How do I fix a s-l-o-w Photoshop?

18 years ago

I've been tearing my hair out because one of my computers has gotten so unbearably slow. But I just realized the Excel, Explorer, and Word functions are working just fine. It's only Photoshop (Elements 2.0) that has slowed down to a crawl.

I have no idea what the problem could be or how to remedy it. But I'll bet some of you know. Please share!

Thanks!

Susan

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Comments (18)

owbist
18 years ago
If the program had been working satisfactorily and now slowed you might consider downloading and running Memtest to see if one of you memory (RAM) sticks has failed. Assuming you have 2 or more sticks of course. The test should be run overnight or any time you can allow it to run for 8 hours or more. Memtest runs off a floppy which you reboot from and is a free program

If you get errors then you will need to test each piece of RAM individually to decide which is throwing up the errors.

Of course it could be as simple as re-seating the sticks of memory, you could try that first. Be sure to rest your bare arm on the metal of the case to ground yourself and remove the power cord before touching things inside.
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, I know that computer is short on memory. It has only 256MB of RAM. I was about to purchase more when my dryer died and I had to write a fat check for that.

Could that be the problem? In other words, would a shortage of RAM affect only Photoshop, leaving the other programs working okay?

Thanks,

Susan
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Diane, To a certain extent, it comes from trial and error. Some people become pretty good at judging melon ripeness and it seems like others never do. The signs can vary by melon type. My old rancher/farmer friend Fred says he used to cut a plug from a watermelon, check it for ripeness without picking the melon, and then replace the plug and let the melon keep growing if it wasn't ripe yet. He insisted the ants and other critters did not get into the plugged area, which seems odd to me. Nowadays, he just waits for the coyotes to harvest them for him because somehow the coyotes always know when they're ripe and the beat the farmer or gardener to them. First of all, watch the size of the melons. If you're growing a watermelon variety that usually reaches 25-30 lbs., it likely will not be ripe when it is 12-15 lbs. With watermelons, you can usually go by the tendril nearest the melon...it will turn dry and brown. 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owbist
18 years ago
Susan your Photoshop would be where the lack of memory would be most visible because of the large files often involved with photo editing. My Corel PhotoPaint can get painfully slow if I have 6 to 8 large images open yet I have 1 gig of memory, I overcome that by closing a few.

You do not say if you have Windows XP or 98 installed. If XP you are very marginal for good computing, if you have W98 then I would suggest a reboot prior to using Photoshop, particularly if you have been using Word prior. W98 does not handle resources as well as it should and Word is notorious for refusing to return the memory to the pool after use. A reboot cures that problem.

Added memory is the best and most effective upgrade for most computers really. Not that I am promoting it because you need to assess the length of time left with this computer and the fact that the memory may not be useable in the next computer you buy. Of course, if you have a recent computer then it might be a great idea to add more. Hee hee, just make sure the fridge and stove are adequate before buying the memory.
bob414
18 years ago
Elements uses a lot of memory. If I open elements 4.0 with a photo it uses over 100 mb of ram before I start doing anything with the photo.
iowagirl2006
18 years ago
I bought my RAM on eBay for a bargain. It is very easy to install - just make sure you are getting something compatable. I have 1 gig (after having 256) - makes a HUGE difference.
msm84
18 years ago
I have PhotoShop Elem. 2 on both of my computers. My laptop, which has 512mgs of ram and my new desk top with 2gigs of ram. Both running XP. The difference in speed for opening/closing the program and photo editing is amazing on the desk top computer! More ram is the key to using PhotoShop.

I might add that on my lap top I always close all unnecessary programs. Its not connected to the internet all the time so I close down my anti-virus and Zone Alarm before I ever open PS. You might try that (Besure to disconnect from the internet first) along with anything else thats not necessary that is running in the background until you can get more ram added.
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Sounds like RAM is what I need, thanks. I went to the Dell site to get info on RAM that's compatible with my computer, but apparently this computer is too old (2002) to be listed.

Some eBay sellers list model numbers that are supposed to be compatible with what they're selling. I hope I can trust that...
msm84
18 years ago
Good luck with that, but if it was me I think I'd check with a local computer shop and see how much they would charge to add more ram. They would mostlikely stand behint their work.

You never said if you were running XP, but you did mention it was a 2002 Dell so I'm assuming it is and I have never understood why computers are even sold with less then 512mgs of ram with XP installed! I guess they think you will never need or install anything that needs ram to run properly.
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Yes, I'm running XP. We don't have a local computer shop here, unless you mean Circuit City...?

I added RAM to my other desktop, but I bought it directly from Dell. It's too bad they don't list options for this one.
owbist
18 years ago
Try Googling the RAM and computer model number, you may just get some better info to give you confidence about buying the right type for your confuser. Be creative "RAM for Dell 123" or similar can often bring good results
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Owbist, thanks for the tipÂit worked! My search yielded a 1GB module from Crucial Technology, and I got a good price at Amazon. Help is on the way!
owbist
18 years ago
Hooray!!! Good work Susan. I get the impression you feel confident about installing the new RAM. Remove the existing stick, paying attention to the pins and cutouts so the replacement goes in the right way and place your new piece in that slot and the old one in the second slot. This causes the computer to use the 1gig first before calling on the smaller stick. Be sure to close down, remove the power cord and when working on the removal and install have your bare arm resting on the metal of the case to avoid static electricity arcing and killing vital parts - of the computer. Crucial is a good name in memory modules, you have made a good choice there.
bestlawn
18 years ago
Susan, Owbist is great, knowledgeable, and always helpful, so please don't take my response as disputing his obliging and useful advice to you. I have no doubt there is a memory issue that correcting will prove beneficial.

