Uninstalling PaintShop Pro Photo X2

[garyb]

I recently purchased and installed the upgrade PaintShop Photo Pro X3. I also still have installed on my system PaintShop Photo Pro X2.
My question is, do I still need PaintShop Photo Pro X2 on my system or can i remove it?

My system is running on Windows XP Home.

thank you

[LeviFiction]

You don't need PSPX2 on your system to run PSPX3. It doesn't hurt anything to have both on your system though if you want to keep X2.

Otherwise go ahead and uninstall PSPX2

[garyb]

Thanks for the help.

[ibted39]

My question is how to best keep the two programs and their settings seperate and installed? I had X3 & X2 Ultimate get tangled and crash my system and it had to be restored. Once that was done X3 was corrupt and I had to use the dvd to uninstall it. I'm familar with PSPP X2 ultimate and would like to have them both up and running "seperatly" untill I feel X3 is suited for my needs.

[garyb]

Just wondering if anyone else has had similar problems running the two programs together?

[Tim Morrison]

I haven't had any major problems running them together. X2Ultimate is a little flaky, X3 is a little bit more flaky. Unfortunately the Corel versions of PSP are less polished and stable than earlier versions, and I would expect that X3 will end up less unreliable after another patch or two.
As far as running them together, the only gotcha that I can see is that they share the Organizer's database and thumbnails. If you try X3 and decide that you want to stay with X2, when you uninstall X3 you will see an option to remove personal files. If you choose that it will remove that stuff that is shared between X2 and X3. Not a problem if you don't use the Organizer, but a potential source of grief if you've invested hours of work cataloguing and tagging your images.
(Of course if PSP had the tools to backup your image catalogue, as all other programs that use databases do and should, you could simply restore your backup).

[garyb]

So, what do you mean by "flaky" anyway?

[Tim Morrison]

So, what do you mean by "flaky" anyway?

By "flaky" I mean something that either doesn't work as well as can be reasonably expected, or something that makes the program look like amateurish freeware.
In PSPP X2 this would mean things like the workspace turning white and having a little think about things before continuing.
Or long delays while using the Organizer.
Or choosing to delete a tag, but the tag is still there.
Or downloading a bunch of files from a camera card and the Organizer not thumbnailing them.
Or the pixel debris left on the half finished graphite workspace.
Or the database cataloguing system without tools to clean, optimise or back up.
Or having the program stall while browsing a folder containing video files. "OK" you think... I'll go to the Organizer preferences and exclude that video file type. But when you get there you find that you can exclude dozens of still image formats, but not a single video format.
Or the way it crashes with a Visual C++ error message about 5% of the time you start the program.
Or the five version old vector drawing bug.
It could also mean all the little dumbed down things that aren't as functional or as accurate as they were a version or two back.
Or the Corel email you get that promotes some piece of juvenile, simplistic drivel as a major new feature.
It could mean the promise of bug fixes and patches that never materialize. (Or you have to pay for).
Or the support email that isn't answered.
Or maybe you were fobbed off by an irrelevant answer by a support person who has obviously not read your email... or knows almost nothing about the program.
Or the way that there hasn't been a script api published since PSPP XI (and that was a couple of years late).
Or the way it gets promoted as a photo program, but it doesn't do panoramas, doesn't work at a 16 bit per channel bit depth for most tools, and barely recognises digital camera raw files.
Or the way that every new version screws up EXIF handling.
Or the lack of documentation, manuals or comprehensive help.

In X3 it is all of the above plus -
The long, long delay when you change from the full editor to the organizer.
Or the duplication of tabbed palettes after you use the Express Lab. (Or Print Preview).
Or the way that it opens images maximised when you've never, ever maximised an image, and neither has any other version by default.
Or the way that it hangs with all the dialogue box headers flashing.
Or the Raw Lab that looks like a bit of Linux freeware from ten years ago. (This is because it is a bit of Linux freeware from ten years ago).
Or the way the Raw Lab ignores first principles of shooting raw and automatically brightens images. (And destroys detail by clipping tens of thousands of pixels). (And is soft because it is the last application on the planet that uses the VNG demosaicing algorithm). (And applies edits to a 16 bit bitmap rather than the raw pixel data).
Or the way that they include a "Do More" menu item, but it does nothing. (But Video Studio has had dozens of extras added through its "Do More").
Or the promise of a bonus of KPT filters if you buy it, but they aren't supplied.
Or the bloat of nine extra languages that you'll never use that take up 150MB.
Or the second monitor that is useless after holding the organizer/browser for the last few versions, but suddenly you can't do that any more.
Or the black icons that are invisible on the darker grey workspace.

[garyb]

Well, I guess you've really covered "flaky". Thanks

[Tim Morrison]

Well, I guess you've really covered "flaky". Thanks

Yeah, probably a little over the top... but only a little. Mostly it boils down to too much marketing, too little development.

[pdxrjt]

I've got to agree with you Tim. I think there is one "winner" in photo editing software right now....and Corel could make a great run at it if they would invest a bit in PSP. To draw a parallel, in music there are about 4 fairly successful PC DAWs (digital audio workstations) which have "pro" features and work fairly well (of course, not if you haunt the boards of your favorite DAW like I do, then you mostly get complaints.) My point, there is room for improvement in PSP and if Corel invested in it, I think a lot of people would turn there instead of PS.

[ibted39]

I had to take off both PSPP 2 and 3 and had to just load one bcwause the above compainship of the two. Also had the computer fail to boot afterwaerds whic required a restore. I load pps x2 ultimate. For progarms Try ACDSee pro v3 It's qiucker and I think on a par with corels product.