Uninstall Problem with PS CS4 and PhotoFreebies

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tomak
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Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 6:17 am

Uninstall Problem with PS CS4 and PhotoFreebies

Post by tomak »

Hi,

I downloaded and installed the PhotoFreebies and clicked the "install" button on the plugin installer during the install process. Since I borrowed a friends computer I wanted to uninstall the plugin again and here is where my troubles start:

The uninstall works fine, i.e. it removes the 8bfs from the PS Plugin Folder, but Photoshop still recognizes the Plugins (lists them in the Filter Menu). When I uninstall the software by Add/Remove Programs, the Plugin is gone from the PS Filter Menu but PS sits there at the beginning when you start it with the start screen "Scanning for plug-ins" for at least 30 seconds before continuing. I assume PS somehow registered the plugins in the ThePluginSite folder that got created with the installation and now doesn't find it any longer.

Is there a way to tell PS to not look for that Plugin anymore? Preferably without reinstalling PS?

System Information is:
Win XP 32 bit and PS CS4 Extended

Thanks for any help.

HaraldHeim
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Post by HaraldHeim »

I have no explanation for the longer startup time of Photoshop, but I cannot imagine that it has to do with PhotoFreebies being uninstalled. We never experienced such a problem here, although we often install and uninstall plugins for testing purposes.

I am quite sure that Photoshop does not keep a list of all installed plugins. It simply scans the plugin folder. If there are many non-plugin files in the plugin folder, Photoshop may need longer to scan it. Even if Photoshop would look for missing plugins, it would only look in its plugin folder, so that would not mean any delay.

You should check out the Photoshop plugin folder and see if you find something suspicious there. For example a .lnk shortcut to another folder can make Photoshop scan that folder, which may slow it down. Also check if an additional plugin folder is specified in Photoshop's Preferences.

tomak
Plugin Novice
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Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 23, 2009 6:17 am

Post by tomak »

Thanks for the reply. I found the problem and was able to resolve the issue. Classical user error:

I checked for shortcuts in the plugin folder and there were none, at least not directly in the shortcut folder. Turns out I must have accidentally created short cuts in some other plugins folder that is listed under the PS plugin folder and that was the root of the problem. It's all good now. :)

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