Corrupted preferences file

Photoshop stores a your personal program settings in a preferences file. This includes information like where to find your third party plugins, your last used documents, whether you want precise cursors, among other information. This file is stored in various places in different OS's and machines so I can't even tell you where to find it. When Photoshop or Elements starts acting "funny", and does not beahve as expected, a corrupted prefs file is very often the culprit. Deleting the file and letting it regenerate is often a cure. Here are two ways to do that. Method 1 is the long way around (and the one you see posted most often on newsgroups and webpages) and Method 2 is fast, easy, and painless. Try whichever one you prefer.

Method 1

Step 1. To cure the prefs blues, close Photoshop or Elements.

Step 2. Now you have to delete the old prefs file. So how do you find it to delete it? Go to the Search function of your OS and type in prefs. There will be a long list of files with that word in them, but one will be the one you need to delete. XP uses Start > Search . Use Mac Find or Start > Find in Windows 98 or 95. I believe ME also says "search" rather than Find.

I found my prefs in C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application
Data\Adobe\Photoshop\ There are folders for each version of Photoshop you have installed; for instance, on here I have Photoshop CS so there is a Photoshop 8 folder that contains the preferences for PS CS; and an Elements\Photoshop Elements 2.0 Prefs folder that contains Elements prefs.

The Elements prefs file is called Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 Prefs.psp. On my copy of WinXP it is in C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop\Elements\Photoshop Elements 2.0 Prefs

The Photoshop 7 prefs file is calles Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Prefs.psp. On my computer it is located at C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop\7.0\Adobe Photoshop 7.0 Settings\

The Photoshop CS prefs file is called Adobe Photoshop CS Prefs.psp On my computer with WinXP it is located at C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop\8.0\Adobe Photoshop CS Settings\

Step 3. Once the file is located, delete it.

Step 4. Reopen Photoshop or Elements and set your preferences over again, such as cursor type, undo history levels and where to find third party plugins. Close Photshop or Elements. The prefs file will be automatically regenerated when you close the progam, and will be active when you open it again.

Ok, that's the long way round. Want the short way? I knew you would!

Method 2: the Fast Way

Windows

NOTE: I am having trouble getting this to work on Windows XP SP1.

Step 1. Hold down the Alt + Ctrl + Shift keys as you click on the icon to open Elements. When asked if you want to delete the settings file, say yes.

Step 2. Reset the preferences as above.

Step 3. Close Elements and let the file regenerate.

Macintosh

Step 1. Hold down the Opt + Cmd + Shift keys as you click on the icon to open Elements. When asked if you want to delete the settings file, say yes.

Step 2. Reset the preferences as above.

Step 3. Close Elements and let the file regenerate.

What do I lose by resetting preferences?

What you will not lose by deleting preferences are your plugins, filters, or in the case of Elements, Hidden Power or Shipley's Extras.

What you will lose are persoanl preferences you have defined in Edit > Preferences (if that is where it is on a mac?) like where the plugins ARE. So when you delete preferences you need to open the preferences dialog and tell Elements where to find them, then close and restart Elements and they are back. You won't have to reinstall the plugins themselves. When I reset my preferences, which I did about 10 times writing this lesson trying to start from scratch so I could give you guys the best possible information about installing, Hidden Power and Shipleys remained.

The reason is they actually change the default html fines that define the palettes they are in.

Now..brushes, and gradients need to be saved as we have learned in several lessons so they can be reloaded because the brush file will be set back to default when you delete the preferences.