• Corrupted Preferences: Photoshop’s settings can become corrupted, leading to various issues.
• Outdated Graphics Drivers: GPU performance is crucial for Photoshop. Outdated drivers can cause slowdowns or prevent the app from launching.
• Insufficient System Resources: Not enough RAM, a full scratch disk, or a slow CPU can all be culprits.
• Conflicting Software: Other background applications, especially those that manage system resources or graphics, can interfere with Photoshop.
• Large Recent Files: Large PSB files in your “Recent Files” list can significantly increase startup time.

One-Click Fast Startup Script

This PowerShell script combines several of the most common fixes into a single, executable file.

Disclaimer: This script modifies system files and application settings. Always back up your data before running any script. This is an example, and you may need to adjust the file paths based on your specific installation.

How to Create the Script:

1. Open Notepad or another text editor.
2. Copy and paste the following code into the file.
3. Save the file as Fix_PS_Startup.ps1 (or any name you prefer, but the extension must be .ps1).

PowerShell

# Photoshop 2025 Troubleshooting and Fast Startup Script
#
# This script performs several actions to improve Photoshop 2025 startup and performance.
# It requires administrator privileges to clear some caches and restart services.

# --- SCRIPT START ---

# Function to run a command as administrator
function Run-As-Admin {
    param(
        [string]$Command
    )

    $process = New-Object System.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo
    $process.FileName = "powershell.exe"
    $process.Arguments = "-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command `"$Command`""
    $process.Verb = "runas"

    try {
        [System.Diagnostics.Process]::Start($process) | Out-Null
    }
    catch {
        Write-Host "Failed to elevate privileges. Please run this script as an administrator." -ForegroundColor Red
        exit
    }
}

# Check if the script is running as administrator
if (-NOT ([Security.Principal.WindowsPrincipal][Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent()).IsInRole([Security.Principal.WindowsBuiltInRole]::Administrator)) {
    Write-Host "This script needs to run as an administrator. Elevating..."
    Run-As-Admin -Command "Get-Process -Id $PID | Stop-Process"
    Start-Sleep -Seconds 5
    exit
}

# Step 1: Clear Photoshop's recent files list to prevent slow loading
Write-Host "Clearing Photoshop's recent files list..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$photoshopRecentFiles = "$env:USERPROFILE\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2025\Adobe Photoshop 2025 Settings\Adobe Photoshop 2025 Prefs.psp"
if (Test-Path $photoshopRecentFiles) {
    # This is a simplified way. A more robust method would involve editing the file.
    # For a quick fix, we can just delete the preferences file to force a reset.
    Rename-Item -Path $photoshopRecentFiles -NewName "Adobe Photoshop 2025 Prefs_old.psp" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Write-Host "Photoshop preferences file backed up to 'Adobe Photoshop 2025 Prefs_old.psp'." -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Host "Photoshop preferences file not found. Skipping..." -ForegroundColor Gray
}

# Step 2: Clear Temporary and Cache Files
Write-Host "Clearing temporary and cache files..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$tempPath = "$env:TEMP\*"
$adobeTemp = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Temp\Adobe*"
Remove-Item -Path $tempPath, $adobeTemp -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Write-Host "Temporary and Adobe cache files cleared." -ForegroundColor Green

# Step 3: Check for and suggest updating graphics drivers
Write-Host "Checking for graphics driver updates..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$displayDriver = Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_VideoController | Select-Object -First 1
if ($displayDriver) {
    Write-Host "Your current graphics card is: $($displayDriver.Name)"
    Write-Host "Driver Version: $($displayDriver.DriverVersion)"
    Write-Host "It is highly recommended to keep your graphics drivers up to date."
    Write-Host "Please visit your graphics card manufacturer's website for the latest drivers:"
    Write-Host "- NVIDIA: https://www.nvidia.com/drivers"
    Write-Host "- AMD: https://www.amd.com/en/support"
    Write-Host "- Intel: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/detect.html"
} else {
    Write-Host "Could not detect graphics card information." -ForegroundColor Red
}

# Step 4: Restarting Creative Cloud related services
Write-Host "Restarting Adobe Creative Cloud services for a clean start..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$servicesToRestart = "Adobe Desktop Service", "Adobe Update Service", "Creative Cloud"
foreach ($service in $servicesToRestart) {
    $currentService = Get-Service -Name $service -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($currentService) {
        Write-Host "Restarting '$($currentService.DisplayName)' service..."
        Restart-Service -Name $currentService -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    }
}
Write-Host "Adobe Creative Cloud services have been restarted." -ForegroundColor Green

# Step 5: Final system cleanup and launch Photoshop
Write-Host "Running a final system cleanup..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
# Stop any lingering Photoshop processes
Get-Process -Name "Photoshop" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

Write-Host "All cleanup tasks are complete. Attempting to launch Photoshop 2025..." -ForegroundColor Green
$photoshopPath = "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2025\Photoshop.exe"
if (Test-Path $photoshopPath) {
    Start-Process -FilePath $photoshopPath
} else {
    Write-Host "Error: Photoshop 2025 executable not found at '$photoshopPath'. Please check the path and update the script." -ForegroundColor Red
}

Write-Host "Script finished."
# --- SCRIPT END ---

How to Use the Script

1. Right-click on the Fix_PS_Startup.ps1 file.
2. Click “Run with PowerShell”.

The script will automatically attempt to run with administrator privileges. It will perform the following actions:

• Clear Photoshop’s recent file list by renaming the preferences file.
• Delete temporary and Adobe cache files.
• Display your current graphics driver information and provide links to update them.
• Restart key Adobe Creative Cloud services.
• Force-close any existing Photoshop processes.
• Launch Photoshop 2025.

Other Important Troubleshooting Tips

If the script doesn’t solve your issues, consider these additional steps:

• Disable the Home Screen: Go to Edit > Preferences > General and uncheck “Auto Show the Home Screen”. This can dramatically speed up startup.
• Increase RAM Allocation: In Photoshop, go to Edit > Preferences > Performance and adjust the “Memory Usage” slider. It is recommended to set this between 70-85% of your total RAM.
• Manage Scratch Disks: Ensure you have at least 20% free space on your scratch disk. If you have multiple drives, add a fast SSD as a secondary scratch disk.
• Reset Photoshop Preferences Manually: Hold down Ctrl + Alt + Shift immediately after launching Photoshop. You will be prompted to delete the current settings. This is a more aggressive reset than the script provides.