Periodic Crashes under Windows XP

KV
Posted By
Ken_Varley
Dec 13, 2003
Views
395
Replies
14
Status
Closed
I am having the following problem. Since installing windows XP, PE 2.0 periodically crashes when opening. I will get the message “Adobe Photoshop Elements has encountered a problem and needs to close" Based on some information I found here I set the option to check for updates over the internet to “never” but that has not fixed the problem. Based on some other troubleshooting information I renamed the preference file. That temporarily fixes the problem.. If I rename or delete the preference file the program will then start but if I exit and restart I then get the same error message. I don’t know if this just a coincidence but since installing XP I have been unable to see the directory tree in the upper left pane. I find when the program crashes the directory tree does appear briefly before the crash.

I can fix the problem for a time by uninstalling and reinstalling but this is getting tiresome. I cannot seem to use the program for more than a week without having it crash.
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BH
Beth_Haney
Dec 13, 2003
Are you running any antivirus software? If so, and particularly if it’s Norton, take Elements off again – including a Find for straggling files/folders, then either uninstall Norton or disable it and try installing Elements again. Some people can run both with absolutely no trouble, but other people find the two very incompatible. I did an install on Win XP Pro with Norton disabled. Once I had Elements on and running properly, I reactivated Norton and haven’t had any trouble.

This isn’t the only possible cause of the problem, but it’s one of the ones high on the list for Windows users, particularly those who run Norton. Let us know whether or not this helps.
KV
Ken_Varley
Dec 13, 2003
I tried your sugggestion The program started after being reinstalled but when I exited and tried to start it again I received the same error message. I would again point out that when it runs OK there is no directory tree in the upper left section of the file browser window and when it freezes up there is.
BH
Beth_Haney
Dec 13, 2003
I’m surprised none of our Windows people have been on with a suggestion, although the forum does seem pretty slow today. I speak Windows only as a second language, and while I can often help people troubleshoot their Win systems, the phrase "directory tree" has no meaning to me. I am curious about how you went about installing XP. Was it a clean install or an overinstall? There’s a recent thread titled something about an XP users forum in which a link is posted. Have you tried getting ideas from the Windows side? This particular problem isn’t sounding like anything I remember seeing posted on this forum.
BB
Barbara_Brundage
Dec 14, 2003
the phrase "directory tree" has no meaning to me

Hi, Beth. Just guessing, but I think Ken means the list of files and folders and so on that you click through to get to the one you want to open.

Sorry, Ken. Another mac person here.
BH
Beth_Haney
Dec 14, 2003
Hmmm. That anything like an "Asset Bin"?! (Sorry, people, private joke. Don’t ask!)
JF
Jodi_Frye
Dec 14, 2003
ya, like a tree with lots of branches that lead to many different stems with many different apples….just no Macintosh’s 😉
BH
Beth_Haney
Dec 14, 2003
Well, Jodi, you’re a Win XP user. YOU help this guy! 🙂
TA
Tim_A_K
Dec 14, 2003
Ken,

Was your installation of Win XP a "clean install" or an upgrade over an existing version of Windows? If it was the latter, you may find that your best chance to resolve the problem is to back up your hard drive and do a new install of Win XP, formatting the HD before the installation. Sad to say, but many users have problems with an XP upgrade install attributable to artifacts from the previous version of Windows being carried over. A clean install will almost always produce a more stable OS than an upgrade.

Before taking such an admittedly extreme course of action, you might try reading over the suggestions in the following support article…

<http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2f07a.htm>

…. or going through some of the other issues on the PSE support site…

<http://www.adobe.com/support/products/photoshopel.html>

Tim
JF
Jodi_Frye
Dec 14, 2003
Beth, I know nothing.
JA
JoAnn_Amerson
Dec 15, 2003
I did a change from 98Se to XP Pro (as a clean install) and PSE2 works beautifully. The ONLY way to change OSs is to do a reformat and start from scratch. If you aren’t going to do that, you’re asking for problems. I’ve often likened it to the old tale about the Princess and the pea. If you dump one OS on top of another, you are just adding more mattresses on top of the pea.

wrote in message
Ken,

Was your installation of Win XP a "clean install" or an upgrade over an
existing version of Windows? If it was the latter, you may find that your best chance to resolve the problem is to back up your hard drive and do a new install of Win XP, formatting the HD before the installation. Sad to say, but many users have problems with an XP upgrade install attributable to artifacts from the previous version of Windows being carried over. A clean install will almost always produce a more stable OS than an upgrade.
Before taking such an admittedly extreme course of action, you might try
reading over the suggestions in the following support article…
<http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2f07a.htm>

… or going through some of the other issues on the PSE support site…
<http://www.adobe.com/support/products/photoshopel.html>
Tim
CS
Chuck_Snyder
Dec 15, 2003
JoAnn: I guess I’m the lucky one: successfully reinstalled XP Home over 98 SE with only minor follow-up problems. There was no way I could back up my whole system and reinstall, so it was going to work or I was going to have to go out and buy a new computer. It worked (darn it…)

Chuck
JA
JoAnn_Amerson
Dec 15, 2003
I had to convert otherwise I wouldn’t have. I used to work for a major comouter manufacturer and I heard so many horror stories about people who upgraded by just dumping one on top of the other. It makes so much more sense to back up your files and start from scratch.

My XP works just fine. The only issue was one I knew was going to happen. No XP drivers for my scanner- so I bought a new one. Other than that, not a problem.

wrote in message
JoAnn: I guess I’m the lucky one: successfully reinstalled XP Home over
98
SE with only minor follow-up problems. There was no way I could back up
my
whole system and reinstall, so it was going to work or I was going to have to go out and buy a new computer. It worked (darn it…)
Chuck

CS
Chuck_Snyder
Dec 15, 2003
JoAnn – my expectations were very low; was sure I was going to run into big problems. Maybe they’re still lurking beneath the surface…. But I was so pumped over the success that I installed XP Pro on my laptop – over ME. Again, no problems. Blind, dumb luck…
JA
JoAnn_Amerson
Dec 15, 2003
Never question blind, dumb luck – just be grateful.

wrote in message
JoAnn – my expectations were very low; was sure I was going to run into
big
problems. Maybe they’re still lurking beneath the surface…. But I was
so
pumped over the success that I installed XP Pro on my laptop – over ME. Again, no problems. Blind, dumb luck…

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