PSP 2018 thru 2021 Crash when Editing Photos

[DanyJ]

Having used PSP versions since about 20 years(starting with Jask) I am quite familiar with the product. The versions in subject title worked fine in my older, more "ratty" computer running I7 processor, but when editing photos in my new, custom build I9 computer,, especially using the adjust "brightness/contrast" option, they all crash within a nano second, either with first photo or a few later. I followed all 'Corel customer service support' "fixes", including uninstalling/reinstalling, one did a remote access trying his luck, but without success. My computer is only about 3 months old, with a high benchmark, especially after I installed the much better Nvidia separate card, and it makes no difference if I use the solid state 2 TB C-drive or a regular 4 TB clone drive that has only a few programs installed. I am computer-experienced, usually able to successfully trouble-shoot all issues myself, hardware/software alike, but not this problem. If anyone has a suggestion as to what else to try, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you.

[LeviFiction]

Did support have you turn on debugging mode to see if it provided a crash report they could look at? You hold CTRL + SHIFT while opening PSP. It'll ask if you want to turn on verbose logging.

[DanyJ]

No, he did not. He deleted a variety of temp files in my computer, did all the 'regular' stuff, and finally gave up as did two customer support persons before him. I received a request to send my computer specs using WinAudit and system info, which I did, that was Tuesday, and no further comments or suggestions or fix options since then.
So, I just tried your suggestion with the dump file, but the 'crash' was so quick (we are talking about less than a blink of an eye), that the Crash Report did not even realize it was a crash. Still ran it fully, but when trying to send it, it did not work.
Thank you for the suggestion, though.

[LeviFiction]

The auto-sending of the crash report almost never works. Though apparently some people have had it work but were on pirated versions of the software. Go figure. But it's never worked for me. I always have to grab the crash file from the Temp folder.

C:\Users\YourUserName\Appdata\Local\Temp

It'll be a DMP file with a name like Corel PaintShop Pro_21_0_0_60_x64_572388_210603030746.DMP. It should still be there if one was made. That can be sent in manually.

Other than that I honestly have no clue.

[DanyJ]

Thank you very much for giving it a shot, so to speak. Yes, the crash-report generated a file and it was 'deposited' in with PSP 2020. I unzipped it and checked it, but there is no 'red flag' that I can see. I can send it to Corel support if they ever get back with me. Currently, it seems, they are not interested in pursuing the issue one way or another, sad to say.
It still puzzles me that all those versions have worked in my old computer, which is a jumbled mess, and still keeps on working so far, but very, very slow. That is why I got a new one and it is basically a fine machine, as you can see for yourself by the specs. Very frustrating, as I need the photo-editing capabilities Corel PSP programs provide, pronto.
Thanks again.

[migf1]

Won't be very helpful I suppose, but just wanted to add that I have the same gfx card and PSP runs fine with it, though I'm on Windows 8.1. I can only guess some kind of incompatibility between PSP and Windows 10 updates, and/or hardware drivers. Have you tried updating or downgrading the drivers of the gfx card? I'm always using the ones provided directly by Nvidia (as opposed to the card retailer): https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/drivers/ ( I use the Manual Driver Search / Download option).

[DanyJ]

Thank you very much for the driver option suggestion. I just don't think that the Nvidia driver is the cause, because the crashes, and mind you, almost always by choosing the brightness/contrast option under the ADJUST category, happened already with the "old", aka onboard graphics card, which was not able to handle very much at all. Since some other programs requiring some graphics card power were lagging badly, I thought it was the reason for the crashes. After installing the Nvidia card, which is all I could (barely)afford due to the currently inflamed graphics card prices, is a nice middle-of-the road card that has improved the general performance of my computer and all other software, the PSP versions still had the same issue. We build the computer in February (my son is, thankfully, a computer expert but he, too, can't come up with a reason for the issues, and has turned off the on-board graphics card after we installed the Nvidia), and I have been trying to resolve the PSP issues since then.
Again, same versions work perfectly, albeit VERY VERY slow in my old (I think 5 or 6 years old) computer.

[DanyJ]

PS. Some additional information on the problem. As you know, one can get to the adjustment options under "EFFECTS" and browse them. I can click on one of the pre-sets and it will take it. BUT, if I try to modify my choice, it obviously goes back under the ADJUST category, and there it shuts down mostly right away.
It must have something to do the way the 'inner workings' of PSP are connected and working with one another, or, rather are not. Which is why I hoped that Corel customer support would forward my issue to someone who is involved in programming, but, so far, nothing but silence. Very disappointing.
I can use the work around, but, as I am often editing thousands of photos taken at events, I have to be able to use the much quicker adjustment options, which fine-tune the "smart photo fix" ,the way I have done it for many years.
Up till now, having installed Corel 2020 in a drive in same computer that had no Corel product installed before, and the same issue reared its ugly head, I can only assume that the PSP programs somehow are not cooperating with my new computer's specs.

[Kathy_9]

Hi Dany,

I'll try to get the attention of someone on the Corel team. It's the weekend so we may not get a response right away.

[LeviFiction]

If it's the GUI....

First is it only Brightness and Contrast that does this? No other effect? It won't solve your issue but other commands are better at brightening the image than B&C does. And if none of the others have this issue just avoiding that one will at least prevent the crash.

Does the B&C dialog open at all before the crash? Or is it truly immediate and nothing ever shoes up? If you see it open up first, can you tell me if the Preview on Image option is used or if it's using the mini-preview windows built into the dialog?

[DanyJ]

Hi Kathy. That would be awesome. Regular customer support is not able to assist, because they mostly go 'by the book', but have no real tech-experience. If you are able to contact someone who is a programmer, or has much more technical knowledge than the three guys who tried to help before, maybe we can find the solution. And I understand that the experts more likely than not don't work on weekends, which I understand, but hopefully at some time someone can contact me.
Thank you so very much.

[DanyJ]

Hi Levi. It is mostly the B & G in Adjust category that causes the immediate shut-down. Sometimes it seems to 'think' about it, and sometimes it just shuts down right off. When it 'thinks', it opens up and, yes, I usually have it in dual view, aka with preview. When it crashes immediately ,it does not even open up. Just click on it, and down it goes. Which simply makes no sense why it is mostly so isolated.

I do use a variety of effect editing options, mostly using the ADJUST category, and crashes do happen on occasion within other adjustments, but the main culprit is B&G. Which brightening or contrast option do you use instead? I often have to fix photos taken in badly lighted buildings, plus some on-stage (bands and performers), which have multi colored spot lights distorting everything. So, I have to use a wide variety of adjustments to make them semi-usable. Not for professional reasons (most not), but they are being used online to promote certain events, and I like for them to look their best.

[ericlin-corel]

Hi, DannyJ
This is Eric in Corel PSP team.
So sorry to hear this bad situation.
Can you check your private message and we can share the way how we can get the crash DMP files of your crash.

Also thanks for Kathy's notification on this.

Best,
Eric

[DanyJ]

Kathy, thank you so very much for notifying Eric about my issues. It is so very kind of you. And, thank you, Eric, for getting in touch with me. I have already replied to your PM.

[Kathy_9]

You are very welcome.