Dear Adobe, woe is me and my CS4

DG
Posted By
Dean_Gale
Nov 8, 2008
Views
367
Replies
14
Status
Closed
I have for a few years been using CS2 then about two months ago purchased CS3. It ran okay.

I was entitled to a free upgrade to CS4 which I have installed but I now have many problems in trying to get CS4 to run properly.

1. Sometimes CS4 will open but the toolbar with FILE, EDIT is missing

2. Mostly when I open CS4 IF I click on ‘FILE’ everything is greyed out apart from Import, Automate and scripts and CS4 hangs.

3. If I click on FILE to try and open a file that too is greyed out until I click on ‘Clear open recent’

4. If I open a image and want to get rid of any blemishes with the spot healing brush I can select the tool, click on a spot and a nice splodge is left on the image but the tool does not clear the blemish until I click on a completely different tool. eg. Text or anything.

5. Using Unsharp mask As I move the ‘Radius’ Nothing happens for ages.

So I have absolutely no idea why this these things are happening.

My System is Windows Vista
4GB Ram (although CS4 only thinks I have just under 2GB

CPU Intel Dual core 2.2GHZ

Graphics card is a NVIDIA Geforce 7300 GT and last week I downloaded a new driver to 7.15.11.7824

I have played with the cache and memory allocation, to no avail

Please any ideas?

cheers Eric

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– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

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DM
dave_milbut
Nov 8, 2008
first update your video drivers.
DG
Dean_Gale
Nov 8, 2008
Hi David,
Yeh Last week I downloaded new drivers from NVIDIA as mentioned in my post but do you mean something else?
E
Ender
Nov 8, 2008

1. Sometimes CS4 will open but the toolbar with FILE, EDIT is missing

You probably changed your font size to something besides default. Right Click your Desktop.
Choose Personalize.
Change your Font Size back to Default (Which is 90 or 96, I forget which.)

4. If I open a image and want to get rid of any blemishes with the spot healing brush I can select the tool, click on a spot and a nice splodge is left on the image but the tool does not clear the blemish until I click on a completely different tool. eg. Text or anything.

Update your Video Card drivers and Wacom tablet Drivers (by which I mean go to the manufactures website and get it, not through Windows).

If that doesn’t work, remove ALL third party plug-ins.

My System is Windows Vista 4GB Ram (although CS4 only thinks I have just under 2GB

Actually, ANY version of PS will only let you use 2GB. Also, that’s a limitation of your 32bit OS, not PS.
JJ
John Joslin
Nov 8, 2008
Actually, ANY version of PS will only let you use 2GB. Also, that’s a limitation of your 32bit OS, not PS.

That’s why it’s nice to have 64bit Photoshop on a 64bit system!
AF
Ahmad_fairouz
Nov 12, 2008
"4. If I open a image and want to get rid of any blemishes with the spot healing brush I can select the tool, click on a spot and a nice splodge is left on the image but the tool does not clear the blemish until I click on a completely different tool. eg. Text or anything."

I’m having the same problem! when undoing, the file would’t refresh automatically and would need you to click on the file with any tool to get it refreshed!

any tips?
CC
Chris_Cox
Nov 12, 2008
If the image isn’t updating after performing an operation – it is most likely due to an out of date video card driver. (we saw this a lot with older drivers)
DG
Dean_Gale
Nov 13, 2008
Thanks for the reply.
But I have already downloaded the latest driver for my video card from Nvidia before I posted my thread.

Surely I don’t have to buy a new graphics card?

cheers Eric
CC
Chris_Cox
Nov 13, 2008
You shouldn’t have to – but the video card makers are behind in fixing some bugs, and still haven’t found all the bugs in their drivers.

For some reason, the 7300 cards have been problematic (much worse on Macintosh).
BL
Bill_Lamp
Nov 13, 2008
OUCH! I have a 7300. Looks like I will have to plan on a new one before trying CS-4
CC
Chris_Cox
Nov 13, 2008
Several people have reported problems with menus and some icons if the Nik plugins are installed with CS4. Disable those plugins and the UI gets back to normal.
DG
Dean_Gale
Nov 13, 2008
Just a quick question what is the best way to disable plugins to see if any I have are causing problems?

cheers Eric
JJ
John Joslin
Nov 13, 2008
Putting a tilde(~) in front of the file name usually does it. I would move them out to a spare folder though.
DG
Dean_Gale
Nov 19, 2008
I did have a Nik Software plugin installed "Silver Efex Pro"

It actually worked okay with CS4 but I uninstalled it anyway.

It did not solve my problems though.
Maybe it is because I uninstalled it from the control panel and not from the Plug in folder?

Nik Software state on their website that their products work with 32 bit CS4 on Vista.

Now after reading a post in the ‘Retouching Forum" over at DP review I see that Nik Software have issued updated versions of their plugins.

I have downloaded the latest version and all my CS4 woes have disappeared.

So after Adobe telling me to contact Nvidia and Nvidia telling me that my GE7300 is only suitable for games and not CS4 I don’t have to buy a new card after all!

What a struggle, but we got there in the end.

Nothing is easy but I find it annoying that Nik Software state that their plugins will work and they make no mention that new versions are available for download.

Actually maybe it’s because I was on a 15 day trial and now that I have purchased a key for Silver Efex Pro they will inform me of future updates?

I hope this helps any other people solve their CS4 woes?

cheers Eric
WE
Wolf_Eilers
Nov 19, 2008
So after Adobe telling me to contact Nvidia and Nvidia telling me that my GE7300 is only suitable for games and not CS4 I don’t have to buy a new card after all!

nVIDIA needs to give their head a shake. Graphic card manufacturers are going to have to come to grips with the fact that an increasingly larger user community are going to expect their cards to do more than play silly games.

MacBook Pro 16” Mockups 🔥

– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

– 48 MacBook Pro 16″ mockups

– 6000 x 4500 px

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