TechNote

Troubleshoot system errors or freezes (Photoshop 7.x, CS on Mac OS X)

What's covered

Beginning and intermediate troubleshooting

Advanced troubleshooting

This document can help you resolve system errors that occur when you use Adobe Photoshop. System errors can manifest themselves in many different ways, including (but not limited to) the following:

-- A blank or flickering dialog box

-- A frozen cursor or screen

-- An error such as "The application 'unknown' has unexpectedly quit."

Different factors can cause system errors, including conflicts among device drivers, software, and hardware, and corrupt elements in specific files. Although a system error may occur only when you work with Photoshop, Photoshop may not necessarily be the cause--it may be the only application that is memory- or processor-intensive enough to expose the problem.

To benefit most from this document, perform the tasks in order. Keep track of the tasks you perform and the results of each task, including errors or problematic behavior. Adobe Technical Support can use this information to better assist you, should you need to call.

Beginning and intermediate troubleshooting

The tasks in this section can help you resolve the most common system errors. Before performing any of these tasks, back up all personal files (for example, Photoshop files you created). Always restart the computer after a system error occurs to refresh its memory. Continuing to work without restarting the computer may compound the problem.

1. Make sure that the system meets the minimum requirements for Photoshop.

Photoshop may not run correctly on a system that doesn't meet the requirements for it. These vary, depending on the version of Photoshop.

Photoshop CS (purchased as a stand-alone product)

-- PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor

-- Mac OS X v.10.2.4, 10.2.5, 10.2.6, or 10.2.7

-- 192 MB of RAM (256 MB recommended)*

-- 320 MB of available hard-disk space

-- Color monitor with 16-bit color or greater video card

-- 1,024 x 768 or greater monitor resolution

-- CD-ROM drive

Photoshop CS (purchased as part of Adobe Creative Suite)

-- PowerPC G3 or G4 processor

-- Apple Mac OS X v. 10.2.4 enforced (v. 10.2.6 recommended) and Java Runtime Environment 1.4.1

-- 192 MB of RAM to run any one application (256 MB recommended)

-- Additional RAM required to run multiple applications simultaneously

-- Additional 128 MB of RAM required to run the Version Cue desktop workspace

-- 2 GB of available hard-disk space to install the entire suite*

-- 1024 x 768 monitor resolution with 16-bit or greater video card (24-bit screen display recommended)

-- CD-ROM drive

*Premium edition only; 1.4 GB of available hard-disk space required for Standard edition.

Photoshop 7.0.x

-- PowerPC processor (G3, G4, or G4 dual)

-- Mac OS X version 10.1.3 or later

-- 128 MB of RAM (192 MB recommended)

-- 320 MB of available hard-disk space

-- 800 x 600 color monitor with 16-bit color or greater video card

2. Re-create the Photoshop preferences file.

You can re-create the Photoshop preferences file to eliminate problems caused by a damaged preferences file.

Note: Re-creating the Photoshop preferences file restores settings to their defaults.

To re-create the Photoshop preferences file:

1. Quit Photoshop.

2. Drag the Photoshop preferences file to the Trash:

-- Photoshop CS: Drag the Adobe Photoshop CS Prefs.psp in the Users/[user profile]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CS Settings folder to the Trash.

-- Photoshop 7.x: Drag the Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Prefs in the Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop 7.0 folder to the Trash.

3. Drag the com.adobe.Photoshop.plist file from the Users: [user name]; Library: Preferences folder to the trash. (The com.adobe.Photoshop.plist file is a Photoshop preferences file run at the system level. Like other Photoshop preferences file, it's re-created when Photoshop opens.)

4. Restart Photoshop.

If the problem recurs after you re-create the Photoshop preferences file, the problem isn't related to the preferences file. To restore custom settings, drag the file you moved in step 2 back to its original location, and then click Yes to replace the new preferences file.

3. Allocate more memory to Photoshop.

You can allocate a larger percentage of memory to Photoshop to eliminate problems caused by low memory.

To allocate more memory to Photoshop:

1. Start Photoshop.

2. From the Photoshop menu, choose Preferences > Memory & Image Cache.

3. In the Memory Usage section, increase the value in the Maximum Used by Photoshop text box.

4. Click OK, and then restart Photoshop.

4. Run Photoshop while no other applications are running.

To maximize available RAM and reduce the chance that another application may conflict with Photoshop, force quit open applications, and then restart Photoshop.

To force quit open applications:

1. Press Option+Command+Esc.

2. In the Force Quit Applications dialog box, select an application, and then click Force Quit.

Note: Don't select the Finder, which is the core Mac OS component.

