Don't overlook the obvious. Take it from someone who has completely replaced an internal modem before checking the phone line (yes, the line was dead)... sometimes the most perplexing problems are often the simplest to resolve.
Return your software to default settings. Check your software's help file or manual for instructions on how to do this. In Photoshop 6, you can restore default preferences by holding down the Shift+Ctrl+Alt (Windows) or Shift+Option+Command (Mac) as you launch Photoshop. For older versions of Photoshop, follow this link to learn how to restore your preferences. For Corel software, you can reset defaults by holding down the F8 key when launching the software.
Think about when the problem started occurring. If the problem only recently appeared, think about what may have changed in your system. If you recently installed some new software or hardware, try removing it to see if the problem goes away. If you have Windows XP, use the system restore function to return your system to an earlier state. See Windows Help for more information on system restore.
Windows 95/98/Me users, check your system resources. Loading too many programs at once can cause your resources to get too low, and your system can crash. Remove anything you don't need from your startup items.
Check your hard disks. Make sure your primary hard disk has sufficient free space. Windows users should preform regular hard disk maintenance by running scan disk or check disk and defrag. Macintosh users should also regularly defragment hard disks and perform disk maintenance.
Isolate the problem. If you have other programs running when the problem occurs, shut everything else down and see if you can reproduce the problem. If not, you know it was another program causing the problem and you can then identify which one by process of elimination. Microsoft has instructions for clean boot troubleshooting in Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows XP.
Windows users, boot into safe mode and try to reproduce the problem there. If the problem cannot be reproduced in safe mode, it's most likely a hardware driver problem and you'll need to identify which one by process of elimination.
Windows users, reduce video hardware acceleration. If the problem disappears with hardware acceleration reduced or disabled, it's most likely a display driver problem. Contact your video card manufacturer for an updated driver.
Read the documentation. If the problem has been occurring since you installed the software, check the installation disks for a readme.txt file and then do what it says (yes, I mean read it). This file will include information about known incompatibilities and last minute corrections that did not make into the printed documentation.
Check the Event Log in Windows 2000 or XP. You can access the Event Viewer by right-clicking on my My Computer and choosing Manage. Look for an error that was logged at the time of the crash, then use the details in the log to search online for more information about the error. When searching for information about an error, use an exact phrase from the error message and put quotes around it when you search.
Check the software publisher's Web site for patches or updates for your software. In the Graphics Software Help Center, you'll find links to troubleshooting tips, support documents, updates and patches, and other support resources for the major software publishers. Most software publishers have extensive, searchable support FAQs or knowledgebases for known issues. You can often find a direct link to the support page for your software listed under the Help menu, or within the online help file itself.
See the sidebar for additional general troubleshooting tips from other Guides.
If all else fails, you'll need to contact the software publisher or manufacturer of your hardware product. They have technicians who are trained in their products and authorized to provide support. The Graphics Software Help Center has resources to help you find the support information for the majority of graphics software publishers.
You're also welcome to post a message in the graphics software discussion forum where you may find other users who have encountered similar problems. It's a good idea to perform the troubleshooting tips mentioned above first, just to rule out the most likely scenarios.
Graphics Software Publisher Support Pages
• Adobe Support
• Corel Support
• Jasc Support
• Macromedia Support
• Microsoft Support
• Ulead Support
