Today’s Question: I know there was some convoluted (to me) process for resetting preferences in Photoshop to resolve problems, which maybe explains why I can’t remember how to do it. Can you remind me?
Tim’s Quick Answer: You can actually reset Preferences in Photoshop very easily by clicking the “Reset Preferences On Quit” button the General tab of the Preferences dialog, then quit and re-launch.
More Detail: Resetting the Preferences in Photoshop can often resolve issues where the application is behaving in an unusual way. In short, when Photoshop seems to be behaving in an odd manner, resetting Preferences will often provide a solution.
The original process for resetting Preferences could certainly be described as being perhaps a bit convoluted. It involved holding the Ctrl+Alt+Shift keys on Windows or the Command+Option+Shift keys on Macintosh while launching Photoshop. This method still works, but thankfully there is also a simple option available in the Preferences dialog.
Start by bringing up the Preferences dialog by choosing Edit > Preferences > General from the menu on Windows or Photoshop > Settings > General on Macintosh. Below the other options on the General tab you’ll find the “Reset Preferences On Quit” button. Click the OK button inn the confirmation dialog, then close the Preferences window by clicking OK. Quit Photoshop, and when you launch the Preferences will have been reset.
Keep in mind that while resetting Preferences in Photoshop can resolve a variety of issues, doing so also means that all settings in Preferences and Color Settings will be reset to the default options. You’ll therefore want to review both in detail so you can adjust the settings as needed based on your personal preferences.
