Best Free Imaging Software for Windows 11, or can I use the original CD and access number to download my ancient Photoshop Elements 9??

[paulastro]

My ancient laptop  riuninjg Windows 8 has finally given up the ghost and I've bought a newer used laptop running Windows 11.  I've used Photoshop Elements 9 on my old laptop for many years, and it's been good enough for me.  I have the original CD and access code, but he computer I now have doesn't have a disc drive.  

My first question is, if I bought or borrowed a disc drive, would I be able to download Elements 9, put the access code in and carry on using it on the new computer with Windows11?  This is my preferred option.

If this  won't work, can anyone recommend some other free imaging software?

I don't want specialist astro imaging software, just something for everyday use.  The extent of my astro imaging, such as it is, is only for single frame solar shots,  lunar shots or  widefield shots of comets and other wide field events using my mirrorless camera.

I'd be grateful for any suggestions.  Many thanks.                       

[Mr H in Yorkshire]

There is a good chance you can download this for free straight onto your new PC. I looked briefly and the omens were good.

[Cosmic Geoff]

Check GIMP. It's free and not intended purely for astro use.

I tried installing Photoshop Elements from CD to one of my laptops, and found it was a severe pain, for some reason.

[paulastro]

44 minutes ago, Mr H in Yorkshire said:

There is a good chance you can download this for free straight onto your new PC. I looked briefly and the omens were good.

Thanks Mr H.  I'll see if I can borrow a cd drive and give it a go.  I might buy a cd drive otherwise if they are not too much.

[paulastro]

46 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Check GIMP. It's free and not intended purely for astro use.

I tried installing Photoshop Elements from CD to one of my laptops, and found it was a severe pain, for some reason.

Thanks Geoff.  I did look on line for alternatives and I recall looking at GIMP in a long list that came up.  I'll go back and take another look.  I'll compare what it offers compared to my ancient Elements software.

Edited December 11, 2023 by paulastro
Typo

[Mandy D]

Another vote for GIMP, here. It is very good, but the learning curve is steep. Much in it is not obvious. You know it should be there, but can never find it on your own because it is buried deep in a menu somewhere. Much of the help online is very outdated. I really like it, but get annoyed when I want to do soemething for the first time and have to trawl the web for answers. Rule of Thirds is now in it and easy to use, yet doing a search for it, you only find the old fudges that can barely be said to work.

[Mr Spock]

Try Adobe: https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/download-install/kb/downloaded-older-app.html

 

[bosun21]

Siril is another free processing software that is used by many.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Mandy D said:

Another vote for GIMP, here. It is very good, but the learning curve is steep. Much in it is not obvious. You know it should be there, but can never find it on your own because it is buried deep in a menu somewhere. Much of the help online is very outdated. I really like it, but get annoyed when I want to do soemething for the first time and have to trawl the web for answers. Rule of Thirds is now in it and easy to use, yet doing a search for it, you only find the old fudges that can barely be said to work.

Thanks Mandy, that's along the lines I read previously about GIMP.  I think it would test my patience too much.  Generally, if an image takes more than about 10/15 mts to process where I want to be I wouldn't bother.   As you can probably tell, I spend more time observing than imaging 😊.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Try Adobe: https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/download-install/kb/downloaded-older-app.html

 

Many thanks fior that, I'll take a look at it tomorrow when I have more time.  Thanks again.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, bosun21 said:

Siril is another free processing software that is used by many.

Many thanks.  Is Siril for all imaging or only astro,

[bosun21]

2 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Many thanks.  Is Siril for all imaging or only astro,

It’s basically for astro only.

[paulastro]

1 minute ago, bosun21 said:

It’s basically for astro only.

Thank you bosun.  I'll take a look, but as I said, my astro imaging is at a simple level, and the software I have will be used more for other subjects.  I'm the sort of person who'd be happy with the seestar 🙂.

[Elp]

You've outlined how long you want to spend on processing. Unfortunately good processing takes time, I'm currently doing one waiting to finish once Ive capture RGB stars, the pre processing in Siril alone including stacking has taken more than 5 odd hours, and another 5 maybe post processing and aligning each sessions stack ready to finish once I've added the RGB stars. And likely I'll spend another 5-10 hours on it refining it. Sometimes images take much less time, for example I don't spend so long on galaxies as much of the data is there at face value and don't need teasing out.

