Photoshop 2021 will not open

[studioksr]

Windows 10, CC Photography with LR and PS. I have used CC for over a year and it usually works fine. I have had this happen once before but a reinstall fixed it.

Today Photoshop will not open and CC desktop app will not launch. I tried several times to download and reinstall after rebooting. Windows Task Manager shows it is running, but it is not opening. Win Task Manager also shows Adobe Installer (32 bit) but my system is 64 bit. When I downloaded it did not ask for 64 bit or 32 bit.

1 - why did it suddenly stop working!

2 - how to get this working again. I wasted the time available for the work project just trying to reinstall and it still doesn't work.

3- something similar happened once before and I had the most seriously rude support of my life so I dread contacting Adobe support.

[KR Seals]

Have a look at this Adobe post on using Adobe CC Cleaner. It will clean all Adobe files off your disk for a fresh and clean installation.

[studioksr]

thanks I'll look at that.

[studioksr]

Kenneth, after looking this over, it looks a little scary. I'd also like to know why PS and CC Desktop suddenly stopped working. I may not want to clear all Adobe files off my computer. I have older versions of some standalones I would like to keep.

[KR Seals]

Are you talking about your image/photo and video files? The cleaner just takes out files related to the software installation. Your image and other data files are not affected. You should always be backed up to multiple devices anyway.

[studioksr]

Hi Kenneath, I was concerned about losing a few different things: Lightroom edits of all the image files, any preferences, and also specifically, I do not want my old version of 5.5 removed.

Tech support via chat fixed it for me last night remotely, in a 2 hour session -- very tedious. They updated a bunch of Visual C++ files, and also used CC Cleaner that you recommended. I watched closely and it appears that you can specify which of the Adobe Software will be removed. After that the reinstall worked fine and now everything seems to work.

I am so frustrated with the Adobe subscription service -- my "free standing" Adobe software (wrong term, I know, but a mental block against the right term) that I used for at least 15 years was incredibly reliable. I have had at least three occaisions in the past year when the software stopped working suddenly -- without my making any changes or even rebooting my computer since I last used the program, which I use on a weekly if not more frequent basis.

I intensely dislike the subscription and have been seeking alternatives for quite awhile.

I will keep in mind the CC Cleaner if it happens again, so that I might do it myself without the slow tech support process.

They never did explain why they had to update C++ from 2012 to the present. That took a long time

Anyway, thanks very much, its all working now!