Photoshop Elements computer weirdness

[landyvlad]

Well I am having some real weirdness go on when trying to use photoshop elements (standalone version).
(on a PC)

When I open a photo in PSE many of the drop down menus are greyed out.
Or if I highlight a drop down menu and then go to select an option with my mouse - it flicks me across the screen to some other menu.

I note too, that when this occurs the keyboard shortcuts don't work for the greyed out options either.

This is 'new' behaviour (that is, I hadn't seen it before this week) but it would have been months since I last used PSE so whatever happened could have done so anytime since then...

I've tried restarting PSE, restarting the whole computer etc but that fixes nothing.


Has anyone had this problem before? And if so, how did you fix it? Thanks.

[ameerat42]

Two things to do...

1) Check the "Mode" your image is in (Image - Mode... - at least in Photoshop).

You may be trying an RGB-only action on a non-RGB image, like an Indexed Color image :confused013

2) Since it's a standalone version, go looking for the "Preferences" file and "Color Settings" file. They have ".psp" extensions,
and are somewhere like:
C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Photoshop\9.0\Adobe Photoshop CS2 Settings\
See what date these are. They might be crook, and you might have to extract the original ones from your installation
files. Alternatively, they may respond to some re-setting of Preferences (even minor). Whichever case, set them up as
you want them and copy them somewhere else to overwrite any future corruptions (unwanted changes). I find I need
to do this occasionally - ie, once-in-a-while.

These files change whenever you change your (ordinary) or Color settings. When you close PSE (or at least Photoshop)
the changes are written into the new files.

As for your errant mouse, is the creature itself crook? Check your mouse settings in your OS (which I have presumed to be
MS Windows :o)

[landyvlad]

Mouse is fine, this is the ONLY program where problems are occurring. (Yes, Windows)

It's jpg images I'm working with.

I can't get to the image-mode menu selection due to problems I'm having.

P'shop and LR I purchased via digital download. I haven't got any customisation to it so would be happy just to kill it totally and re-install BUT I can't find my licence key etc....

Sigh.

[ameerat42]

Lands. Your problem is intriguing to me because it seems to be persistent for you and not just an
odd occurrence like I said above - wrong layer, mode, mask...

You say you work with jpegs, but it does depend on what you're doing with those jpegs during your
processes.

So if you open one of these jpegs is that when the grey-out occurs? How about trying some screen capture
pasted into a new file (and flattened)? I'd be happy to work on one of your errant files if you didn't mind
sending me a small version of one.

Some on-line refs to this problem (also for Photoshop itself are:
https://www.digitalfelix.net/blog/35-blog-posts/73-why-are-photoshop-menus-greyed-out
and
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/637310

The search is "menus greyed out in ps elements". There are some video results as well.

[John King]

Landy, if you ever registered PSE, you can retrieve your licence key by logging in to Adobe and navigating to your profile.

You can also try a repair or uninstall/reinstall via Control Panel.

If all else fails, telephone the Adobe help line.

[landyvlad]

ameerat - I'll have a fiddle over the weekend if I get a chance and get back to you. Cheers

[paulheath]

not an Elements person... found on the web..

"Are you working on the EXPERT tab?

The other explanation may be that you are editing an 16-bits image. Elements does not support layers in 16-bits modes. If that is the case, convert to 8-bits."

dont know if thats any help..also found this

https://www.digitalfelix.net/blog/35-blog-posts/73-why-are-photoshop-menus-greyed-out