Adobe CS3 Responding Slowly Opening New Window, Opening Image of any Type or Size
Problem/Symptom:
Adobe’s new CS3 (Photoshop and Illustrator mostly) experiences slow performance and lagging when opening or creating files regardless of size or type.
Solution:
Check your printers. this error is related to the default printer and print service. If you have an offline or unconnected printer, this is most likely your issue. Remove any offline or old/duplicate references to networked printers. If the printer is timing out, you will experience lag in Photoshop and Illustrator even on fast systems.
My Personal Experience: After installing the Adobe Photoshop CS3 Trial and using it for a little bit, I noticed it bogging very badly whenever I would create a new image or open an existing file of any type or size. After searching around for a while, I caught wind of it being printer related, more specifically the printspooler service in windows. I had recently moved and not hooked up one of my networked printers. After removing the offline printers (and printer that was trying to connect but would time-out) Photoshop opened files and created new ones with a snap!! I’m very glad to have resolved this issue, it was getting very annoying having Photoshop lag on a Dual Core system running 4gb of DDR2 on a Rapter! Anyways, glad to have it cleared up! For anyone out there having this same issue, check your default printer and also remove any offline printers or ones that cannot connect!
Note: If you decide to repost this solution on your site, please reference my post above by linking to me somewhere on your page. Thanks!!! Hope this information helps!
UPDATE: If you missed this one, the ability to view PSD files in Windows Explorer is always nice!
This post is tagged: adobe, adobe photoshop, adobe photoshop fix, cs, cs2, cs3, cs4, file opening, help, illustrator, issues, photoshop, program, slow, slow adobe, slow adobe fix, slow adobe photoshop, slow adobe photoshop fix, slow file, slow illustrator, slow photoshop, tech, tech support, tips, tutorials
149 Responses to “Adobe CS3 Responding Slowly Opening New Window, Opening Image of any Type or Size”
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Joining in the love here. I have an HP network printer that was set to the default, I switched it to the Microsoft XPS Document Writer since I’m not on my home network and…BAM! New files are opening fast again. Thanks.
Thanks for your information, I tried many methods to speed it up but all fail! You help me to resolve the slow problem!! Thanks a lot!!
wow! this work just great! thanks alot and appreciate it alot! its been really bothering me! and you just save my day!
Worked like a charm! Thanks so much, i was sooo annoyed by this problem and now its solved
This as been bugging me for a while now. Thanks a lot for the solution!
Thanks dude, this has worked like a charm!! had this problem for a month – really annoying! thanks a bunch
)
Here is the solution that worked for me (Windows XP, Photoshop C4, Files on a network drive opened slowly and even Explorer ran slowly over a network.
SOLUTION:
Right-click My Computer.
Click the Hardware Tab.
Click Device manager button.
Click the plus sign next to Network Adapters.
Right-click on [Intel(R) . . . ] Network Connection and click Properties.
In the Speed and Duplex dropdown, select Auto Detect.
RAS
Thank you JESUS
You are truly my Saviour.
I have spent countless hours over the last 6 months trying to get My CS3 to perform like it used to and your tip was the true answer.
My 4gb of Ram 1mb Graphics card and dual channel processor was taking 30 sec to load a 5mb pic. Now it is almost instantaneous Again, all because I connected a printer locally that used to be through a network and didn’t delete the old connection.
Where do I send the Check?
Glad you found my post helpful, Ron. I remember how annoying this issue was for me! I’m sure you jest about the check, but if you’re feeling generous.. there’s a donation button at the top right of this website.
On a Mac, try deleting the file ‘com.adobe.mediabrowser.plist’ from your Preferences folder:
Users/(user name)/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.mediabrowser.plist
This should solve the speed issues for both Illustrator and PhotoShop.
omg thank you!!! ^o^ I thought I had to reinstall CS3. Thank you!!
Thanks man, how we say here – VALEU MANO!!!!!
yay! it worked thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
Change it to a local and it worked great, my laptop is now working great with CS3. Thanks for your help, saves me from almost rebuilding my laptop out of frustration.
Hallelujah. Don’t know why I didn’t search for a solution to this sooner, it’s been bugging the hell out of me for ages (as it turns out, apparently ever since January when I replaced a printer in my house). I tried changing all of the settings in Photoshop that could reasonably be related to this with no success whatsoever. Never dreamed that it would be related to a leftover printer that was still configured on my computer, even though it wasn’t set to be my default printer and my default printer was on and working normally.
Anyway, this definitely did the job. Still seems like CS3 opens files measurably slower than older Photoshop versions, but the difference between how long it was taking vs. how long it takes now to open a file, is night and day, particularly when processing a large batch of files (ugh).
Thank you!!! You rock!!! Saved me from re-installing as I thought that’s what was needed.
Can’t say thanks enough!
can anyone explain exactly how to set the default printer?
thanx a lot, it works!
WOW! This tip worked like magic.
Thanks man! I was thinking why all of a sudden my Photoshop became too slow when opening files and more. Thank you so much!
Didn’t work for me. CS3 is dreadful.
Awesome, thank you so very much, you saved me from going crazy !!!
Thanks, amigo, I was about to switch back to CS2 because of this problem.
You saved my tons of time man.
Really a pisser. I did everything everyone else spoke of and Adobe help was no help at all.Our network printer is a HP 7200 all in one.I changed the default printer to the XPS Writer for opening and working on files but when I go to print and highlight the HP printer the printer dialoge box now takes forever to open. Any solution to this? Has anyone tried to uninstall/reinstall the printer drivers and had success?
