TechNote (Archived)

Manually remove Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Windows)

What's covered

Overview

Before you begin

Remove Photoshop using the uninstaller

Remove remaining folders and files for Photoshop

Remove remaining registry entries for Photoshop

Remove shared components

Complete the removal

Overview

Adobe recommends that you use the Adobe Photoshop uninstaller in the Add Or Remove Programs utility in Windows to remove Photoshop from the computer. Occasionally, however, damaged files or a partial installation may prevent the Photoshop uninstaller from working correctly or may cause the uninstaller to leave files or empty application folders on the system after the removal is performed. You may also notice Photoshop missing from the Add Or Remove Programs list or find that the installer only displays the Repair and Remove options when you try to install Photoshop.

Manually removing Photoshop ensures that all files and folders are removed. Please note that these instructions are for removing Photoshop. If you have other/previous versions of Adobe applications installed, then be sure to remove only the files below that relate to Photoshop. These steps also remove any extra content (for example, Goodies or Functional Content) that you may have installed with Photoshop. If you reinstall Photoshop, you will need to reinstall its extra content as well.

Note: Your system may not contain all of the files and folders listed in this document. If you do not find a listed file or folder on your system you should proceed to the next file or folder on the list.

Before you begin

Some of these procedures require you to locate hidden files and hidden folders. Some procedures require you to locate files by their full file names, which include extensions (for example, example_filename.ini). By default, Windows Explorer doesn't show hidden files, hidden folders, or file name extensions that it recognizes.

To show hidden files, hidden folders, and all file name extensions in Windows Explorer:

1. In Windows Explorer, choose Tools > Folder Options.

2. Click the View tab in the Folder Options dialog box.

3. In Advanced Settings, select Show Hidden Files And Folders.

4. Deselect Hide Extensions For Known File Types.

5. Click OK.

Remove Photoshop using the uninstaller

The uninstaller is designed to removeeverything installed by Photoshop. When you start Photoshop for the first time, or when you modify the preferences, new folders and filesmay be created. To ensure the complete removal of all additional folders and files, proceed to "Remove remaining folders and files for Photoshop" below after you use the uninstaller.

To use the uninstaller:

1. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add Or Remove Programs.

2. Do one of the following:

-- If you installed Photoshop from the Photoshop CD, select Adobe Photoshop CS2 and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove Photoshop.

-- If you installed Photoshop from the Creative Suite CDs, select Adobe Creative Suite 2 and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the Photoshop component.

-- If you installed Photoshop from the Production Studio DVDs, select Adobe Production Studio and click Remove. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the Photoshop component.

Note: When you run the uninstaller, you will be prompted to remove, keep, or transfer activation. If you plan to reinstall Photoshop on the same machine, you may want to keep your activation. However, after you complete the manual removal, you will most likely need to re-activate Photoshop. If you plan to install Photoshop on a different machine, you should transfer your activation.

Remove remaining folders and files for Photoshop

Backup any personal files you want to save from the following directories, and then remove the listed folders and files:

Documents and Settings\ [User Name] \Application Data\Adobe\CameraRaw

Documents and Settings\ [User Name] \Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop\9.0

Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Adobe Photoshop CS2.lnk

Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS2

Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Launch\photoshop\9.0

WINDOWS\Installer\{236BB7C4-4419-42FD-0409-1E257A25E34D}

WINDOWS\Installer\{2A780209-2A41-4C75-932A-F6F0390D430A}

Remove remaining registry entries for Photoshop

Remove the application registry keys from the registry, if they are available.

Note: You must be logged into the computer as an Administrator to modify your registry.

Disclaimer: This procedure involves editing the Windows registry. Adobe doesn't support editing the registry, which contains critical system and application information. For information on the Windows Registry Editor, see the documentation for Windows or contact Microsoft Technical Support. You may not have all of these files.

Important: Make a backup copy of the registry before you edit it.

1. Choose Start > Run, and type regedit in the Open text box; click OK.

2. Navigate to one of the registry keys listed below and select it in the left panel; it will appear in the registry editor as a folder.

3. Choose Edit > Delete. Click Yes in the Confirm Key Delete dialog box.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 as needed for any remaining registry entries.

Remove the following registry entries:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Features\4C7BB6329144DF244090E152A7523ED4

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Features\902087A214A257C439A26F0F93D034A0

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\4C7BB6329144DF244090E152A7523ED4

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products\902087A214A257C439A26F0F93D034A0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\Photoshop\9.0

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Adobe\Photoshop\9.0

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\4C7BB6329144DF244090E152A7523ED4

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Features\902087A214A257C439A26F0F93D034A0

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\4C7BB6329144DF244090E152A7523ED4

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Installer\Products\902087A214A257C439A26F0F93D034A0

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\4C7BB6329144DF244090E152A7523ED4

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Products\902087A214A257C439A26F0F93D034A0

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe Photoshop CS2 - {236BB7C4-4419-42FD-0409-1E257A25E34D}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{236BB7C4-4419-42FD-0409-1E257A25E34D}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{2A780209-2A41-4C75-932A-F6F0390D430A}

Remove shared components

Adobe applications typically install a number of shared components that are often used by multiple Adobe applications. Information about removing these shared components can be found in the following knowledgebase documents:

328358 , "Manually remove Adobe Bridge (Windows)"

333451 , "Manually remove Adobe ExtendScript Toolkit (Windows)"

333450 , "Manually remove Adobe Help Center (Windows)"

333458 , "Manually remove Adobe Stock Photos (Windows)"

Note: Adobe recommends against removing shared files, folders, and registry keys if other Adobe applications (for example, Adobe Creative Suite) are installed. Deleting shared files may cause problems that require you to reinstall the affected application.

Complete the removal

Empty your Recycle Bin and restart your computer.