3. Click Force Quit again when Mac OS returns the alert "Do you want [application] to quit?"

4. Restart Photoshop, try to re-create the error, and continue as follows:

-- If the error doesn't occur, the application you selected in step 2 conflicts with Photoshop.

-- If the error occurs, repeat steps 3-4; or, if you've quit all open applications, proceed to the next task.

5. Start in Safe Boot and then reinstall Photoshop. (Mac OS X v. 10.2 or later)

An incorrect installation can cause errors when you work in Photoshop. Reinstalling Photoshop can eliminate these errors. Start the Macintosh in Safe Boot (all nonessential kernel extensions and third-party startup items are disabled), before reinstalling Acrobat.

To start the Macintosh in Safe Boot:

1. Restart the Macintosh, and hold down the Shift key immediately after you hear the chimes.

2. Release the Shift key when the Apple logo appears. When the Macintosh is in Safe Boot, the words "Safe Boot" appear on the logo.

To reinstall Photoshop:

1. Move any personal files from the Photoshop folder on the hard disk to another location.

2. Delete the Photoshop folder on the hard disk.

3. Force quit open applications (for instructions, see step 3, above).

4. Drag the Photoshop folder from the CD to the Applications folder on your hard disk.

Note: You must have administrator privileges to drag the Photoshop folder to the Applications folder.

5. Open the folder you copied to your hard disk in step 4, and double-click the Photoshop icon.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

6. Remove third-party plug-ins from the Photoshop plug-ins folder.

Remove third-party plug-ins from the Photoshop plug-ins folder, and then restart Photoshop. If the problem doesn't occur after removing third-party plug-ins, one or more of them conflicts with Photoshop. Contact the manufacturer of the plug-ins for information about updates.

If you use Mac OS X version 10.2 or later, use Apple's Disk Utility to repair the disk permissions, and then install Photoshop.

To repair the disk permissions:

1. Start Disk Utility, which is in the Applications/Utilities folder.

2. Click the First Aid tab.

3. Select the volume on which you want to install Photoshop, and then click Repair Disk Permissions.

7. Reinstall Photoshop.

An incorrect installation can cause errors when you work in Photoshop. Reinstalling Photoshop can eliminate these errors.

To reinstall Photoshop:

1. Move any personal files from the Photoshop folder on the hard disk to another location.

2. Delete the Adobe Photoshop CS or Adobe Photoshop 7.0 folder on the hard disk.

3. Complete task 5 above to force quit open applications.

4. Drag the Photoshop preferences file to the Trash:

-- Photoshop CS: Drag the Adobe Photoshop CS Prefs.psp in the Users/[user profile]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CS Settings folder to the Trash.

-- Photoshop 7.x: Drag the Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Prefs in the Users/[user name]/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop 7.0 folder to the Trash.

5. Double-click the installer file in the Photoshop folder on the application CD.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

8. Log in as a user with administrator privileges.

If you lack administrator privileges, Photoshop may be unable to access necessary files. To determine if limited access privileges causes the problem, log in as a user with administrator privileges, and then try to re-create the error. If the error doesn't recur, the account you were previously using lacks administrator privileges. If you don't have access to an account with administrator privileges, contact your system administrator.

Note: You don't need administrator privileges to run Photoshop.

To log in as a user with administrator privileges:

1. From the Apple menu, choose Log Out.

2. Click Log Out when the system returns the message "Are you sure you want to quit all applications and log out now?"

3. When the login screen appears, select a user with administrator privileges, type the appropriate password, and then press Return.

Note: If your computer is set to automatically log in at startup, but you want to start up as another user, hold down the Shift key after the Mac OS X Startup Screen appears and release it when the login screen appears.

9. Create a new user profile and log in as that user.

For instructions on creating a new user profile, see the Mac OS X online Help.

10. Troubleshoot fonts.

A system error can occur if Photoshop accesses a damaged font.

To troubleshoot fonts to determine if they cause the problem:

1. Drag the contents of the Library: Fonts folder to a new folder on the desktop. (If you manually added fonts to the Library: Application Support: Adobe: Fonts folder, also drag those fonts to the new folder.)

2. At the Finder, choose File > Find.

3. Type adobefnt.lst, select the system drive, and then press Return.

4. Delete all adobefnt.lst files found (for example, adobefnt06.lst).

5. Restart the computer.

6. Restart Photoshop. Photoshop creates new adobefnt.lst files.

7. Try to re-create the problem, and continue as follows:

-- If the problem doesn't recur, move one font back to the Library: Fonts folder, and then repeat steps 5-7 until you identify the problematic font.

-- If the problem recurs, move the contents of the new folder on the desktop back to the Library: Fonts folder.

11. Troubleshoot ICC profiles.

A system error can occur if Photoshop accesses a damaged ICC profile.

