If you lot regularly piece of work in programs similar Adobe Premiere Pro, Last Cutting Pro, and Adobe Photoshop, you've probably encountered errors relating to a "scratch disk." The most common error is Photoshop'south refusal to open, along with the message "Could non complete your request because the scratch disks are total."

If you've stumbled on this page because you've experienced this result, you're in luck: we're going to prove you how to resolve your scratch disk trouble hands and, as a bonus, proceed your computer clean and performing at its all-time.

What are scratch disks in Photoshop?

Before we highlight some solutions, information technology would exist a good idea to have at least a full general sense of what a scratch disk really is. When you are using programs like Photoshop or Final Cutting Pro, they require a working space called virtual retentiveness or cache retentiveness. This is where temporary project files are stored and accessed.

For this guide, we are focusing our laser sights on Photoshop. Later on all, information technology is the virtually mutual application. Just rest assured that the info nosotros cover volition apply to most programs that rely on scratch drives.

Scratch disk is your difficult bulldoze space used past Photoshop as virtual memory when in that location is not enough RAM to complete a job. Photoshop allows y'all to assign several scratch disks: that mode, it has more space at its disposal.

When working with big images and lots of layers, Photoshop is secretly chewing up your drive space past chop-chop creating a mountain of project temp files.

It'due south important to note that when you set up Photoshop, you will have the option to assign the scratch disks to the drive of your option. We highly recommend not using your organization drive unless you take no other alternatives.

Reasons behind "scratch disks are full" error

Temporary files are the almost pregnant reason behind the "scratch disks are full" error. They usually mass upwardly in your drive without leaving unmarried show of their presence. If you accept a addiction of strength-quitting Photoshop, you may have a lot of temporary files stored in your arrangement. As Photoshop can't fully close all projects later you quitted it so chop-chop, it keeps such files on your machine.

Here are some other reasons that may cause the mentioned bulletin:

  • Lack of space in the bulldoze where the scratch disk is located
  • The partition of the disk being used by Photoshop is total
  • Express RAM allowed for the Photoshop

What to exercise when your scratch disks are total?

Adjacent, nosotros'll explain how to clear out the scratch disk and gear up the Photoshop issue on a Mac. If you've faced a problem on the Windows figurer, follow the instructions below.

  • How to clear the scratch disk on Windows

How to clear scratch disks in Photoshop

Mac users receive a "scratch disk full" message when Photoshop (or any of the other programs) has used up all the space on the difficult drive that has been assigned equally a scratch disk. This used-up infinite is temporary and separate from your actual projection file.

The problem is that Photoshop doesn't always get rid of these temporary files when they aren't needed anymore, which is more than like a permanent problem if the user can't find a solution.

So how to empty a scratch deejay in Photoshop? Let'due south discover out.

ane. Clear your Photoshop cache

Photoshop has an in-built solution for deleting specific Photoshop caches. When these pesky caches aren't removed automatically by the plan, they can grow and take up a lot of space on your scratch disk.

To use this tool, just enter Photoshop in Mac and with an image open:

  1. Click the Edit menu button.
  2. Hover your mouse over "purge" to reveal 4 different enshroud categories: Undo, Clipboard, Histories, All. Hither'due south what they mean:
  • Photoshop records all commands you use while working on a project. Purging Undo sweeps away records most the virtually recently practical command.
  • The Clipboard is a pocket-sized office of memory that stores everything you copy. You can't insert copied data later you lot purge the Clipboard.
  • Histories contain the previous versions of your project. Purging information technology will remove all history states saved previously, and y'all won't be able to undo your latest actions.
  • Clicking All will purge all your Photoshop caches.
  • Video Cache stores changes you've previously made to the video project. You won't exist able to restore changes, after you purge this category.

Select the specific particular you desire to delete or select "All" to delete all of your caches. If an item is greyed out, that means information technology has already been deleted.

You will be warned that the purge cannot be undone, so make sure you don't need a previous version of one of your projects and then click OK.

    How your Scratch drive is filling up, an case from Sketch

    Forth with Photoshop, Sketch is another app that keeps temporary versions of projects on your disk. And it eats up a whole lot: from 60 to 220 GB on average.

    Each fourth dimension yous press Control-S, some space is wasted away from your Scratch drive. Say your file weighs 23 MB. Then, vii temporary editions would increment that size to 161 MB. This problem hasn't been widely known until recently, but, luckily, there is an automatic solution.

