Photoshop Startup Preferences Shortcut

This article explains how to open the preferences reset dialog during Adobe Photoshop’s startup sequence using dedicated keyboard shortcuts. Corrupted preferences often cause performance slowdowns, UI glitches, or launch crashes. By pressing a specific key combination immediately upon launching the software on either Windows or macOS, you can quickly reset your settings file to its factory defaults and restore stability to your workspace.

The Startup Keyboard Shortcut

To trigger the preference reset prompt while Photoshop launches, use the following modifier keys:

Windows: Press and hold Ctrl + Alt + Shift
macOS: Press and hold Command + Option + Shift

Step-by-Step Instructions

Locate the Adobe Photoshop application icon on your desktop, taskbar, dock, or start menu.
Launch the application by clicking or double-clicking the icon.
Immediately press and hold down the shortcut keys (Ctrl + Alt + Shift on Windows or Command + Option + Shift on Mac). You must press these keys before the splash screen finishes loading.
Keep holding the keys until a dialog box appears asking, "Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings file?"
Release the keys and select Yes.

Photoshop will discard the old settings file and automatically generate a fresh, default preference file as it finishes opening.

When to Use This Shortcut

Using this startup shortcut is a primary troubleshooting step when Photoshop behaves unexpectedly. It is especially useful if:

The application crashes or freezes before reaching the main workspace.
Tools, panels, or menus disappear and cannot be restored through standard workspace resets.
Scratch disk errors prevent Photoshop from booting normally.
Hardware acceleration or color management issues cause immediate crashes upon opening.

Resetting your preferences will restore tool settings, interface layouts, and general options to their original states, but it will not delete your saved projects, custom brushes, or actions stored in separate library files.