To troubleshoot ICC profiles to determine if they cause the problem:

1. Move all profiles from the following folders to another folder:

-- Library: ColorSync: Profiles

-- Library: Application Support: Adobe: Color: Profiles

2. Restart Photoshop, and try to re-create the problem:

-- If the problem doesn't recur, move profiles back to their original folders one at a time, and try to re-create the problem after each move, until you identify the problematic profile.

-- If the problem recurs, move the profiles back to their original folder.

12. Optimize scratch disks.

Photoshop uses a scratch disk file (that is, temporary disk space for storing data and performing computations) when insufficient RAM is available for image editing. Photoshop CS can create 64 exabytes of scratch disk files on up to four hard disk partitions, while Photoshop 7 can create 4 exabytes on up to four hard disk partitions. An exabyte is 1,074,000,000 gigabytes.

The hard disk partition you specify as the primary scratch disk should have adequate free space equal to several times the size of your file. A good performance indicator is to have space available equal to three to five times the size of the average image file; specify additional scratch disks if you have additional hard disk partitions. If disk space is insufficient, remove unnecessary files from hard disks.

To specify a scratch disk in Photoshop, choose Photoshop > Preferences > Plug-Ins & Scratch Disks.

13. Defragment and check hard disks for damage.

A damaged hard disk can cause Photoshop and other applications to freeze or return an error. Defragment and check hard disks by using a disk utility, such as Apple's Disk Utility, Symantec's Norton Utilities, or Micromat Drive 10. (Apple's Disk Utility checks the hard disk for damage, but doesn't defragment the drive.)

Disclaimer: Adobe doesn't support third-party disk utilities but provides the following instructions as a courtesy. For support, contact the developer of your disk utility.

To check for damage by using Apple Disk Utility (included on the system CD):

1. Start the computer from the system CD.

2. Choose Installer > Open Disk Utility.

3. Select the disks to be checked, and then click the First Aid tab.

4. Click Repair to check and, if necessary, repair selected disks.

Advanced troubleshooting

If the tasks in the previous section don't resolve the problem, you may be able to resolve it by reformatting your hard disk or by determining if hardware is conflicting with Photoshop.

Disclaimer: Adobe doesn't support hardware and provides these tasks as a courtesy only. For further assistance, contact the hardware manufacturer or an authorized reseller. If you troubleshoot hardware problems yourself, you may void the computer's warranty.

Note: Before you remove or rearrange hardware, turn off the power to the computer and any peripherals.

14. Reformat the hard disk using HFS+ formatting, and install only Mac OS and Photoshop.

Reformat the hard disk using HFS+ formatting, and then install only Mac OS and Photoshop from the original installation media. Reformatting a disk erases all files it contains, so be sure to back up all personal files first. Also make sure that you have all application and system disks.

Note: Don't install additional software or hardware until you're sure that the problem is resolved. Don't back up the hard disk and restore Mac OS and Photoshop instead of reinstalling them; if the problem is caused by an application or Mac OS, and either one is restored instead of reinstalled, the problem may recur.

After you reformat the hard disk and install only Mac OS and Photoshop, try to re-create the problem:

-- If the problem no longer occurs, install other applications one at a time, and try to re-create the problem after each installation. If the problem occurs after an installation, the recently installed application may be the cause. Contact the developer of the application for information about an update.

-- If the problem recurs, the cause is hardware-related, and you should contact the hardware manufacturer or an authorized reseller for assistance. Before contacting the manufacturer or reseller, however, you may want to try one or more of the following tasks.

15. Check for SCSI problems.

If you have a SCSI card for internal or external SCSI devices, verify that the settings for the card are correct, ensure that the SCSI chain is properly connected and terminated, update SCSI drivers, and check for hardware or cable damage. For instructions, contact the SCSI card manufacturer.

16. Check for damaged expansion cards.

Damaged or incompatible expansion cards can cause system errors. To check expansion cards, turn off the computer, remove any processor accelerator, cache, or other expansion cards installed in the computer, and then restart the computer.

17. Check for problems with RAM DIMMs.

Ensure that the RAM DIMMs are installed properly and aren't the cause by doing one or more of the following:

-- Change the order of the installed DIMMs.

-- Remove all but the minimum number of DIMMs needed to run Mac OS and Photoshop, and test to see if the problem persists. If it does, replace the DIMMs you removed and remove the others, testing again to see if the problem recurs. If it doesn't, one or more of the removed DIMMs may be the cause. For assistance, contact the RAM DIMM manufacturer.

18. Use a different hard drive or computer.

Run Photoshop from a different hard drive installed in the same computer or the same hard drive installed in a different computer. If the problem doesn't recur, the hard drive or the motherboard you were using previously may be the cause. For assistance, contact the manufacturer.