uuughhhh. Photoshop has suddenly decided to play silly buggers. Every tool is now an eraser. I've tried resetting the tools but still photoshop makes every tool an eraser. Does anybody know of a way to fix it without reinstalling, I don't like the thought of getting all those plugins again :(

Sorry Sandra, I've never heard of this before. Did you check the Adobe knowledge base for Photoshop?

Jeanie

You might want to delete your Preferences file when you are "not" running photoshop. Photoshop should generate a new prefs file when it starts and you can put in your proper settings.
It's my understanding there are times when this file can become corrupted.

I have Photoshop 7, using XP as the operating system. The file is located in your Documents and Settings, under "your name", then to \application data\adobe\photoshop\7.0\Adobe Photoshop 7.0 settings. There you will find your prefs.psp file (Photoshop preferences). This is probably your problem.

I'm not sure what operating system you are using but if it's XP, just follow the above. In earlier versions of windows I believe the file is found in the windows folder, then go to the system folder (prefs.psp)

Good luck

Sanda, also check to see if your caps lock light is on. This usually only changes every tool to crosshairs instead of circles or tools, but hey, you never know.
Debbie

(I see we all started answering you at the same time :) )

If you want to read about deleting your preferences file -- read this for some help:

Trashing preferences file (http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/17478.html?origin=story)

Thanks everybody. But I can't find the pref file anywhere. I've even done a file search for it :confused: I thin I'm going to have to reinstall. I'll just have to save all my actions and plugins and reinstall

Correction: I found the pref file and deleted it but I still have the same problem. :confused: :confused: :confused:

Sanda, sorry to hear that the pref file delete did not work, that was going to be my suggestion too.

For what it is worth - in v6 or higher you can hold down the command/ctrl & opt/alt & shift keys directly after you launch Photoshop...if you do this right then a dialoge will be presented asking you to trash the preference file. If you do not see this message and accept the prompt, then the pref file has not been trashed.

This saves having to hunt over the hard drive for the pref file.

It is then a good idea to go into prefs (cmd/ctrl k) and reset everything to how you like it (rather than the defaults).

Stephen Marsh.

Well I did a complete install of photshop and I still have the same problem. Now I think it must be somtthing to do winth windows XP. I'm not sure if I sure reinstall the operating system now

Sanda,

If you use a tablet, it could be a malfunction there. The only time I have had that problem is when I am sitting here with my pen upside down trying to draw with the eraser. Not that thats what you are doing but the tools in the tablet might be malfunctioning.

Thanks everyone for all the great info on the Prefs file. I'm having problems too Sanda but no the same ones you're having. Just random wierd stuff. I was searching for that prefs file yesterday to trash it and couldn't find it so this thread was a real time saver. Who'd have figured it would've been stashed there? :) I even did a search for it and got nothing but I did locate it with your help and Stephen, I'm going to give that control, alt, shift a try on launch. Thanks again.
Good luck Sanda and let us know how things go.
DJ

Chiquitita, you mentioned that you've had the same problem. Were all the tools acting like an eraser just like Sanda's? Did your problem just stop when you turn your tablet pen around, or what did you have to do to make it stop?

Sanda, what version of PShop are you running? How long have you been running XP and this version of PShop together? Look at the troubleshooting guide below if you're using PS6 or 7 -- the reinstall of Windows is at the BOTTOM of the list of things to try, so hopefully, there's another solution.

Adobe's advice - XP and PShop 6 or 7 troubleshooting (http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/2bca6.htm)

Do any of your tools work at all? If you select a very small brush size, does anything work? Reason I ask that, while searching the net for some solution, I found a different problem described with the tools -- MAYBE it's related (heck, I sure don't know!)
tool icon problems (http://www.adobe.co.uk/support/toptech/photoshop/321345/main.html)

I sure hope that a solution is found for this -- sounds like it might be something that is happening more often...

Well, for me, I am embarrassed to say, it was holding my pen the wrong way that caused it. I don't think it has ever done that to me otherwise, but I have had so many tablet issues over the years that I am not sure... I might have had that problem at one time and reinstalled the tablet drivers. I don't remember for sure the problems during the many reinstalls of the tablet driver. If it is doing it when you use a regular mouse, then you know it isn't the tablet - however if you only use the tablet mouse then I would install the latest tablet driver definitely before reinstalling the OS - that is a pain in the butt.

I'm running PS 6 and yes it was working with XP. I've done a couple of restorations and no problem. I suspect that something has happened to XP as I'm having trouble with my cable connection too. I have to use Go Back almost every morning when I want to connect to the internet. I've started unplugging the cable modem every night as I've discovered that even though I disconnect from the net on my computer it's not always disconnecting at the server. And the paranoid creature that I am has started thinking that my connection may have been being used by sombody else. This has been reinforced by the fact that my downloads have dramatically increased without my help. Eventhough I'm running zone alarm all of the time I still worry that my computer may be open to abuse from the net. See I told you I was paranoid. :dizzy:

Okay, so I looked this problem up on the net and I see multiple people saying that they have gone nuts only to realize they were holding their pen upside down also, so now I don't feel so dumb.

Other solutions people offered were: Don't store the pen too close or on the tablet or the eraser will show up even when you are using a seperately wired mouse (mine just wigs out all together if that happens) Another suggestion is to install the latest video drivers for your computer.

ok now I'm now I'm even more confused Photoshop has suddnely started working properly again. I haven't reninstalled, the only thing that has been done to the computer is the keyboard was turned upside down as my son dropped crumbs into it(he's been told a million times not to eat at the computer) and I shook them out of it. I'm convinced that computers are made to send us all nuts.

It is rather apparent. . . .your keyboard is possessed. :)

Sandra, Iknow how frustrating these things can br. I just put a new H.P. into service 2 weeks ago running XP and a P4. I did a couple of restorations and everything seemed ok. Then, while using PS Elements, I clicked the color picker on a spot and the weave of the paper on the photo I was restoring got into everything in PS. I tried all the suggestions mentiond here that also apply to PS, and got help from Adobe. nothing worked!
I finally tried to get online support from HP, and that is when everything crashed. I was unable to do a re-boot from the recovery section of the hard drive.

I got HP on the phone: I had to unhook all periphals and keep pressing F-10 until the comp finally did a re-boot. Fortunatly,I didn't have a lot of data stored; just a lot of programs loaded, because this was a totally destructive process.

After the re-boot and re-installation of programs, everything is working perfectly. I do know that a lot of stuff that HP adds on the drive, ie: tryouts and free stuff was also destroyed with the reboot, and I suspect that the problem was somewhere in these add-ons.

I'm gald things are finally working for you and hope they keep doing so...Just thought I would let you know my experiences with XP, PS and ETC...Gregory

I regularly hover my keyboard - so stop bits of dust etc. getting lodged in my keyboard. I don't advise doing this with a dyson - it will probably take the keys off!

Glad your up and running again

Clare

You all reminded me of a problem I was having with programs acting weird. It turned out that my "Shift" key was stuck down just enough to cause problems, but not be noticeable.