PSPX4 Freezing

[mikecambray]

I have had PSP X4 on my Windows 7 Professional 64 bit Dell laptop for over a year without problem but recently the programm has been freezing when I use the Export>JPEG Optimiser command. I have contacted Corel support who advised me to :

Please follow the steps from the attached knowledgebase article to manually remove PaintShop Pro X4 from the computer. Once done, download and install the following updates, reinstall the program on the computer.

Download and install Windows Update.
- Go to Start > Control Panel
- Click on System and Security > Windows Update
- Click on Check for Updates

* Microsoft .NET Framework 4 (Web Installer) --- http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/de ... n&id=17851
* Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) --- http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/de ... px?id=5555
* Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer --- http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... aspx?id=35

Update videocard drivers.
Check the brand name and model of your video card:
- Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run
- Type dxdiag on the Open box. The DirectX Diagnostic Tool window should open.
- Go to the Display tab. You will find the videocard brand name and model under Device >> Name.

* For NVIDIA users, get the latest driver here --- http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us
* For AMD-ATI users, get the latest driver here --- http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
* For Intel users, get the latest driver here --- http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/detect.htm


I have done all this but the problem persists - today it froze when I used the Save command. Corel will not offer any more support as it is more than 90 days since I registered the software. I have been a PaintShop Pro user since the JASC days and have always found it very reliable until now. I have wondered if the £50 upgrade to X5 would sort it out but I notice from the forum that X5 can freeze as well so am reluctant to splash out if it doesn't sort the issue.

Can anyone offer me any advice?

Many thanks,

Mike Cambray

[photodrawken]

Are there any error messages?
Can you think of any changes you made just before the problem started?

[mikecambray]

Hi Ken

No, I can't recall any changes, the laptop is used for my small business so gets the usual MS Word, Excel and PPT traffic but I don't recall changing any of the settings or installing software or hardware. I've wracked my brains trying to think of anything that I might have done which precipitated the change but so far haven't come up with anything.

Thanks for your interest,

Mike

[photodrawken]

Hi Mike,
So there aren't any error messages?

Do you have any 3rd party plugins installed? If so, uninstall 'em and see if that cures it.

[mikecambray]

Hi Ken

I confirm that there are no error messages, it simply freezes and I have to close the programme in task manager.

As for third party plug-ins, I have the 'KPT collection' and 'Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 complete'. I'm not sure how I unstall them.

I also have Adobe Lightroom 4 on the laptop which I am teaching myself how to use. Might this be clashing with PSP X4?

Many thanks for your help.

Mike

[photodrawken]

Hi Mike,
When you "close the program in Task Manager", what is the name of the application (or process) that you kill?

It's unlikely that the KPT Collection is causing the problem (it's working OK here), but I've had the Nik ColorEfex plugin cause problems with other graphics programs. If they don't appear in the Windows "Programs and Features" for uninstalling, simply rename their folders to something else and re-boot.

I don't think that Lightroom would cause a conflict. Before doing anything to that, there're other things to try.

[mikecambray]

Hi Ken

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 is the application that I shut down from Task Manager.

I can't find Nik Colorefex in the 'Programmes and Features' and I don't know how to rename their folder. I have noticed that there is a Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate Bonus Pack and I suspect that the Colorefex were in there so have uninstalled the bonus pack.

Many thanks for your continuing help.

Mike

[mikecambray]

Hi Ken

Just to confirm that Nik Colorefex has gone now that I have uninstalled the Bonus Pack. Fingers crossed.

Mike

[Kathy_9]

Mike - here's the location for the Nik plugins: C:\Program Files (x86)\Corel\Corel PaintShop Pro X4\Languages\EN\PlugIns\Nik Software\Color Efex Pro 3

Edit: Looks like we posted at the same time and you found them.

[mikecambray]

Urgh - the problem is still there, it was OK for a while but locked up twice on me last night. I know there will be a rational solution to this but feels a bit like a needle in a haystack at the moment.

Mike

[mikecambray]

And the programme has just locked up again when I tried to save a file. Unfortunately this makes the programme unusable. Having had such a good time with PaintShop in the past I am feeling the disappointment that comes with not knowing what to do about this. I am sure there is a way through however so any tips gratefully received.

Mike

[photodrawken]

So you're saying that you can now get into the program OK, but it "locks up" when you're using it?

PSP goes into a "crashing frenzy" for me at times, where trying to use a dialog box (such as Layer Styles) will cause Windows to shut it down. What I've done is to delete all the files in my Temp directory, delete all the files in PSP's Cache directory, and then hold down the Shift key when starting PSP to get the dialog asking if I want to delete the Preferences, answering "Yes" to that.