Photoshop preferences keep getting reset

JS
Posted By
janet_schowengerdt
Nov 5, 2008
Views
473
Replies
11
Status
Closed
Hi all.

I didn’t find an answer for this (not that it doesn’t exist, but I didn’t see it) so here goes…

Like everyone, I have certain settings I change in Photoshop which I’d like to maintain regardless of whether I have closed Photoshop, turned off my computer, etc. For example, some settings for saving files in indexed color like turning off the "forced" option, or choosing "never" under "Maximize PSD and PSB compatibility under File Handling.

The specifics probably aren’t important though- the main issue is that I’ll change my preferences, everything will be fine for a while, then BLAM! suddenly my preferences have reset.

A coworker of mine has this same problem- he works on a Mac and I work on a PC.

Thoughts on what we need to do differently to prevent this automatic reset of preferences?

Thanks!
Related Tags
preference reset

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M
Mylenium
Nov 6, 2008
Check the permissions for your config directory (Documents and Settings/Janet/Application Data/Adobe/Photoshop CS3). Likewise, check whether you have full access to the registry. Another possible cause may be some automated system protection and/ or backup system, which will restore the original prefs file after a while because it doesn’t consider the new one to be valid. This would also apply to server-side profiles, update distribution and syncing in general.

Mylenium
P
PECourtejoie
Nov 6, 2008
Do you properly shut down your system? or is Photoshop still running when you restart?
SP
Steve_Pryke
Dec 30, 2008
I have a problem similar to that described by Janet. I am using CS3 on a machine with microsoft XP OS SP2. There is only one account on the machine and I am the administrator. I only use the machine for photo editing and there are no other programs loaded except for bridge. The machine is not networked or connected to the internet, so no updates and no antivirus software.

In what appears to be a random action, my CS3 preferences reset to the default "factory" settings.

I do sometimes put the machine to sleep with photoshop running, but the preferences resetting seems to be independent of this.

I’d welcome any suggestions on why this resetting is occuring.

thanks

Steve
BL
Bob Levine
Dec 30, 2008
I do sometimes put the machine to sleep with photoshop running, but the preferences resetting seems to be independent of this.

Don’t make that assumption. If the prefs only get partially written or corrupt, they’re very likely to be reset to default when restarting Photoshop.

Bob
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Dec 30, 2008
And putting a computer to sleep (particularly the state where RAM content is written to a HDD, and the machine is powered down) may not be a good idea if you’re colour managed.

When the video card is powered down it loses the profile-made tweaks to the video LUT. Normally the profile is loaded at boot, but waking a computer out of hibernation isn’t an ordinary boot, and will not load it.

You will have an non-calibrated state of your screen then.

Hope this adds to the confusion makes some sense.

Rob
EH
Expert_Here
Dec 31, 2008
For years and years and years, only Photoshop has the excuse "the prefs file just gets corrupted, delete it and start over", where people accept it as the norm. People, it is not normal for a file, any file, to get corrupted. It is the opposite of normal. It should never happen. That it happens to PS users as a matter of course is absurd. I know these things, I am after all

Expert Here
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Dec 31, 2008
Who says it’s "the norm"? And if you are the expert, then why keep the solution to your self?

I’m glad that, once corrupted, PS can be reset through the deletion of one simple file.

Try the with a car that you, or someone else drove into tatters.

Rob
JJ
John Joslin
Dec 31, 2008
And corruption normally occurs on corrupted computers or with bad procedures.

I didn’t have to reset once, since Version 3.0!
RK
Rob_Keijzer
Dec 31, 2008
I didn’t have to reset once, since Version 3.0

I once had to do it after a power failure, but I keep a recent back-up of the Application Data path.

Rob
DM
dave_milbut
Dec 31, 2008
more like… expert doofus here.
K
KatWoman
Jan 7, 2009
one thing that can corrupt the preferences if you move any file in the recent files list
this simple thing will confuse PS

I wouldn’t leave my prog open at night, I always save and close anything I am working on
My comp is set to download & install updates (virus and Windows) overnight as well as auto de-frag program

any of these could have problems with open programs

are you running a screen saver?
try turning it off

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