Photoshop, stuck as a background process.

[ChristianMcCabe]

This issue first started in CC 2017, I've completely uninstalled Photoshop, along with the Creative Cloud. I've also deleted all the folders in program files, documents, and everywhere I could find any Adobe folders. But after reinstalling everything I'm still not able to open it, I updated to CC 2018 and I'm still having this issue, I've even tried downloading previous versions, every time I re-download it my computer still wont open it. It doesn't pop up the normal launch box or anything, I look in the Task Manager, and every time I click run it pops up a new background process for it. I've tried running as an administrator, it will pop up the message asking if I want to run the program I click yes, it still pops up as a background process. I tried ending the process trees tied to Adobe but that didn't work either.

[Akash Sharma · Accepted solution]

Hi ChristianMcCabe,

Please refer the steps below:-

• Update your graphics card driver from manufacturer's website. Troubleshoot Photoshop graphics processor (GPU) and graphics driver issues
• Try running Photoshop as an administrator: right click the photoshop.exe and select "Run as administrator. Run an Adobe program as administrator | Windows 7, Vista

Let us know if that helps.

Thanks,

Akash

[OldScout]

Fast-forward to 2024: I don't see this as a correct answer, since asking me to switch to an entirely different/rarely used user profile every time I wish to use PS makes no sense and is counterintuitive, especially since all other apps on the PC work without resorting to this long-form Administrator fix. Tale is definitely wagging the dog here and projecting the fix onto untold numbers of users, one user at a time, rather than Adobe fixing it once - and for all.

[OldScout]

(I'm using WIN10.) So I finally got through to an Adobe rep who noticed something with my keystrokes when I closed PS.  I was in the habit of clicking the "X" in the upper right to close out PS, totally aloof to the fact that doing so might place PS in the background processes. He caught that. He suggested File > Exit (or Ctrl + Q), and that cured the issue. Ctrl + Q always closed it out 100% and bypassed the background issue. The "X" appeared to close PS but also placed it in the Background Processes, thereby causing the issue for the next session. He mentioned some Mac users had the same issue with the "red dot" close technique.

[Manssor38038689kk29]

But how can you close it, if you can't even open it?

[Mario38373752egzv]

But how can you close it, if you can't even open it?