Organizer crashing in Photoshop Elements 10

Question

Why are so many people having the Organizer crash in Photoshop Elements 10 and does anyone actually have a solution to the problem?

Answer 1

Just like every other application in the world, there are about a hundred different and unique situations where the Organizer crashes. The broad categories for why any application (including the Organizer) crashes are:
1. Interfering background/foreground applications
--Test: try runnning the software with all other background/foreground applications closed.
--Solution: Find the interfering application. If you don't need/use it, remove it from the computer. Otherwise, upgrade it to the latest version to help eliminate conflicts. Or don't run it while running the application in question.
--Document: Disable startup items, services | Windows (Mac users should run in Safe Boot to accomplish the same)
2. User account settings/permissions
--Test: create a new user account, log into it, run the application.
--Solution: There are a number of settings that are unique to your each user account. Some are tied to individual applications, some are system wide. However, we cannot dictate the full spectrum of personalization that happens per account.
--Document: Troubleshoot unexpected behavior | User account-specific | Adobe software | Windows 7, Vista
Troubleshoot unexpected behavior | User account-specific | Adobe software | Mac OS
3. User files
--Test: new blank files. In the case of Elements Organizer, this would be a new, blank catalog (File > Catalog > New)
--Solution: Try repairing your catalog (File > Catalog > Repair). The issue could also be tied to a file or files you've recently imported (i.e. around the time the crashing behavior began).
--Document: Troubleshoot catalog issues | Organizer | Elements 6 and later
4. Hardware conflicts
--Test: hardware is extremely difficult to test, and is also the least likely source of most issues.
--Solution: Make sure the drivers for your hardware are current, as downloaded and installed from the manufacturer's web site.
5. Other
--There are still other possible causes. Computers are very complex machines, so much so that each one as is as unique as your own fingerprint. Unless there is a bug in the application (i.e. the program crashes when you take steps x, y, z but otherwise operates correctly), there is going to be a unique solution to your particular issue.
--Document: Troubleshoot system errors, freezes | Photoshop Elements Organizer | Windows