Loaded CS3, uninstalled CS2 (did not deactivate CS2 in case I need to reload).

Problem -- LightRoom preferences does not recognize CS3 as the Adobe Photoshop External Editor. Says “Not Found.” In other words, I can not export files to open in CS3.

CS3 works, no big problems thus far. I can assign CS3 as the “Additional External Editor” in LR preferences. This needs fix.

The fix is a Registry hack to add CS3 path info. Thus:
Use Notepad to create a txt file called "CS3-PATH.reg"
Copy / Paste between the stars into "CS3-PATH.reg"
*****
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Photoshop.exe]
"path"="C:\\Program files\\Adobe\\Adobe Photoshop CS3"
@="C:\\Program files\\Adobe\\Adobe Photoshop CS3\\photoshop.exe"
*****

Save the file, then double-click the file. Answer Okay to prompts. It will add path infor for CS3.
Restart Lightroom. Now 1st External Editor should be CS3.

Thanks! It worked fine!

Wil

Thank you for this fix.

I was able to modify it when I cleaned off CS3 Beta and needed LR to recognise Photoshop CS2 as the working version of Photoshop - the Beta is running out about now and it had elected itself as the version that LR should use - understand that but...

Perhaps some folk are worried as they do the same or perhaps have decided to delay their upgrade.

It is simplicity - just substitute the path to your installion of CS2 and all will be fine, renaming as necessary.

Again thanks for this tip.

Neil

Hi Paul and everybody
Being of a certain vintage, I am very reluctant to start messing around with registry files in Windows. My nightmare is that I will change something that I can't fix! I too have a problem with Lightroom - it won't recognise CS3. When I attempt to export a Lightroom file into PS, it just copies the file within then LR filmstrip itself - Photoshop doesn't open. When I go to the External Editor and instruct it to recognise CS3 as the Alternative editor that doesn't work either. In the toolbar, the dropdown menu gives the option Open Photoshop exe, but it doesn't give the CS3 version. Clicking on photoshop exe. doesn.t work. As CS3 is the only PS on the machine, I thought LR would automatically find and open it, but it doesn't go anywhere! Surely there must be something simple I'm missing. Now I've returned to Bridge and do all my work there. Ideally, I would like to do most of my adjustments in Lightroom, go quickly into CS3 for specific jobs, and then go back into LR again as recommended by Michael and Jeff Schewe in their DVD tutorial. Surely no user of CS3 should have to go into registry files to fix something that shouldn't be happening in the first place. Wouldn't it be great if Adobe put out a download fix for this!

Seamus Finn

Seamus: Paul's solution is quite safe. Whether you realize it or not, you are making changes to your registry constantly as you use Windows. Where was the last location you saved a file? The answer to that is stored in the registry. What controls what application is associated with a given file type (ie: file extension)? The registry. How does Photoshop "know" what size Window it runs in, or is it maximized? The registry.

It would be great if Adobe or someone else came up with some program to do this, but the problem is - what if I'm *not* running CS3? What if I'm running Paint.net, or Jasco, or whatever . . . what then?

To be absolutely safe - you *should* ensure that your registry is backed up before applying any change - the easiest way is to set a system checkpoint:

Start Button | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore



You might want to ensure that System Restore *is* on - I've seen a number of "Optimize Windows" sites that actually recommend turning System restore off, with the idea that this somehow slows things down! Irresponsible.



Now run Paul's script

Joh
Thanks very much for that. Creating the restore point is a good idea. In my ignorance I do not know how to go into the registry and do what I have to do. My problem is that technical matters are my weak point - let me out shooting pictures any day!!

Seamus

Joh and Paul,

Thanks for your help - everything OK now.

Seamus

Thanks, that worked for me to reset the editor to CS2.

[quote=paulbk,Apr 27 2007, 02:45 AM]
The fix is a Registry hack to add CS3 path info...

Just wanted to say thanks. I had the same problem after upgrading and could not find a thing on Adobes site.

Thanks again,

Jim McMann
San Jose, CA

[quote=paulbk,Apr 27 2007, 02:45 AM]
The fix is a Registry hack to add CS3 path info. Thus:
Use Notepad to create a txt file called "CS3-PATH.reg"
Copy / Paste between the stars into "CS3-PATH.reg"
*****
I, too, want to add my thanks. Had same prob and readily fixed.
Tom Moore

Just a quick update on this for people having issues.. Like I was till I found this post here...

Adobe has an actual KB Article about it here:

http://www.adobe.com/go/kb401629