    CleanMyMac'due south System Junk module lists Documents' Versions from Sketch and other similar apps. Yous tin can keep the last and the oldest version of a project and delete all revisions in-betwixt. Voila, you've got costless space over again!

    2. Delete your temp files

    When it comes to wasting space on your scratch disk, Photoshop'south own temp files are often the worst culprit. If Photoshop isn't going to get rid of them, I guess you're going to have to practise the task yourself.

    To notice them, you'll need to become to Finder and click the Finder menu. Here, choose Go to Folder. Type/tmp in the field and printing Enter. Y'all could too search "Photoshop Temp" with a space between the two words right in your Finder search.

    You should come across a list of files. If your work is saved and the program is closed, you lot can safely delete these files and watch as your scratch disk space is reclaimed.

    iii. Clear your disk space

    If y'all don't have another drive or don't want to buy one, and then it'due south time to exercise some spring cleaning. Await at the drive contents to run into if you can delete annihilation you don't need. Is in that location storage space that can be cleared? Usually, at that place is, so go ahead and delete your old files and costless upwards some space.

    Alternatively, you can simply transfer files to external drives, DVDs, or cloud storage solutions like Dropbox and iCloud.

    Your Mac already has the built-in tools to help you manage storage infinite. If you navigate to Apple tree Carte du jour > About This Mac > Storage tab, you volition see the storage graph.

    If you lot click on "Manage," yous will see a listing of recommendations. There are some truly helpful elements, like using Optimized Storage to customize what TV shows and movies you store on your Mac and Reduce Clutter option that allows you to view all your files, downloads, and unsupported apps. Explore the recommendations and tools and look for files y'all tin remove to optimize your space.

    A good way to keep Photoshop cache from piling upward is by running regular disk cleanups. Simply hither is a problem: the cache sits and so deep in system folders (and their subfolders) that deleting it manually becomes a pain. A company called MacPaw produced a tool just for this purpose, CleanMyMac X. Y'all've heard of similar tools, but that one really pioneered Mac cleanup.

    Here's how you can schedule regular cleanings with CleanMyMac X:

    1. Launch CleanMyMac Ten tool.
    2. Click System Junk and press Scan.
    3. Click Review Details to deselect the data you lot want to keep.
    4. Hit Clean to clean up junk files.

    Only permit it do its thing. That way, you'll never forget to clear Photoshop cache and tons of other arrangement junk on your system.

    Y'all tin download CleanMyMac Ten free version and run across how it works.

    Tip

    If you're wondering how to fix a scratch disk error on Mac, here's our article you might detect helpful — 11 quick ways to clean your deejay space. Inside we have lots of practical advice for macOS users who want a make clean drive that performs well.


    4. Change your scratch disk

    And then, you lot've identified rapidly depleting free infinite on your Mac hard drive — now what? Well, information technology may be a skillful idea to modify your scratch disk to some other bulldoze in your organisation (just not the system drive, equally that is one drive y'all really don't want to tiresome down). If you don't have another drive, y'all could purchase one, with SSD being the best pick for macOS scratch disk purposes.

    Follow these steps to modify your scratch disk in Photoshop:

    1. Click on the Photoshop card.
    2. Go to Preferences and and then Scratch Disk.
    3. Tick the checkbox to select or remove a bulldoze equally the scratch disk.
    4. Click OK.
    5. Restart Photoshop.

    5. Consider buying a new SSD

    The scratch disk trouble happens because of 2 unproblematic reasons: lack of RAM and lack of free storage infinite. Both tin be addressed if you buy a Thunderbolt SSD (solid-state drive) to employ equally your Scratch Deejay. Past today'south standards, 256 GBs should be enough.

    Tip

    It can be challenging to cheque and analyze all contents of your disk space. Luckily, some tools tin can provide a disk scan and can save upwardly lots of space on your Mac. Apps notarized by Apple tree are best for this chore. CleanMyMac X, the app I talked about earlier, has a Large & Onetime Files feature, which finds and removes massive files stored on your Mac.

    six.Follow the 15% rule

    Not strictly a dominion, but rather a common do states that you lot should keep at least 10-xv% of your disk space costless at all times. If your storage size is 256 GB, your lower limit is 25 GB. You lot'll have enough room to render your Photoshop files, save multiple projection copies, etc.

