Ask A Geek

Q: I have been using Adobe Photodeluxe 3.0 for several years. Three days ago when I opened it, it throws up the usual screen, the Adobe box with copyright info but then goes no further. I have had a new PC with Vista since March 08.

I’m told Vista might be the problem. I’ve tons of PDD files that I cannot access now and of course all projects in progress are inaccessible. Is there a solution to this problem. I understand Adobe Elements replaces Deluxe. Will the PDD files be totally compatible with Elements? Is there some fix I can do so Deluxe will be operational, the better option for me. Yikes, I’m a bit beside myself right now. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Q: My operating system is not compatible with Adobe Flash Player 10. I have Windows XP, AOL 8.0, and I.E. 6.0. Sometime the browser will shut down because of it, yet I can’t get some content I would like. What should I do?

Q: In Adobe LiveCycle Designer, how exactly can I get a text field to expand when a user enters comments instead of the form/field utilizing an internal scroll bar?

Q: I am having color issues with Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0, my printer, and my digital camera. The picture on my computer screen is completely different than the one that comes out of the printer and the camera. How can I fix this?

A: Since the Camera and the printer show the correct colors then I would suggest we concentrate on the monitor. The best option would be to get a hardware based calibration system like the ColorVision Spyder2 Express or the Pantone huey. These devices are easy to use and will automatically calibrate your system so that the colors are correct. The Pantone huey stays connected to your system so that it can constantly update your settings based on the change in light in the room.

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Q: I have a new Dell running Vista. I an trying to download adobe flash but the “do you want to install program” box does not appear. I have tried other programs  as well. All pop-up blockers are off and antivirus is off as well but still no luck. Further when I go to justin.tv I get no video.

Q: I am using Adobe PhotoDeluxe home edition 4.0. I used to be able to use it fine but now I am getting an error message saying D:\ is not a valid Win 32 application. I tried uninstalling it and I still get this when I click on it in my computer. I also have the 3.0 series. I tried putting that one in and it will come up to install but when I click on install nothing happens. I went through your Q&A on your site about it. One said to go to properties and click compatible for 2000 but I do not see that available to click on. I am working on Windows XP.

Q: Is there still a fix for Adobe Acrobat 9.1 crashing when DEP is enabled? I have several PDF’s that work fine but when I try and use the email function adobe crashes. Vista pops up it’s usual “DEP has closed this program” box. I am unable to disable DEP for acrobat.exe (it says “This program must run with DEP enabled, you cannot turn off DEP for this program”).

Q: How do I open coupons sent to me via email that are encoded in PDF format?

A: You will need a free program called Adobe Reader to open PDF files. Once you have Adobe Reader installed opening the PDF document will be easy.

If you have not already saved the file to your computer from your email then you will want to do that now. Once the file is on your computer you will be able to just double click on the file and it will open in your new Adobe Reader program. From here you will be able to easily print your coupon or any other type of document you might have.

Q: I am having problems with PhotoDeluxe 4.0. I uninstalled it and now I can not re-install. I am running Windows XP. My husbands PC runs Vista and it will load just fine. All files and register records of Adobe have been removed.

Q: I’ve read online that the best way to handle problems with Adobe PhotoDeluxe get updates from Adobe. But Adobe’s support website doesn’t even list PhotoDeluxe anymore. What are my options? I’m running Windows XP. Thanks!

A: PhotoDeluxe updates are still available on the Adobe website, but they are difficult to locate because Adobe has neither updated nor supported PhotoDeluxe in several years.

Some users have reported that replacing Adobe PhotoDeluxe with a free program called Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition is not a good option, so you may wish to consider installing other reputable free photo programs: Windows Live Photo Gallery, Kodak EasyShare, Google Picasa, etc.

Tip: For those needing a free program that is similar to Adobe Photoshop, I recommend GIMP.