behavior of targeted adjustment tool in latest Photoshop

[Eric Brody]

I recently upgraded Photoshop to the latest version on my desktop and laptop. Since then, the targeted adjustment tool (TAT) behaves in a strange fashion. If I make a curves layer and choose a location on the image with the targeted adjustment tool, move the point up or down, the point on the curve lags and moves, slowly, almost as if the tool has a mind of its own. Eventually it stops but not often where I want it to.

I've tried it both on my desktop, iMac 2020, i9, 64GB RAM, Catalina, and my laptop, Macbook Pro 2016, i7, 16GB RAM, Mojave. I uninstalled and reinstalled the previous version, 22.2.0 on my laptop and the problem seems to be gone. I'd happily reinstall the earlier version on my desktop but am worried I'll lose all my settings and preferences. Does anyone know how to revert to an earlier version and keep one's settings?

Has anyone else had this problem or am I alone and unique in my misery. There is a similar report on the Adobe Community forum but no resolution. https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/curves-targeted-adjustment-tool-lags-in-22-3/m-p/11914517#M523682

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[Eric Brody]

I'm impressed and grateful that over 130 people looked at my post. After reading and thinking, I finally had an idea and it appears to have worked. I deleted my PS preferences and re-did them. It was as simple as that. I've read in the past that preference files can become corrupted and interfere with how things work in many programs. I just didn't think it through until today. In any case, it's a cautionary tale. When things don't work right, and you appear to be the ONLY one with the problem, look at preference files.