TechNote

Troubleshoot installation problems (Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 on Mac OS)

What's covered

Beginning troubleshooting

Intermediate troubleshooting

Advanced troubleshooting

This document can help you resolve errors or freezes that occur while you install Adobe Photoshop Lightroom on Mac OS X. 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 message such as: "The application 'Adobe Photoshop Lightroom' has unexpectedly quit. The system and other applications have not been affected."

Different factors can interfere with the installation of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom on Mac OS X, including conflicts among device drivers, software, hardware, and corrupt elements in specific files. System variables can also interfere with installation. Make sure that your computer meets the system requirements for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Following the tasks in this document can help resolve these issues, and can help you identify the source of installation problems.

The troubleshooting section begins with solutions for the most common problems and progresses to solutions for less common problems such as hardware conflicts. Work through the solutions in the order presented to eliminate possible sources of the problem. 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 contact us.

If none of the suggested solutions resolve the problem, the advanced troubleshooting section provides tips and references for further troubleshooting.

Note: When you install Photoshop Lightroom and the "configuring installation" message appears, the installation may take a few minutes to finish configuring.

Beginning troubleshooting

Work through these tasks to resolve issues that occur when you install Photoshop Lightroom. Retest the installation after each step to see whether the problem has been resolved.

Note: To install Photoshop Lightroom, and to perform most of the following troubleshooting tasks, you must have administrator privileges. If you lack administrator privileges, the Photoshop Lightroom installer will be unable to access necessary files.

Make sure that the system meets the minimum requirements for Photoshop Lightroom.
Photoshop Lightroom may not run correctly on a system that doesn't meet the following requirements :
- G4, G5, or Intel processor
- Mac OS X v10. 4 or later
- 768 MB of RAM (1 GB Recommended)
- 1 GB of available hard-disk space
- CD-ROM drive
Note: To check how much RAM is installed, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu. The Memory value indicates the amount of installed RAM.

In addition to these requirements, a video card that supports 24-bit (16 million) or more colors, and a resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher, is recommended.
Install Photoshop Lightroom from the desktop.

Some system components--for example, device drivers and virus protection utilities--can conflict with the Photoshop Lightroom installer and result in an incomplete or failed installation. To prevent these conflicts, install Photoshop Lightroom from the desktop.

1. Copy the Lightroom 1.0 folder from the Photoshop Lightroom CD-ROM to the desktop.

2. Open the Lightroom folder on the desktop.

3. Double-click the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.pkg file, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Delete previously installed application files.

Files that are installed during a failed installation take up hard disk space and can cause problems the next time you run the installer. If an attempt to install Photoshop Lightroom fails, check for any files that did install and then delete them. If you attempt to reinstall Photoshop Lightroom without first deleting these files, the installer may not be able to overwrite the existing files and the hard disk may not have enough free space for the entire application.

Note: You should perform these steps after each failed installation to avoid further problems that partially installed components can cause.

To delete files from a previous Photoshop Lightroom installation attempt:

1. Drag the Adobe Lightroom file from the Applications folder to the Trash.

2. Drag the com.adobe.Lightroom.plist file from the [Username]\Preferences folder to the Trash.

3 . Empty the Trash. If you receive a message that items are locked and cannot be deleted, press Option as you choose Special > Empty Trash to override the lock.

4. Try to reinstall. If you cannot reinstall:
1. Move all the folders under the [Username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom folder to a new folder called Lightroom Presets on the Desktop. These are the presets that were installed with the application and that you created.
2. Move the Lightroom Previews.lrdata file from the [Username]Pictures//Lightroom folder into a new folder called Lightroom Previews on the Desktop. This file contains your photo previews. If you have a large number of images, you can move this file back to its original location before you open Photoshop Lightroom, once it's installed, or you can delete this file to re-create the previews when Photoshop Lightroom opens. If there are further problems with Photoshop Lightroom after it's installed, these issues may be due to corruption in the previews, and you may need to delete and re-create the previews.
3. Try to reinstall again. If you cannot reinstall, continue with the rest of this step. If you can reinstall, copy any presets you created from the Lightroom Presets folder on the Desktop back into the [Username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom folder.
  
  Note: If there are further problems with Photoshop Lightroom after it's installed, it might be due to corruption in the preset files you created, in which case you need to remove them and recreate them, or test each preset individually.
4. Move the Lightroom Database.lrdb file (this is your database, if you previously had Photoshop Lightroom installed) from the [Username]/Pictures/Lightroom folder into a new folder called Lightroom Database File -- SAVE on the Desktop.
  
  Important: Do not delete the Lightroom Database.lrdb file!
  
  Note: If you can reinstall, and if this is not the first time you opened Photoshop Lightroom, then Photoshop Lightroom will look for a library. If it does not find a library in the expected location, then it will prompt you to create a new library, locate the library, or quit. If you choose Quit, then the dialog box closes, and Photoshop Lightroom will not open. Although you can tell Photoshop Lightroom to locate your library, it's best to put the library back in the default location and then open Photoshop Lightroom.
5. Reinstall. If you cannot reinstall, continue on with this document.
Log in as a user with administrator access privileges.

