How to Fix Kernel Security Check Error on Adobe Photoshop

Do you see a kernel security check error on Adobe Photoshop?

Adobe Photoshop is one of the most used raster-based image editors in the world. This software has been around since 1987 and has established itself as a power tool for professionals. 

Photoshop offers various editing tools such as layers, masks, healing tools, multiple color models, and more. 

Despite its status, Adobe Photoshop isn’t safe from bugs and errors. 

One issue that you might face on Adobe Photoshop is the kernel security check error. This BSOD error on Windows occurs while you’re using Photoshop. 

This issue should be addressed right away as it can interfere with your workflow and cause severe problems in the long run. 

To help out, we’ve decided to make a guide for fixing the kernel security check error on Adobe Photoshop. 

Let’s get right into it!

1. Get the Latest Version of Photoshop. 

Before tweaking your system settings, the first thing you should do is ensure that you have the latest version of Adobe Photoshop. If you’re using an old version of the app, it might not be compatible with your operating system, explaining the issue. 

To avoid this, head to Adobe’s website and download the latest version of Adobe Photoshop. 

2. Run Photoshop As Admin. 

Your system might be blocking Adobe Photoshop from accessing ceratin resources, causing it to run into errors. To address this, run the program as an administrator to give it full access to your system. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. On your desktop, right-click on Adobe Photoshop. 
2. Next, choose Properties and go to the Compatibility tab. 
3. Finally, enable the ‘Run this Program as an Administrator’ option. 

Relaunch Adobe Photoshop and observe if you’ll encounter the kernel security check error. 

3. Update Your Graphics Driver. 

When performing heavy workloads on Adobe Photoshop, it utilizes your graphics card to improve performance. However, this can cause issues if your display drivers are outdated or corrupted. 

To fix this, see the guide below to update your drivers: 

1. First, press the Windows + X keys on your keyboard to open the Quick Menu. 
2. After that, go to the Device Manager and expand the Display Adapters tab. 
3. Lastly, right-click on your graphics card and choose Update Driver. 

Once done, restart your system and check if the problem is solved. 

4. Move or Delete Sniffer.EXE. 

Sniffer.exe is a mini tool in Adobe Photoshop designed to utilize your graphics card for heavy tasks. However, there’s a known issue on some versions of Photoshop that causes kernel security check failure when it accesses your GPU. 

To avoid this, we suggest removing the Sniffer.exe from Adobe Photoshop so that it won’t access your graphics card. 

See the steps below to guide you through the process: 

1. First, open File Explorer on your computer. 
2. After that, go to This PC > C: > Program Files > Adobe > Adobe Photoshop CC. 
3. Lastly, locate the Sniffer.exe file and move it to another folder or delete it from your system. 

While you can remove the tool altogether, we suggest that you just move it to another folder if you want to utilize your GPU again for heavier tasks. 

Go back to Adobe Photoshop afterward to check if the problem is solved. 

5. Update Windows. 

Outdated versions of Windows could also trigger the kernel security check error on Adobe Photoshop. It’s possible that the version of your OS is not compatible with Photoshop, explaining the problem. 

Check out the steps below to update your Windows PC: 

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows + I keys to open Windows Settings. 
2. Next, click on Windows Update on the side menu. 
3. Finally, click on Download & Install if there’s an available update. 

Restart your computer after the update and go back to Adobe Photoshop to check if the problem is solved. 

6. Scan Your Drive. 

One of the common reasons for BSOD errors on Windows is corrupted system files. If you encounter random BSOD errors aside from the kernel security check error, try scanning your system files. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. First, press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard to open the Run Command. 
2. After that, type CMD and hit Enter to launch the Command Prompt. 
3. Lastly, input ‘sfc /scannow’ and hit Enter to run the command. 

After scanning your system files, restart your computer and check if the problem is solved. 

7. Reinstall Photoshop. 

If none of the solutions above worked for you, we suggest reinstalling Adobe Photoshop on your computer. This should ensure that there are no corrupted files on your system and you have the latest version of the app. 

See the guide below to delete Adobe Photoshop on Windows: 

1. Access the Control Panel on your Windows PC. 
2. Next, click on Uninstall a Program. 
3. Finally, right-click on Adobe Photoshop and choose Uninstall. 

Go to Adobe Photoshop’s website afterward and download the latest version from there. 

That wraps up our guide on how to fix the kernel security check error on Adobe Photoshop. If you have questions, drop a comment below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