more PSE 8 troubles

[whatnext]

well. just when i was celebrating getting Katie's Drop Shadow Collection installed on my new computer in PSE8, i now can't even OPEN PSE8! i tried installing some effects after i got Katie's Drop Shadows installed, and then the problems started. now i keep getting a message telling me that the program crashed. i have tried everything: system restore. uninstall the program and reinstall it. like ten times. i now have no PSE to scrap with and have to wait until Monday to talk to Adobe Customer Service. and I'm sure that will be an enchanting experience.

i'm having no fun.

[ptknox]

Phyllis, it sounds as though you may possibly have installed a style/effect that PSE can't run. I'd try resetting your Preferences as a first trouble shooting step:

1. Press and hold Alt+Control+Shift immediately after Photoshop Elements begins launching. Click Yes to delete the Adobe Photoshop Elements settings file.

A new preferences file is created the next time you start Photoshop Elements.

If that doesn't work (or if you can't get the "three finger salute" move above to work fast enough when launching PSE) we can go in and manually delete the preferences and another file or two that may need deleting to restore your settings. But I need to know what operating system you are using to tell you how do that (ie XP, Vista, Win 7)

Unfortunately, you'll probably lose the work you did installing Katie's styles too and have to go it again. (sigh)

I feel your pain. I've been trying to configure my system after installing a new video card for three dang days now!

[whatnext]

ah, PATTIE! thank you! i think you're right, because one of the effects was for PSE 4, and it was after that "installation" that everything hit the fan. i will try what you suggest. hopefully it will work! i'm running Windows 7. i've already lost everything i installed during all the various things i tried to fix the prob. i'm off to try the first thing you suggested.

[Jaycee]

After reading this, I am concerned about PSE. I had enough troubles installing katie's Drop Shadow styles into PSE 6 (my current version!) Have had PSE8 sitting on my bookshelf for over a month. Am truly conflicted. Love PSE6 but like someof the new features in PSE8, but am a bit of a dummy re installing styles. Would love to know if all is well now with PSE for you.

[KerryMac]

Oh...I hope you get all of this solved soon! It's so frustrating when the computer decides to hold a person hostage

[whatnext]

thanks to Pattie, i've recovered my balance with PSE 8. however, yesterday i installed Katie's Drop Shadow Collection, (again) and the program was weird for a bit. when i went to see if the collection was in my Effects selections after doing the installation dance, a box popped up saying that the PSE 8 CD wasn't in the drive. but i checked and saw that Katie's stuff was where it was supposed to be. i said: to heck with it and just shut down the computer. this morning when i opened PSE, all was well. the little men who live inside my hard drive must have been hard at work overnight...or something. that makes about as much sense as anything else i can think of for why it was working fine today.

[Jaycee]

Glad to hear you have had success. I think I now have cold feet about PSE 8! I'm not very smart about installing styles - really struggled with installing Katie's drop shadow styles into PSE6. So I don't know whether to give it a try or just leave it sitting in its box.

[twistedpeppermint]

I have been using PSE 5 and have had PSE 8 since before Christmas.... Getting ready to load it ... I am sooo very very afraid.... I hate fighting with computers... I just want th software to work.... Deep breath here!