Photography being my hobby and an avid user of Adobe Photoshop CS3 that enhances my work. I upgraded my operating system to MS Windows 7 Ultimate from MS Windows Vista Home edition. I do have a HP Photosmart C8180 (All in One) Printer and I also have a Canon Pixma iP8500, I had the HP network printer as my default printer, so I made the Canon printer as my default, and true to the solution my photo files and RAW files jumped into CS3 as soon as I hit my mouse button!
But, I strongly feel that this is an Adobe bug within Photoshop CS3, why it has to test my printer’s configuration each time I don’t know, the first time I open a document fine, but there is no reason. I note that Adobe is pointing the ‘Bug Problem’ as being a MS Windows problem, or even a printer problem. Adobe, being such a large organisation should officially announce an antidote for this Bug!
Congratulations for coming up with this solution, I didn’t feel like upgrading to CS4… Well not just yet!
Kind Regards!
Never did I ever think that this silly solution ould fix the problem! All I had to do was go into my control panel, into printers and use a different printer as my default! WTF! All of the suden the last few days my CS3 became unbearably slow and I almost gave up on it completely until I searched and found this….THANK YOU!!!!!!!
My hat is off to you… This problem has been so annoying for the last year. Even very large projects open lightening fast now. Cheers to you for posting this & making me a happy designer again!
I tried resetting my default printer to a “good” printer and that did not work. I tried nearly EVERY printer (Adobe PDF, Microsoft Image Writer, I even installed a DUMMY printer).
What finally DID work was ridding myself of the few printers that consistently could not connect or were offline.
It’s a bummer that you have to go through multiple printers (if you have more than a few–especially networked ones), but I am confident this is the major reason the files open slowly. I traced the whole file-opening procedure using SYSINTERNALS Process Monitor, and I found that the delay happened while Windows access C:\WINDOWS\system32\comdlg32.dll. JUST before it accessed that file, it grabbed my default printer and ran a few checks on some printer files.
Thank you thank you … seriously…. thank you !!!!!!!
You are brilliant….I was about to upgrade to Windows 7 just to try to solve this problem, THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!
DUDE, Thats been bugging me forver. Adobe seriously needs to fix this bug. Adobe phone support is clueless. Figures it would be something like that. Great fix!
have cs3 and it has been running fine. suddenly in last 2 weeks it has taken a nose dive and takes 1 minute to open a 1mb jpg which is on c drive. only have 1 printer which is networked but have tried ‘unsharing’ it and it makes no difference, have tried updating printer driver and graphics card driver but has made no difference.
recent software installs would be:
skype
malwarebytes
adobe flash 10 plug in
mozilla firefox 3.5.7
usb webcam
debugging tools for windows
itunes 9 (i think)
quicktime update
apple application support
apple mobile device support
and a number of office 2007 updates.
would be really grateful if anyone could advise what i can do next as it is impossible to work on cs3 with it being so slow.
many thanks
From Harlsen:
“On a Mac, try deleting the file ‘com.adobe.mediabrowser.plist’ from your Preferences folder:
Users/(user name)/Library/Preferences/com.adobe.mediabrowser.plist
This should solve the speed issues for both Illustrator and PhotoShop.”
Thank you so much. Everything on the internet refers to this as a printer problem but on our macs it had nothing to do with printers. I did notice that if I disconnected from the network Photoshop worked great. (Never did have a problem with Illustrator or InDesign). Now Photoshop flies. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Thank you!!! You rock buddy!!! I was about to set my PC in flames, I could not believe it!!!!! Then you gave me the answer!!!!! I love man!!!! THAAAANNksSS!!
I *heart* you. Seriously. I’ve been going slowly insane since my CS3 started running slowly a few weeks ago. This fixed it in seconds. Thank you!
Thank you sooo much!!
Had this lagging issue for while now…
I could never have guessed that the printers where involved! :S
Working smoothly now! THANKS!!
I have had this problem with CS3 for a couple of months now and had even re-installed the program but after reinstalling the issue was not solved, thought it could even be a hard drive issue. Finally read your solution, and changed the port settings on my default printer which is an HP photosmart set up on a wifi network. All I had to do was to change the port setting to USB port (even though it isn’t connected) and now CS3 opens files as fast as it used to, in a blink of an eye. Thanks for the solution.
You Rock bro…Thank you Very Much….
Anything I can help you with… You just
Yell…
Some addon for the solution.
Since I’m using a network printer so it’s not possible for me to remove it.
In this case, what I did is change the default printer of Photoshop to MS office XPS or Adobe PDF.
That would solve the problem too.
Thanks.
I have the same problem in Illustrator, running on a Mac.
Did a search for com.adobe.mediabrowser.plist but it didnt show up.
We have a couple of networked printers.
When I disconnect the network and go back to an already open illustrator file that has slow down in it, it goes back to normal. So I am guessing its a network issue but not sure what??
Fixed my issues, great =]
Hello,
I am running Win XP and PS CS3 and both are extremely SLOW!!! I have tried all the things listed here and nothing helped. Is there anything else I can try before throwing this equipment out the window??? Thanks in advance.
Debbie
I’ve had the same problem as everyone else here. I changed my default printer to a “dummy” one and CS3 opens immediately. The problem I have is when I try to print, I have to change the printer to my (former default) printer and when this happens, my computer slows down to the point where it locks up when attempting to print. What can I do about that?
dude! you’re a GOD! thank you!
Thanks for this tip. My photoshop cs3 is working smoothly now