To log in with administrator access privileges:

1. From the Apple menu, choose Log Out.

2. Click Log Out when you see 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 you in at startup, but you want to start as another user, then hold down the Shift key after the Mac OS X Startup Screen appears and release it when the login screen appears. If you don't have access to an account with administrator privileges, contact your system administrator.
Check the CD and CD-ROM drive.

Sometimes dust or dirt on a CD can interfere with an installation and prevent your CD-ROM drive from recognizing the CD. Examine the Photoshop Lightroom CDs for dirt, dust, or fingerprints. Gently wipe the bottom of the CD from the center outward with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Verify that the CD-ROM drive can read other CDs. If it can't, examine the CD caddy or loading tray for dirt and clean it with a lint-free cloth. If it still can't read other CDs, contact the CD-ROM drive manufacturer or Apple Computer.

Intermediate troubleshooting

Troubleshoot serial number problems.

If the Photoshop Lightroom installer returns the error "Invalid Serial Number" after you enter the serial number or during startup, do one or more of the following:
- Delete the serial number from the Serial Number text box, and then reenter it exactly as it appears on the back of the application CD case, in the registration e-mail, or on the registration web-page.
- Reenter the serial number using different numeric keys. For example, use the numeric keys above the alpha characters instead of the numeric keys on the keypad.
- Make sure you typed the number zero (0) correctly, not as the letter O .
- Contact Adobe Customer Service in your region for assistance. For contact information, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com, select your region from the menu at the top of the page, and then click Contact Us.
Repair disk permissions by running Disk Utility.

If you log i to an account with administrator privileges, but you are still unable to install, your disk permissions may be damaged.

To repair your permissions using the Disk Utility:

1. Choose Go > Applications, open the Utilities folder, and then double-click Disk Utility.

2. Select the First Aid tab.

3. Select the volume on which you want to install Photoshop Lightroom, and then click Repair Disk Permissions.
Install Photoshop Lightroom with the Login Items disabled for the user account.

To disable nonessential extensions located in the user accounts Login Items folder, press Shift while you restart the computer. Pressing Shift disables any applications that are in the operating system's Login Items folder.
Reinstall Photoshop Lightroom from within a new user account.

Occasionally, a user account can become corrupted and prevent the installer from accessing or creating the necessary files and folders. Create a new account, log into the new account, and then try to install Photoshop Lightroom.

To create a new user account:

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.

2. Click Accounts.

3. Click the Users tab, and then click New User.

4. Create a new user account. Make sure to remember the new password and to give the account administrative privileges by selecting Allow user to administer this computer.

5. Click OK and close the Accounts window.

6. Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.

For instructions on creating a new user profile, see the Mac OS X online Help.
Remove fonts from the Fonts folder in the Library folder before installing Photoshop Lightroom.

1. Drag all fonts from the Fonts folder in the Library folder to a new folder on the desktop.

2. Restart the computer.

3. Install Photoshop Lightroom.

4. Move all fonts back to the Fonts folder in the Library folder after installation is complete.
Optimize hard disks.

Installation errors can occur if the hard disk is very fragmented. Optimizing the hard disk rearranges files to minimize future fragmenting. It also restores fragmented files into single contiguous blocks, making hard disk space more accessible to the installer.

Use a disk-optimizing utility, such as Norton SpeedDisk, MacTools Pro Optimizer, or AlSoft Disk Express, to optimize (defragment) each hard disk. For instructions on using a utility, refer to the utility's documentation.
Check hard disks for damage.

A damaged hard disk can cause installation errors. Check hard disks using a disk utility, such as Apple Disk Utility, Symantec Norton Utilities, or Micromat Drive 10.

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

To check for damage 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 for damage, and then click the First Aid tab.

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

Use current anti-virus software, such as McAfee Virex or Symantec Norton AntiVirus, to check your system for viruses. Make sure that you have the latest virus definitions for the anti-virus software you're using. Although virus infections are rare, they can cause strange system behavior, including installation errors. Running virus-detection software regularly (for example, daily) prevents viruses from damaging software on your system. For instructions on running or obtaining the latest updates to your virus-detection software, refer to its documentation.

Advanced troubleshooting

The previous section contains all the solutions to system-related installation problems known to Adobe Technical Support. If these solutions don't solve your problem, a hardware or an operating system variable is probably conflicting with the Photoshop Lightroom installer.

Install Photoshop Lightroom on a different computer.

You can try installing Photoshop Lightroom on a different computer to determine whether the problem is unique to your computer. You can also see if other Adobe customers experienced the same problem by visiting our User to User Forums at www.adobe.com/support/forums/ . If you confirm that the problem happens on other computers, Adobe Technical Support may be able to duplicate and research the problem.
Reinstall the system software.

For more information on reinstalling your system software, see Apple OS X documentation or visit the Apple support page at www.info.apple.com.
Install to a different hard disk designated as the startup disk.

Install the Mac OS system software on a different hard disk (not a different partition on the same disk) and then make it the new disk the startup disk. Then, install Photoshop Lightroom to the new hard disk.

1. To change the startup disk:

2. Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu.

3. Select Startup Disk from the System selections.

4. Select the drive on which you reinstalled the system software.

5. Restart the computer.

You can also see if other Adobe customers experienced the same problem by visiting our User to User Forums at www.adobe.com/support/forums/ . If you confirm that the problem happens on other computers, Adobe Technical Support may be able to duplicate and research the problem .