Sharpen AI & DeNoise AI: Last-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Sharpen AI & DeNoise AI

Legacy Application Notice:

Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI are discontinued legacy applications and are no longer actively developed or supported.

These apps were discontinued in late 2023, and no updates have been released since that time.

Due to operating system, hardware, and security changes, legacy applications may not function reliably on newer computers. Troubleshooting options are very limited, and some issues are not be fully resolvable.

Scope of Support

This page documents:

  • The only remaining troubleshooting steps worth attempting
  • Known behaviors on modern systems
  • When no further troubleshooting is available

Support for these legacy applications is limited. This page represents the final troubleshooting available for Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI.

If the steps below do not resolve the issue, we may not be able to continue troubleshooting due to the applications no longer being actively developed.

Support can still assist with:

  • Purchasing or upgrading to currently supported Topaz products
  • Confirming system compatibility for replacement applications

Will Not Load / Crashes on Launch

Windows (Sharpen AI & DeNoise AI)

On Windows systems, launch failures are most commonly caused by driver changes, corrupted installs, or legacy registry entries.

Windows Clean Reinstall

  1. Uninstall Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI using the Windows Add or Remove Programs tool.
  2. Delete remaining registry entries. How to delete your Registry on Windows (Use caution - registry changes can affect system stability.)
  3. Reboot your computer.
  4. Reinstall the application using the installer from the
  5. page.
    • Sharpen AI: Version 4.1.0
    • DeNoise AI: Version 3.7.2
  6. Open the installer and follow the installation wizard to completion.

If the application continues to crash or fails to launch after this process, no further troubleshooting is available on Windows.

macOS (Sharpen AI & DeNoise AI)

On macOS, launch failures may be caused by corrupted preference files or operating system compatibility changes.

Final steps to try:

  1. Delete the application by moving it to the Trash.
  2. Remove associated plist (preference) files.
  3. Restart your computer and empty the Trash.
  4. Install a fresh copy from the Legacy Products page.
  5. Launch the app once as a standalone application.

If the app still fails to launch, no supported fix is available.

Flickering or Flashing Interface

Flickering or flashing UI behavior is a known limitation of legacy AI applications on modern systems.

Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI were discontinued, and their functionality has since been integrated into newer Topaz products.

You may attempt the following (not guaranteed):

  • Exit full-screen mode
  • Resize the application window
  • Change your display’s refresh rate

This issue does not affect image quality during export.There is no permanent fix available.

“Could Not Save App Data” Error (macOS)

This error may occur if the application cannot write required files.

Steps to try:

  1. Close the application.
  2. Open Finder and go to Go → Go to Folder…
  3. Enter:~/Library/Application Support/Topaz Labs LLC/
  4. Confirm a folder exists for the app (Sharpen AI or DeNoise AI).
    • If missing, create it manually.
  5. Reopen the application and allow models to download.

If the issue persists, you may attempt a clean reinstall using the macOS steps above.

If the error continues, no further troubleshooting is available.

Not Writeable

This error means macOS isn’t allowing the app to write to the Application Support folder. It can happen after a fresh install when folder permissions don’t transfer correctly.

Here are a few steps you can try:

  1. Quit the app completely.
  2. Open Finder, then click Go → Go to Folder… and paste:

~/Library/Application Support/

3. In that folder, locate Topaz Labs LLC. If it exists, right-click and choose Get Info.

Under Sharing & Permissions, make sure your user account has Read & Write access. If not:

Click the lock icon (enter your Mac password if prompted).

Change your user to Read & Write.

Click the gear icon → Apply to enclosed items.

4. If the folder isn’t there, create a new folder named Topaz Labs LLC with those same Read & Write permissions.

5. Relaunch your app and try the installation again.

App Continues to Spin After Logging In

If the application continues to load indefinitely after login, this is typically caused by a system incompatibility.

Legacy applications do not include modern error handling for newer operating systems.

Common causes:

  • The system is too new to support the application
  • Deprecated authentication or background services

This behavior does not have a supported fix.

macOS Tahoe Compatibility Notice

We are currently seeing compatibility issues between macOS Tahoe and legacy applications, including Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, and Topaz Studio 2.

At this time:

  • There is no known workaround
  • No fix can be provided due to the applications no longer being under active development

When to Stop Troubleshooting

If you experience any of the following after completing the steps on this page:

  • Repeated crashes
  • Failure to launch
  • Indefinite loading or spinning
  • Interface instability

No further troubleshooting is available for these legacy applications.

System Requirements

How to Install Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI as a Photoshop Plugin