PSCS 3 and Nik Color Efex 3.0 crashing on start.

Question

Hi All,
Running a MacBook Pro 2.2 Intel, PSCS 3 latest versions of all.
I'm trying to load 'Color Efex 3.0 Complete' (15-day demo version).
Seemed to install fine, but upon re-opening PSCS 3, PS freezes at the end of the launch process, requiring a 'Force Quit'. Seems to be as it's loading the plugins and/or fonts. I have temp removed all my 3rd party Plugins and reloaded one at a time to try to find the conflict. This happens even with Color Efex 3.0 loaded as the ONLY 3rd-party plugin. Seems to have something to do with the 'Selection Folder/Plugin' that comes with Color Efex 3.0. At least that's when it hangs. If I remove that folder, PSCS3 opens fine, but then Color Efex 3, although it seems to allow you to use the filters, doesn't apply them upon clicking the 'OK' button.
Now, I would assume that it's a simple Color Efex issue with this 'Selections' folder trying to load. But here's the rub. When I first loaded the software, it wouldn't open on the first couple of attempts. But then on the 3rd attempt, it did open up fully and I worked with the software for the first entire evening, 5 or 6 hours (2 nights ago). Seems like a great piece of software. I then closed out of PSCS 3 at the end of that session. Now, it WILL NOT reload. It hangs PS every time on start-up. I have to remove it from the plugins folder to get PSCS3 to open up, which after that, does run fine.
FYI, I did also try to 'uninstall' CEFX 3 and re-install it, a couple of times, but that hasn't worked.
Anyone else tried this software, had a similar experience. Any solutions, suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
Sol

Answer 1

After trying to fix the problem of Nik 3.0 crashing my PSCS3 on Leopard all day yesterday to no avail, I tried something different this morning and . . . lo and behold . . . it now works fine.
Here is what I did:
1. In Finder, I located the Nik Software folder in /Applications/Adobe PhotoshopCS3/Plug-Ins. I then "drag and dropped" the folder Nik Software onto my desktoop.
2. I then opened PSCS3, and, since the Nik Software folder wasn't in the plug-ins folder anymore, CS3 opened just fine, without crashing.
3. I clicked on "Photoshop" tab (next to the Apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen). Click on "Preferences" and then click on "Plug-Ins".
4. A window will pop up, and there will be a check box for "Additional Plug-Ins Folder". I clicked on the check box and then clicked on the word "Choose".
5. Another window popped up, and then I located the Nik Software folder on my desktop and clicked on it to select it by clicking on "Choose" again. My Additional Plug-Ins Folder is now listed as "Macintosh HD:Users:####me###:Desktop:Nik:Software: Now click on OK.
6. To my amazement, When I opened CS3, everything worked fine. The Program opened quickly, and when I opened an image, I could access the Nik Software through the normal CS3 filters tab.
Essentially, I think PSCS3 wants to have the NIK filters accessed through a separate additional plug-ins folder. I'm certain it could be located anywhere (I just left mine on the desktop) as long as the PS program knows where to find it in the other folder.
Wow, the Nik Filter 3.0 program looks great . . . I'm anxious to get back to working with it.
Hope this helps.
Kathy Nelson