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FIX: Kernel security check failure in Photoshop
8 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Photoshop is without a doubt one of the best photo editing software, but it seems that Windows 10 users are having problems with Photoshop.
According to users, they are getting Kernel security check failure error screen in Photoshop, so let’s see how to fix this problem.
Kernel security check failureerror can prevent you from running Photoshop, and speaking of this error, here are some similar issues that users reported.
How do I fix the Kernel security check failure in Photoshop?
1. Get the latest version of Adobe Photoshop
Before going ahead with any troubleshooting steps, make sure that the problem isn’t just the fact that your current Photoshop installation is old.
Thus, before proceeding with the steps below, simply get the latest version ofAdobe Photoshopand see if that doesn’t solve your problem all by itself.
You should be aware that if you wish to benefit from the latest security patches, bug fixes, and latest features, you have to update Photoshop regularly.
2. Start Photoshop in Safe Mode
Safe Modeis designed to run with only default services and drivers enabled, so you might to try starting Photoshop in Safe Mode.
If the error doesn’t appear in Safe Mode, it means that is caused by your drivers or some other third-party software.
3. Rollback your Nvidia drivers
Photoshop utilizes your graphic card for processing, and it seems that there’s an issue with the latest Nvidia drivers and Photoshop.
According to users, you can fix this problem by rolling back to the previous version of Nvidia drivers. So far, only Nvidia users reported this issue, and AMD users shouldn’t be affected by this problem.
If you have an AMD graphic card, and you’re having this problem, you might want to try this solution. You can also try to uninstall your Nvidia drivers completely and install the older version of the drivers.
After removing the driver, simply download the older version and install it, and Photoshop should start working without any problems.
4. Update your graphic card driver
If theKernel security check failureerror keeps appearing whenever you try to run Photoshop, the issue might be your graphics card. Several users claim that their graphics card wasn’t detected by Photoshop at all.
Although many users reported that installing the older version of Nvidia drivers fixed the problem for them, few are claiming that installing the latest drivers fixes the problem on their PC.
To update your drivers simply visit Nvidia’s website and download the latest drivers for your graphic card. After installing the latest drivers, check if the problem was resolved.
Updating drivers manually is very annoying, so we recommend you use a third-party tool (100% safe and tested by us) to do it automatically.
The tool in question will scan your whole device and detect all driver-related issues, be it outdated, corrupt or missing drivers. Using its own database, it will find the best version for your graphic card hardware and install it within minutes.
⇒Get Outbyte Driver Updater
If you still have this problem, even after trying all of our solutions, it’s possible that your graphics card just isn’t compatible with Photoshop, so you might have to replace it.
This usually happens with older or low-end graphics cards, but if you’re using mid-range or high-end graphics, the issue is probably something else.
5. Move or delete sniffer.exe
Sniffer.exe is a small application in the Photoshop folder that is designed to use your graphic card.
Apparently, there’s a problem with this application that is causing Kernel security check failure error to appear, and the only solution is to move or delete this application.
After moving the sniffer.exe file, Photoshop should start working without any problems.
Keep in mind that moving this file will disable GPU processing in Photoshop, so if you use this feature heavily you might want to try something else.
6. Use your dedicated Nvidia card with Photoshop
If you have both integrated and dedicated graphics cards, you need to use your dedicated Nvidia card with Photoshop in order to avoid this error.
Some users are also recommending enablingTriple Bufferingfeature for Photoshop in Nvidia Control Panel, so be sure to try that as well. After doing that, try to start Photoshop again.
7. Disable your graphic card
This solution applies if you have both a dedicated and integrated graphic card. According to users, after disabling the dedicated graphic card the issue with Photoshop was fixed.
After disabling the dedicated graphic card there shouldn’t be any more issues with Photoshop. Keep in mind that you’ll have to repeat these steps every time you want to start Photoshop.
Another way to disable your graphics card is to use the graphics card driver software. Sometimes these applications allow you to pick which graphics card you want to use as your graphics processor.
Alternatively, you can enter BIOS and disable your dedicated graphics from there.
8. Switch to 32-bit version
According to users,Kernel security check failureerror affects only 64-bit versions of Photoshop, while 32-bit versions remain unaffected.
If you’re having this problem, perhaps you should temporarily switch to the 32-bit version until the issue is resolved.
Bear in mind that you might experience reduced performance with the 32-bit version, but if you can deal with slightly reduced performance, be sure to try this workaround.
Before you install the 32-bit version, perhaps it would be best to remove the 64-bit version from your PC. There are several ways to do that, but the best is to use uninstaller software.
By usinguninstaller software, you’ll completely remove the desired application, including its files and registry entries. After the 64-bit version is removed, install the 32-bit version and use it instead.
Kernel security check failure error screen can be a big problem, but you can fix this problem in Photoshop by downgrading your drivers or by moving the sniffer.exe file to a different location.
We hope these solutions were helpful for you to fix this issue. For more suggestions, please access the comments section below.
More about the topics:Adobe Photoshop,Windows Kernel
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
