Brush tools stopped working

HZ
Posted By
Howard_Zehr
Feb 8, 2004
Views
739
Replies
6
Status
Closed
My brush tools have suddenly stopped working. They show up in History but do not affect the pixels in the image. The healing brush still works, but the following do not: dodge/burn, rubber stamp, brush with layers, etc.
I have tried rebooting and even re-installed Photoshop (although I did not first uninstall). I am using CS but I also have 7.0 on the machine, and the brush has stopped working in it as well. I’m unsure whether it is a computer problem or a Photoshop problem. I’m probably overlooking something simple, but I’m stuck. Any suggestions?

Howard

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W
wes
Feb 8, 2004
Howard, when all else fails try deleting the preferences file and then restart PS. To do this, hit Ctrl + Alt + Shift right after starting PS. A small window will pop up asking if you want to delete the preferences file. Say yes and let the program load. I hope this will work for you. Of course, you will have to set up your preferences again the way you want them. I usually keep a copy of a good preferences (psp) file in a separate folder as a backup.

wrote in message
My brush tools have suddenly stopped working. They show up in History but
do not affect the pixels in the image. The healing brush still works, but the following do not: dodge/burn, rubber stamp, brush with layers, etc.
I have tried rebooting and even re-installed Photoshop (although I did not
first uninstall). I am using CS but I also have 7.0 on the machine, and the brush has stopped working in it as well. I’m unsure whether it is a computer problem or a Photoshop problem. I’m probably overlooking something simple, but I’m stuck. Any suggestions?
Howard
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Feb 8, 2004
Is there a selection active, perhaps after having done a healing? Are you working on the wrong layer? Is it with all images? Particularly, what if starting a new image?
Rob
HZ
Howard_Zehr
Feb 8, 2004
Rob
No layers or selections are active. It happens even if I open an image file and then immediately try to use any form of the brush e.g. dodge or burn. Even the history brush doesn’t work, although the healing brush does. I’ve had this happen a couple of times in the past but each time I rebooted and it started working again. Now that doesn’t seem to help.
It’s as if the opacity is set to 0. Again, if I click with a brush it does show up in History but nothing changes in the image and the info reading remains the same.

Howard
HZ
Howard_Zehr
Feb 8, 2004
I may have just solved the brush problem: it seems to be in the mouse. When I changed to my Wacom mouse and tablet, it started working. Go figure.

Howard
SB
Scott_Byer
Feb 9, 2004
Did you leave your pen lying on the tablet?

-Scott
HZ
Howard_Zehr
Feb 9, 2004
No, I didn’t.
I have had both a Ps/2 mouse and a USB tablet/mouse plugged in for the past three months, using both interchangeably. Suddenly the Ps/2 mouse quit working, and a replacement PS/2 mouse doesn’t work either. The Wacom USB tablet/mouse continues to work fine, though.

Howard

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