Photoshop CRASHING constantly since update morning of June 14

[mLo]

Please help. Application freezes (beachball). Deadlines looming. Unistalled, re-installed 3 times. FIX THIS NOW. Thanks.

[Powerbook 2020 M1, Big Sur]

[TheDigitalDog]

First thing to try is resetting Photoshop prefs:

Try trashing your Photoshop preferences. Press and hold Alt+Control+Shift (Windows) or Option+Command+Shift (Mac OS) immediately after launching Photoshop. You will be prompted to delete the current settings.

(Mac OS only) Open the Preferences folder in the Library folder*, and drag the Adobe Photoshop CS Settings folder to the Trash.

This action only affects the items found in the preferences dialog box. Numerous program settings are stored in the Adobe Photoshop Preferences file, including general display options, file-saving options, performance options, cursor options, transparency options, type options, and options for plug‑ins and scratch disks. Brushes (and lots of other setting) are not affected by the above instructions for deleting preferences. You may wish to make a screen capture of the settings in the Preferences dialog to reset them prior to deleting of this file.

Also: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/preferences.html

*To manually delete Photoshop preferences:
Quit Photoshop.
Navigate to Photoshop's Preferences folder:
macOS: Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings
Windows 10: Users/[user name]/AppData/Roaming/Adobe/Adobe Photoshop [version]/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings

Note:
The user Library folder is hidden by default on macOS. To access files in the hidden user Library folder, see How to access hidden user library files.
Drag the entire Adobe Photoshop [Version] Settings folder to the desktop or somewhere safe for a back-up of your settings 

[Guest]

I have been having the same problem (photoshop freezing and even crashing/restarting my computer) since at least Friday evening. Adobe help has tried resetting preferences, checking the graphics processor, etc. NO ANSWERS. WORK DEADLINES HERE AS WELL. FIX IT.

[mLo]

Thanks for the suggestion @TheDigitalDog Unfortunately, this hasn't helped.

This is a brand new machine and recently loaded up with CC. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn-off auto-update and it updated this PS this morning. It has not worked since. It was working fine yesterday. Considering cost of my monthly subscription fees for professional use of the applications, this is unacceptable.

[TheDigitalDog]

Try logging into another account (you may need to make one), still crashing? 

Try starting up in Safe mode (hold down Shift Key when booting), still crashing? 

You might want to try running a free utility like Onyx: still crashing? 

https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html

[mLo]

@TheDigitalDog Are you serious? How much more time do I have to spend trying to fix this? Make another account??? WHO HAS TIME FOR THIS!!! I have work to do. Why UPDATE WITH A BUGGY UPDATE??? WHY does Adobe need an update so frequently??? It was working fine, and now I have to go back to my client to ask for an extension and look for other apps to get my job done.

UNACCEPTABLE. NOT HAPPY AT ALL. 

[TheDigitalDog]

Fine, don't try to 'fix' anything, live with the crashing. AOK with me! 

YOU came here looking for help. Remember?

FWIW, there are members here who are running PS on the same hardware just fine. Of course you assume this is some issue directed at all users and on purpose. Silly. 

FWIW, ranting towards Adobe here is pointless and will get the thread locked down. 

This is a user to user support forum. To provide feedback and suggestions about what you desire from Adobe, you should go to this URL and comment after selecting the appropriate product line:
https://feedback.photoshop.com/categories/products/5f5f2090785c1f1e6cc40864

[mLo]

@TheDigitalDog My apologies. I'm frustrated, because this shouldn't be an issue. I don't know if you work for them, or are just a friendly and knowledgeable person on here. As a subscriber, I expect the program to work, as I do with ALL other services and products that I pay for. I'm not the only encountering this problem from what I can see the forum.

Thanks for trying to help. I appreciate you and meant no offense. 

[Guest]

You are not alone. I have hours on hours with Adobe support trying to address the problem (going in circles at this point) and I too am losing money and jobs to this while trying to fix the problem. It's pretty disappointing to be met with such aggressive responses (from "adobe professionals") when expressing frustration over the issue (it may not be happening to all users as is being pointed out above, but it is certainly happening and it is creating BIG problems for professionals who use these programs and are running into these issues). You are right to ask who has time and patience to calmly continue to attempt fixing a problem we did not create all the while paying for the service AND losing work.  