What you describe sounds like an overloaded cache directory. This may also be referred to by some programs as the program's scratchpad (or whatever Photoshop Elements calls it). Any program that works with graphics (most programs, actually, whether they work with graphics or not, especially Word), utilizes this area for temporary storage used by your computer's memory. Everything you do in PE creates these temp files, which are an integral part of forming/creating/modifying while in the program. Just opening a graphic in PE prompts the program to automatically generate these cache/scratch/temp files to help it remember the graphic and everything you do to it (such as lightening, sharpening, applying effects, etc.). In other words, PE is creating and storing copies of the information it needs and makes easily retrievable while you task. It is one reason undo is possible, for example, but has many other uses.

The program automatically created this area/directory on your hard drive during installation, and some programs build them more heavily and more rapidly than others. That would depend on the size of these files and how many it builds for each individual graphic. Some build only one, but some build quite a few. I have no idea how many PE creates or how big they are.

Additionally, there are other temp files the program may be creating. Even though it's finished with those files and has discarded them to the cache/scratchpad directory or to your Temp directory in Windows, it still accesses them. Or, in the very least, they are sitting there in the way, interferring with the program's functionability (is that a word? LOL).

This explains your sudden decrease in efficiency. Therefore, adding memory will certainly help but only for the length of time it takes the cached/scratched files to build beyond RAM's ability to manage - which is what actually just happened.

Now, your task is finding its location so you can clean it out and be able to clean it periodically. I'm sorry I cannot help with that because I don't have PE. I do have Photoshop but couldn't find its scratch folder doing a quick look. Once you delete all the *junk* in there, PE will resume normal function at a maximum rate of tasking speed that your amount of memory will accommodate. As Owbist indicated, the more the merrier. :)

Start another thread for someone with PE to help you find that folder.

Incidentally, clean out your Temp directory.
C > Windows > Temp
Bet you find a bunch of stuff with a .tmp extension.
You will likely find files with other extensions, but I wouldn't touch those.

Good luck
bestlawn
18 years ago
oops
I meant to add that if no one here with PE is able to help you find that directory, you may be able to locate a Photoshop Elements forum or tutorial group that can help. There may also be articles online like Adobe's website,as well as Googling, with other helpful tips to improve PE's performance. I understand it's more than an image editor but serves other functions also like organizing photos and reading cards and such.
owbist
18 years ago
Bestlawn makes a very interesting observation. I had never considered Clipboard items to be stored anywhere other than on the swap file - which disappears on shutting down the computer. However when I close Corel PhotoPaint I am offered the chance to leave items I have placed on the Clipboard for future use making my thoughts invalid.

These computers are amazing gadgets, I will be leaving things on the clipboard for a while now to see what happens, normally I flush the contents on exiting the program to start clean. Thanks for pointing that out Bestlawn, very interesting.
iowagirl2006
18 years ago
One more hint while working on your machine - after you have removed the power cord - go ahead and push the power button - it will discharge any residual power left in the unit. I have added a link that has pictures! showing how to swap out the RAM.

Here is a link that might be useful: eHow - installing RAM
alisande
Original Author
18 years ago
Interesting, Bestlawn, thanks! By using PE's help screens I figured out how to purge the cache. It didn't help in any noticeable way, but it was probably a good thing to do anyway (and periodically in the future).

My son suggested I do a Ctrl-Alt-Del. It showed my PF usage (whatever that is) is over 400MB. He thinks I may have some things runningÂand using up memoryÂthat don't need to run. So we'll check that out, too.

Iowagirl, I appreciate the link! Over the years Dell has walked me through all sorts of tasks involving the interior of the CPU, but Dell won't be involved this time. Nice to have a visual aid.

Thanks,
Susan
spunbondwarrior
18 years ago
Though I use GimpShop, I keep these PH forums handy, there is A LOT of good and helpful stuff at these urls:

http://www.photoshopforums.com/
http://www.devppl.com/forum/photoshop-forum-vf23.html

GimpShop is a free GPL photo editing suite that does anything I (so far anyway) have wanted or needed. It likes having lots of memory available too.
http://www.gimpshop.net/

2GB of RAM is plenty for XP and more than enough for a recent kernal Linux installation.

What Dell says about "Vista" and RAM:
>>>> "In our testing, a system with 1GB RAM and a discrete (or dedicated) graphics card provides a decent Vista experience with some elements of the Aero interface. For optimal results with all the bells and whistles that Aero provides, IÂd recommend configuring a system with at least 2GB of system ram and discrete graphics card." Look at the RAM utilization chart from Dell.....
http://direct2dell.com/photos/videos/picture3786.aspx

Windows "Vista" running under 1GB Ram and with a 256MB graphics card utilizes 56% (35% w/2GB RAM)of the systems RAM >>>just to run "Vista"An informed users estimations:
http://msmvps.com/blogs/xperts64/archive/2006/11/25/memory-for-64-bit-windows-vista.aspx

How do I fix a s-l-o-w Photoshop?

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