hardware or system error

Hey everybody,

when trying to start Photoshop CS2 it crashes, saying "Unable to continue because of hardware or system error." I think the last thing it does is "measuring memory". I've searched the group and the web and tried several things, like deleting the preferences file but it still won't work. Reboot or reinstall don't work either. CS2 used to work a while ago, but that was before I reinstalled my system. Installing the Adobe postscript printer and setting it as default doesn't help.

I'm using WinXP Prof. SP2 on a Notebook with a 2Ghz Pentium M and 1GB Ram. Theres about 10GB of free Space on my C-Partition, so this shouldn't be the problem either.

Appreciate any help,

Lorenz

Do other programs load and operate correctly?
Have you run a software RAM test?
Do you have the appropriate video driver? This can be a real issue if you have reinstalled notebook OS.

Thanks for your quick response.

bmoag schrieb:

Do other programs load and operate correctly?

Imageready starts without any problems, as do all other applications

Have you run a software RAM test?

Not yet, is there any programm you could suggest to me?

Do you have the appropriate video driver? This can be a real issue if you have reinstalled notebook OS.

I downloaded them from Acer.com, so yes

"Low" wrote in message

Hey everybody,

when trying to start Photoshop CS2 it crashes, saying "Unable to continue because of hardware or system error." I think the last thing it does is "measuring memory". I've searched the group and the web and tried several things, like deleting the preferences file but it still won't work. Reboot or reinstall don't work either. CS2 used to work a while ago, but that was before I reinstalled my system. Installing the Adobe postscript printer and setting it as default doesn't help.
I'm using WinXP Prof. SP2 on a Notebook with a 2Ghz Pentium M and 1GB Ram. Theres about 10GB of free Space on my C-Partition, so this shouldn't be the problem either.

Appreciate any help,

Lorenz

When you deleted the prefs file, did you get the dialogue box at start up, asking if you wanted to delete it?

MH

Mike Hyndman schrieb:

When you deleted the prefs file, did you get the dialogue box at start up, asking if you wanted to delete it?

Yes, it came up.

"Low" wrote in message

Mike Hyndman schrieb:

When you deleted the prefs file, did you get the dialogue box at start up,
asking if you wanted to delete it?

Yes, it came up.

Lorenz,

Try running PS in safe mode, if it opens (you may get an administration/activation error message) it would suggest the problem is due to a driver, possibly video.

HTH
MH

Try running PS in safe mode [...]

I started WinXP in safe mode, but when I try to start PS I get the same message as before :(

"Low" wrote in message

Try running PS in safe mode [...]

I started WinXP in safe mode, but when I try to start PS I get the same message as before :(

Low,

You need to check your RAM as Bmoag suggested, a "Google" for ram checkers will give you numerous ones to choose from.

Regards

Mike H

Mike Hyndman schrieb:

You need to check your RAM

I downloaded a Program called "MemTest". I had it run for several hours with no other applications running at the same time but it didn't find any errors. Is there a different program you could recommend to maybe find some errors after all? Or what else could the problem be? I really don't have a clue anymore...

"Low" wrote in message

Mike Hyndman schrieb:

You need to check your RAM

I downloaded a Program called "MemTest". I had it run for several hours with no other applications running at the same time but it didn't find any errors. Is there a different program you could recommend to maybe find some errors after all? Or what else could the problem be? I really don't have a clue anymore...

Low

If your PC had been a desktop I would have suggested taking a stick of RAM out (if 2 *512MB) run with one, and see if problem persists, then swap over and repeat the test. If your Notebook RAM is easily accessed, see if you can do this. It could be that a stick isn't seating correctly but Memtest should have reavealed this. Sometimes the action of removing and replacing the memory can have the desired effect.
You say you have 10GB available on your C partition? Do you have any other partitions? How big is your hard drive? You should never let any scratch disc become more that 85% full and they should also be defragmented regularly.
If none of these suggestions work I would post to the Adobeforum, where your post would be seen by Adobe program engineers, (Chris Cox in particular) amongst others. They will be the people to know exactly what your error message is refering to and othe rs may have had experience of the problem you are having.
http://www.adobeforums.com find the Windows Photoshop and Illustrator forum, a free registration and post your question.

Regards

Mike H

"Low" wrote in message

Mike Hyndman schrieb:

You need to check your RAM

I downloaded a Program called "MemTest". I had it run for several hours with no other applications running at the same time but it didn't find any errors. Is there a different program you could recommend to maybe find some errors after all? Or what else could the problem be? I really don't have a clue anymore...

Low,

Just a thought, PS couldn't be falling over reading fonts could it? You haven't recently installed any fonts from dubious sources have you? If so, take out all your non windows supplied fonts and put them into a temporary folder.
If it then runs OK, you reintroduce fonts a proportion at a time until the problem returns, then remove all the last batch that caused the failure and return half of them etc., (a binary search) until the problem font(s) is/are isolated, there could be more than one. Can be a long and frustrating process.

Mike H