But yes, gimp is pretty good and just as good as the normal Photoshop. Elements is not like the normal PS, it's much simpler and you cant do as much with it. I've just added Affinity as it's a decent price for the one time purchase, I refuse to pay a subscription to Adobe for the main PS.

[paulastro]

2 minutes ago, Elp said:

You've outlined how long you want to spend on processing. Unfortunately good processing takes time, I'm currently doing one waiting to finish once Ive capture RGB stars, the pre processing in Siril alone including stacking has taken more than 5 odd hours, and another 5 maybe post processing and aligning each sessions stack ready to finish once I've added the RGB stars. And likely I'll spend another 5-10 hours on it refining it. Sometimes images take much less time, for example I don't spend so long on galaxies as much of the data is there at face value and don't need teasing out.

But yes, gimp is pretty good and just as good as the normal Photoshop. Elements is not like the normal PS, it's much simpler and you cant do as much with it. I've just added Affinity as it's a decent price for the one time purchase, I refuse to pay a subscription to Adobe for the main PS.

Elp.  You're right, I said all that in the first post. I only take single frames with my Olympus mirrorless camera, mostly solar.  I take pics as records, not works of art.  I like them to be as good as possible, but I've no pretentions of being the words best solar photographer.  I'm sorry if I've misled anyone

Having said that, the information you have all provided has been very helpful, and I'm grateful for everyone's help who has contributed.

[bosun21]

I was a total beginner and even I got decent images from both Siril and Gimp. Good luck 👍.

[paulastro]

Just now, bosun21 said:

I was a total beginner and even I got decent images from both Siril and Gimp. Good luck 👍.

Thank you bosun. I might have a use for Siril in the future so the information is very helpful.

[happy-kat]

Paintshop pro is another similar to photo elements, but I also often use GIMP as well.

As GIMP is free there is nothing lost in installing it and having a go.

Paint.NET is free and might be similar too. I've not used it

 

[paulastro]

6 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Paintshop pro is another similar to photo elements, but I also often use GIMP as well.

As GIMP is free there is nothing lost in installing it and having a go.

Paint.NET is free and might be similar too. I've not used it

 

Thank you happy-kat, I'll look them up.

[Mandy D]

1 hour ago, paulastro said:

Thanks Mandy, that's along the lines I read previously about GIMP.  I think it would test my patience too much.  Generally, if an image takes more than about 10/15 mts to process where I want to be I wouldn't bother.   As you can probably tell, I spend more time observing than imaging 😊.

The beauty of GIMP, I find, is that it is extemely quick and easy to do things, once you have learnt it. The learning curve is the problem, not really that GIMP is slow or difficult to use. I certainly would not recommend it to someone who wants to dive in and get a perfect result the first time they use it. Most of the time, I can get 90% there in under 30 seconds.

[Rallemikken]

10 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

The learning curve is the problem, not really that GIMP is slow or difficult to use.

+1

Gimp has grown out from the Unix/Linux philosophy. It doesn't hold your hand, rather it expect you to know what your doing. With that said, it has an emormous community and help is never further away than a google-search. And Gimp is consistent. It is actively developed but has a strict set of rules regarding the graphical interface. To be honest, when I see tutorials for Photoshop I often wonder what their audience might be. The "hand-holding" is extensive, and the sheer number of scripts and plugins indicates a less capable user base. Everything boils down to maths and algorithms. Gimp can do everything that Photoshop and every other image editor can do, but you must know what you want to achieve, and how to do it.

[Elp]

I think from a UI or UX point of view, PS is fairly obtuse to use, GIMP is similar but if you know one you sort of know the other. Corel and Serif were much easier to understand and exist in their modern day equivalents.

[Mandy D]

Graphic Workshop is an old one that I used to use about 30 years ago in the DOS days. It was quite good back then and easy to use. I have no idea how it compares, today, but might be worthy of a look.

https://www.mindworkshop.com/gwspro.html

I remember it coming with this warning:

"Should you fail to register any of the evaluation software available through our web pages and continue to use it, be advised that a leather-winged demon of the night will tear itself, shrieking blood and fury, from the endless caverns of the nether world, hurl itself into the darkness with a thirst for blood on its slavering fangs and search the very threads of time for the throbbing of your heartbeat. Just thought you'd want to know that. Alchemy Mindworks accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage or expense caused by leather-winged demons of the night, either."

[Gasman]

Raw Therapee,Darktable,Digikam,Ansul to name but 4 and all free and very useful for any type of imaging (I don't think any work with .fits files though, are they still used with astro?)

Steve