Fix Photoshop Crashes

Experiencing crashes in Photoshop can be frustrating, but there are several troubleshooting steps you can try to resolve the issue. Here are some suggestions to help fix Photoshop crashes:

  1. Update Photoshop: Make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Photoshop installed on your computer. Updates often include bug fixes and performance improvements that can address crashing issues.
  2. Check system requirements: Verify that your computer meets the minimum system requirements for running Photoshop. If your hardware is below the recommended specifications, it may struggle to handle the application, leading to crashes.
  3. Disable third-party plugins: Temporarily disable any third-party plugins or extensions you have installed in Photoshop. Sometimes, conflicts between plugins and Photoshop can cause crashes. If the crashes stop after disabling the plugins, you can re-enable them one by one to identify the problematic one.
  4. Reset preferences: Photoshop preferences can occasionally become corrupted, leading to crashes. Resetting the preferences to their default settings can often resolve this issue. To reset preferences, hold down the Command+Option+Shift keys while launching Photoshop. You should see a prompt asking if you want to delete the Photoshop settings file. Confirm and proceed with the reset.
  5. Check scratch disk space: Photoshop uses a scratch disk as temporary storage while working with large files. If your scratch disk is running out of space, it can lead to crashes. Ensure that you have sufficient free space on your designated scratch disk or consider changing the scratch disk location in the Photoshop preferences.
  6. Delete Photoshop Preferences and Caches:
    • Close Adobe Photoshop if it is open.
    • Open Finder.
    • In the menu bar, click on “Go” and then select “Go to Folder.” or press Command+Shift+G
    • Type the following path into the “Go to Folder” window and click “Go” ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop [version] Settings (Replace “[version]” with the specific version of Photoshop you are using, e.g., “22” for Photoshop 2021).
    • In the folder that opens, you will see a file named “Adobe Photoshop [version] Prefs” (e.g., “Adobe Photoshop 2021 Prefs”). This file stores your Photoshop preferences.
    • Delete the “Adobe Photoshop [version] Prefs” file. If you are concerned about losing your preferences, you can also consider renaming it to something like “Adobe Photoshop [version] Prefs_old” instead.
    • Close the folder.
    • Repeat step 3 but this time type in ~/Library/Application Support/
    • Delete Adobe Photoshop [version] folders and empty the trash.
    • Once again press Command+Shift+G and type ~/Library/Caches/ find com.adobe.photoshop folder and delete it, empty the trash and open photoshop
  7. Repair or reinstall Photoshop: If the above steps didn’t help, you can try repairing or reinstalling Photoshop. In some cases, the installation files may have become corrupted, causing crashes. You can use the Adobe Creative Cloud app to repair or uninstall/reinstall Photoshop.

Remember to save your work frequently to avoid data loss in case of crashes.