[TheDigitalDog]

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@Deleted User wrote:

You are not alone. I have hours on hours with Adobe support trying to address the problem (going in circles at this point) and I too am losing money and jobs to this while trying to fix the problem. It's pretty disappointing to be met with such aggressive responses (from "adobe professionals") when expressing frustration over the issue (it may not be happening to all users as is being pointed out above, but it is certainly happening and it is creating BIG problems for professionals who use these programs and are running into these issues). You are right to ask who has time and patience to calmly continue to attempt fixing a problem we did not create all the while paying for the service AND losing work.  

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The "Adobe professionals" are users and volunteers in this forum. We are not Adobe personal. We are trying to help but apparently, complaining is more the agenda than getting a fix*. We volunteers try to help other users. Some such users apparently would rather complain than try their suggestions for a fix*. 

Some of us are also professionals (we make our livings too with these products). Some of us would never purchase a new piece of hardware or perhaps even upgrade blindly during production work, or would at least have a back up machine to do (real) production work. Apparently some who are doing "production" work just live on the 'bleeding' edge and have no such backup for their real work. Sad. 

"Professionalism is knowing how to do it, when to do it, and doing it."-Frank Tyger

Now, if anyone here actually wants help in figuring out how to run Photoshop, some of us are here to assist. 

*I think some people enjoy complaining almost as much as they enjoy doing nothing about it. 

[mLo]

Thank you @Deleted User for your support. Hopefully someone will have a better solution soon, or the issues are fixed with next update. I think Adobe has a bit of monopoly on many creative and design industries so they do not care about our issues with their product, and we're stuck trying to fix it ourselves. Looking forward to more robust apps from other developers like Affinity and Procreate (both a fraction of the cost of Adobe, with only significant updates, and mobile-based).

[TheDigitalDog]

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@mLo wrote:

Hopefully someone will have a better solution soon, or the issues are fixed with next update.

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A 'better' possible solution resulting from advise you refused to take? 

[jane-e]

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@mLo wrote:

\ Unfortunately, I forgot to turn-off auto-update and it updated this PS this morning. It has not worked since. It was working fine yesterday.

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Hi @mLo 

Since it happened right after an update, one thing you can try is to install the last version that worked for you using the Creative Cloud app. While you are there, turn off Auto-Update so it never updates in the middle of a big project.

The second thing is to contact Adobe Customer Care, as they can take over your computer. When you use the Chat, type Agent to get a human, and be sure to get a name and case number from the person you talk to.

If you want to leave a message for the developers to see, do that here: https://feedback.photoshop.com/, as this forum has mostly volunteers.

Let us know how it goes.

~ Jane

[mLo]

Thanks @jane-e 

Didn't even know we could install older versions!

I tried installing a few different older versions, but it seems to be getting worse. I had to force-quit a few times, then I sent a report. First thing I did was turn-off auto-update. If they reply with a good solution, I'll share it here. 

[jane-e]

You're welcome, @mLo 

Since it's "getting worse", try the Adobe Cleaner tool. It fixes registry problems, corrupt installations, and more. Read this help file first:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html

Then install the last version that worked.

Adobe has all the dot releases for the current version (22.4, 22.3, 22.2, etc.) plus the previous full release (21.x). 

ProDesign tools has PS 2019 (v. 20) available if you need to go back that far:

https://prodesigntools.com/adobe-cc-2019-direct-download-links.html

~ Jane

[mLo · Accepted solution]

Thanks again @jane-e 

I went over the help notes for the Cleaner. They are quite intimidating for a user like me—collecting logs, etc. Soooooo, I simply uninstalled all Adobe apps and Creative Cloud. Then restarted my machine. Then re-installed each app again one-at-a-time. Seems to have worked for now. And auto-update is OFF! 

In any case, I appreciate learning about the Cleaner Tool, being able to install older versions, and the process for contacting Adobe Care and leaving feedback for developers. Perhaps, because I'm on an M1, there are still some bugs—especially considering the installation notes on Illustrator, InDesign, etc. about using old Intel-based programming until they are able to update.

Kind regards. Be well.

[jane-e]

Oh, I'm so happy to hear it's working now, and I hope you can focus on your deadlines. If you think you need the cleaner tool another time, you can contact Adobe and let them do it.

The M1 chip looks promising, but I'm holding off and hope my getting-older iMac lasts another year or two! Monterey (macOS 12) is likely to cause some issues when it's first released in October.

~ Jane