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How to fix error 6 in Photoshop?

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  • 6 min read

Adobe’s suite of creative applications is one of the most popular, with apps covering everything from graphics designing to video editing. However, as popular as they are, they’re still not immune to random bugs and glitches.

In this article, we’re talking about Photoshop error 6, its causes and what you can do to fix the problem.


What causes error 6 in Photoshop?

The error can be caused by several different things and is more of a general error code rather than pointing to a specific problem. Some of the leading causes of the problem are as follows:

  • Improper installation.
  • Driver errors
  • Conflicting programs on your PC.

Also read: What are Blend modes in Photoshop? How are they used?


How to fix Photoshop error 6?

Here are eight fixes you can try out to resolve error 6.

Repair Visual C++ Runtime

Repairing the Visual C++ Runtime library can fix any corrupt or damaged files triggering the error.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run prompt. Type appwiz.cpl and hit enter.

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Step 2: Find the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (2012 and onwards), select them and click the Change button. Follow along with the instructions to repair the library.

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Once your computer restarts, try rerunning the program.


Run an SFC scan

Corrupt files are the number one reason your PC might behave weirdly. Here’s how you can get rid of them and potentially resolve your issue. 

Step 1: Press Windows Key + S to bring up the Cortana/Search box and search for Powershell. Open Windows Powershell from the search results.

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Step 2: Type sfc /scannow to scan your system for issues. 

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Step 3: If the SFC scan finds any problems, use the following command to resolve them. 

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
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Restart your PC and try again.

Also read: Fix: An error was encountered while retrieving page content in Adobe Acrobat


Rename Adobe folders

Another way to resolve this problem is to rename existing Adobe program folders on your PC and try to reinstall the problematic program. 

Step 1: Head over to C:\Program Files\Adobe\ or wherever you’ve installed Photoshop.

How to fix error 6 in Photoshop?

Step 2: Find and rename the Photoshop folder. 

How to fix error 6 in Photoshop?

Step 3: Rename the AdobePatchFiles folder. 

Step 4: Reinstall Photoshop. 


Update your GPU drivers 

Outdated GPU drivers can also cause this issue in particular. While you should update all your drivers, take special care of your display drivers if you run into an error 6. 

Step 1: Right-click Start and select Device Manager from the menu.

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Step 2: Under Display Adaptors, find your graphics card’s name, right-click on it and click on Update Drivers.

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Step 3: Click on Search automatically for drivers. Windows will automatically look for and download the latest drivers for your particular GPU.

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While this should help resolve the error 6, in case it doesn’t, click Uninstall device and restart your PC to force Windows to install the required drivers. You can then update them later. 

Also read: How to fix error 797?


Perform a clean boot

To isolate the problem, perform a clean boot and then start the missing processes one at a time to find your culprit. 

Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for System Configuration. 

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Step 2: Head over to the Services tab. 

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Step 3: Uncheck the Hide all Microsoft Services checkbox. Now click the Disable All button. 

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Step 4: Now head over to the Startup tab and click on Open Task Manager.

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Step 5: Click the Startup tab again, select all the services and click the Disable button. 

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Now try running the program again. If it does, chances are one of the background services you’re running is causing problems with Photoshop, including error 6. 


Reinstall Adobe AIR 

Adobe AIR is a cross-platform runtime required for all Adobe applications to run. If Photoshop isn’t installing properly on your system or isn’t running as expected, uninstall Adobe AIR and reinstall it again to see if that resolves your problem.

Also read: What is Adobe Cef helper? Everything you need to know


Check folder permissions

Another thing you should do is check to see if you have read and write permissions for Photoshop’s installation folder. Here’s how.

Step 1: Right-click on the folder where you’ve installed Photoshop and choose Properties.

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Step 2: Under the Security tab, click on Advanced.

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Step 3: Click on Change in front of the current Owner.

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Step 4: Enter the username of the account you want to make the owner of the file/folder. Use the Check Names button to ensure you’re using the right username. Click OK when done. 

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Step 5: Make sure you have all the required permissions for the file. Use the Edit… button to modify said permissions if you don’t.

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Try installing or running Photoshop again. This should resolve error 6.


Install Adobe Drive

Last but not least, Adobe recommends installing Adobe Drive if you can’t get rid of the error. To install Drive, you will need the CS6 version of Photoshop, InDesign, InCopy, Illustrator, or Bridge. Once Drive is installed, try reinstalling the Photoshop version you want to use to see if the installation goes through without any problems. 

Also read: Photoshop won’t let me drag and drop: 3 Fixes

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah Abidi

Yadullah is a Computer Science graduate who writes/edits/shoots/codes all things cybersecurity, gaming, and tech hardware. When he's not, he streams himself racing virtual cars. He's been writing and reporting on tech and cybersecurity with websites like Candid.Technology and MakeUseOf since 2018. You can contact him here: yadullahabidi@pm.me.

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