    Tip

    Loud fans noise is a sign your CPU is overloaded and approaching its carrying capacity. Try closing active apps you don't use to lighten the load for your Mac's CPU: press Command-Pick-Esc and select unused program. Click Force Quit to quit the selected app.

    7. Complimentary up RAM in Terminal

    When Photoshop gets paralyzed due to lack of RAM, there is a command you tin run in Last.

    1. Open the Terminal app (find information technology in the Launchpad).
    2. Paste in: sudo purge
    3. Then, enter your password.

    At outset, you may not encounter the difference, but you've simply flushed your RAM, releasing all the files kept in virtual retentiveness. There are a few more than ways to free up RAM; check them out too.

    You can also download CleanMyMac X (get a costless edition hither) and utilize its Costless UP RAM control.

    1. Install the app and click on Maintenance.
    2. Select Free Up RAM and click Run.

    You tin can utilize this fob someday to unfreeze an app. Also, cheque out the other tools in the Maintenance section. They will help you accept some load off your Mac's memory.

    8. Reset Photoshop preferences

    One way to fix the "Scratch disks are full" error is to reset Photoshop preferences. Here'southward how to do that:

    1. Open up Photoshop.
    2. Click the Photoshop menu in the summit correct.
    3. Here, choose Preferences then Full general.
    4. In the window that appears, click "Reset Preferences On Quit."
    5. Click "OK" to ostend.

    Now, you lot need to quit Photoshop to complete the reset. Shut the app or click Photoshop bill of fare > Quit. Restart the awarding and see if the trouble persists.

    ix. Disable automobile-recovery

    The auto-recovery is a very useful characteristic that helps you make sure no progress will exist lost. But, if y'all're experiencing the "scratch disks are full" error on a Mac, disabling motorcar-recovery might salve you lot some gigabytes of space. Then, here's how to plough off the auto-recovery in Photoshop:

    1. Go to Photoshop menu > Preferences.
    2. Select File Handling from the left-side menu.
    3. Uncheck the "Automatically Salvage Recovery Information" box.

    Now all your progress won't be automatically saved.

    How to articulate the scratch deejay on Windows

    If y'all are experiencing a "scratch disks are total" error on your Windows figurer, freeing upwardly space in the bulldoze that accommodates the scratch disk may set the trouble. To do that, you lot need get-go to find out which drive Photoshop uses every bit a scratch disk.

    1. Open Photoshop and go to Edit > Preferences.
    2. Choose Scratch Disks.
    3. Check which drive is used every bit a scratch disk.

    The scratch deejay should accept at least 40GB of free space. If you come across that it's running out of space, admission the drive and remove or transfer the largest files.

    Another thing you may do to fix the error is clear out Photoshop temporary files. Just brand sure you salve your work first and close all Adobe apps. Then, become to the temp information folder
    C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Local\Temp. Expect for the files that accept "Photoshop Temp" in their names, highlight and remove them.

    The 'Scratch Deejay Is Full' error is stock-still!

    If you followed this guide, in that location is absolutely no reason why you should always have to deal with the annoying "scratch disk total" mistake again. Adjacent time you want to create something astonishing in Photoshop, y'all should experience something new - a Photoshop that runs so smoothly it practically purrs.

    Whether you solve the problem yourself or allow a bang-up piece of software like CleanMyMac Ten do information technology for you lot, simply make sure you clean upward your scratch disk. Your Mac will give thanks you for information technology*.

    *Non literally. That would exist weird.

    Oftentimes asked questions

    Why does the "scratch disks are full" error may announced?

    The number one reason for the "scratch disks are full" message is the lack of space in the drive where scratch disks are located. You can besides run out of space in the partition of the deejay allocated for Photoshop, which may also crusade the above-mentioned error.

    What are Photoshop temporary files?

    Temporary files will announced if you don't close Photoshop fully or open the Smart Object and don't close them with the Smart Object layer. Photoshop temp files have a ".tmp" extension, so it'south like shooting fish in a barrel to notice them on your Mac.

    How to prepare the "scratch disks are total" Photoshop upshot?

    I of the solutions is to alter the scratch deejay allotment. Y'all may also need to clear the Photoshop cache and remove temporary files.