Need a new picture editing program...

[kamikazekeeg]

I've basically been using a ripped version of Photoshop 7 for literally over a decade now, I got it so many years ago and I regularly do editing for a number of personal things, but I just upgraded to a brand new M.2 drive on my PC and for some reason the setup for my rip of Photoshop 7 just isn't working, I can't get it to actually start for whatever reason.  Is there anything else new that I can look at getting or something old Photoshop wise I can attempt to get that isn't hooked to their subscription service? I find Photoshop's subscription service abhorrent, so there's no chance of that.

I have tried GIMP, but I don't know, maybe I'm just missing stuff, but it feels real basic.  I tend to do a lot of stuff with sprite work, I've made sprites, I enlarge to do bead art with, it just felt off to me, like I was missing simple stuff.  Maybe I just need to put more time into learning it.

Another I tried was Xara, I think it's meant to be more of an actual photo editor, not like...drawing/creation program like Photoshop perhaps, I got that free/cheap from Humble Bundle awhile back, but it also wasn't working great for me.

Is there maybe another old version of Photoshop I could attempt to get? I know it goes up to...CS6 or something was the last like non-subscription service, but I don't know which one would still require an online registration, as Photoshop 7 didn't need me to register and could just use a serial key I had.

[vivigamer]

You could actually download Photoshop CS2 for free. It's a MUCH older version for sure, but I find I can do plenty on it and use it often. I'm not sure if the links are available now - as Photoshop is all about that Cloud nonsense. Found an Archive site which may have it though?:
https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comments/649uxq/did_adobe_take_down_the_free_cs2_download_links/

[badATchaos]

CS6 is from 2012. There's definitely newer versions.

[kamikazekeeg]

You could actually download Photoshop CS2 for free. It's a MUCH older version for sure, but I find I can do plenty on it and use it often. I'm not sure if the links are available now - as Photoshop is all about that Cloud nonsense. Found an Archive site which may have it though?:
https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comments/649uxq/did_adobe_take_down_the_free_cs2_download_links/

I mean, I've been using Photoshop 7 for years and it's from 2002, so I'm not against using an old version of Photoshop lol Unfortunately can't get it working for that archive link, but I found another download for it so gonna give it a shot.

[Cartagia]

You could actually download Photoshop CS2 for free. It's a MUCH older version for sure, but I find I can do plenty on it and use it often. I'm not sure if the links are available now - as Photoshop is all about that Cloud nonsense. Found an Archive site which may have it though?:
https://www.reddit.com/r/software/comments/649uxq/did_adobe_take_down_the_free_cs2_download_links/

This is the one I use as well.  It's an old gal, but it gets the job done.

[kamikazekeeg]

I think Photoshop CS2 will do just fine from where I got it, it's only a couple years "newer" than Photoshop 7 that I was using, and being so close to that, it's actually very similar in feel still.  Maybe it'll crash less because of that lol

[bikingjahuty]

I use GIMP. It's free, but it has a STEEP learning curve. Luckily there are plenty of tutorials on how to use it, but you really have to commit to it to learn how to use it.

[shadowzero]

I was also going to suggest GIMP and yes its not intuitive, but once you start learning a few things it starts to make sense-just like photoshop.