think an MS update has caused this so someone may find a solution eventually.

Regards

Steve

[ThmLws]

To add to the puzzle, we installed Photoshop Elements on my girl friends

laptop ( a Dell with Vista Home Premium) and she also has been keeping up

with the MS updates, but unlike my Lenovo laptop with Vista, she had no

problems accessing the PSE.

Vista: the final insult! Next machine is definitely a Mac.

Regards,

Thom

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[Guest]

I am also thinking Mac, but in the mean time have you tried to rollback your system to an earlier date? If that has not worked then a full re-formatting should. I had to do this when the updates for Vista SP2 would not complete and were looping. Don't forget to back up your data or store on a seperate partition/drive. Given the scenario you described could it be a dll issue? Have you tried re-installing with your anti-virus turned off? Sometimes anti-virus programs interfere with an install. Oh and by the way do not install SP2 until MS fixes the bugs associated with the updates that come with it.

Don

[EileenNY]

Hi Again, Everyone,

You know, I've been reading all the replies here and getting more and more annoyed.  Here we all are in the Adobe Forums, having a problem with one of their products and as far as I've seen, they have not acknowledged us or the problem. I do thank each and every one of you who has responded to this problem. I'm glad we can at least try to help each other since Adobe seems to have abandoned us.

I don't care if Elements 5.02 is an old version. It's their product and we paid them good money for it.  If we like it and want to keep using it, they should not be "punishing" us for liking that particular product.  Why should I be forced to pay again for newer version of a product I already have when the one I have serves its purpose and seems to have better performance than newer versions?

It may be Microsoft messing this all up, and I do hate Vista, but I have to blame Adobe for not fixing it or helping us.  If we had to replace everything in our lives because there was a newer version, we'd be in chaos, not to mention, broke.

Thanks to the advice in here I did get mine working again but who knows for how long?  There will be more updates from Microsoft, which we will need for security reasons, no doubt.  I am looking now, to buy something more reliable than Elements 5.2 and I am not looking at Adobe products.  If they care this little for their customers, I don't feel like giving them more money.  I'm very disappointed in Adobe because of this problem. 

Just my own feelings.

Eileen

[EileenNY]

I guess I shouldn't have posted before.  Even though the advice I got here worked, my Elements 5.2 has just stopped working again giving me the invalid address message.  Now I'm at a loss.  Apparently it doesn't stay fixed.  Wow.

Eileen

[sudburydave]

I, too, have this problem.  Since I haven't used PSE 5 for a while I don't know if it started in May.  But, based on a post at another site, the problem has been around since at least Jan 07.  A post at that site suggested starting in SafeMode and then selectively restarting with other startup programs running.  I had no problem starting and using PSE 5 in SafeMode but haven't made any attempt to go further in diagnosing the source of the problem.  But, if you only use the program occasionally, starting in SafeMode may be a satisfactory work around until one of the major players issues a proper fix.

[floridadocument]

Hi I am feeling the same way, Adobe, has some problem in my web-ste, I need somebody can help me in this situation.

[johntownes]

I have had a classic Good News/Bad News experience with this problem on Vista.

The Good News is that by turning on User Control system in Vista, and goving Photoshop Emenents "administrator" permissions, it fixed the problem.

The Bad News is that the User Control System screws up my Corel Painter 8 software. I can't save jpeg files because of "insufficient disc space" (which is nogt the case) plus it gives me all kinds of other problems.

So this forces me to make the divils choice of which program to use, instead of having access to full working versions of both programs.

Does anyone have any workarounds for this?

I must vent and add that that Adobe's total unconcern about this issue is really annoying.