If you lot regularly work in programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Photoshop, you've probably encountered errors relating to a "scratch disk." The most common error is Photoshop'due south refusal to open, along with the bulletin "Could not complete your request because the scratch disks are total."

If you lot've stumbled on this page considering you've experienced this issue, you're in luck: we're going to prove you how to resolve your scratch disk problem easily and, every bit a bonus, proceed your estimator clean and performing at its all-time.

What are scratch disks in Photoshop?

Before nosotros highlight some solutions, information technology would be a good idea to accept at to the lowest degree a full general sense of what a scratch disk actually is. When you are using programs like Photoshop or Final Cutting Pro, they require a working space called virtual memory or cache retention. This is where temporary project files are stored and accessed.

For this guide, we are focusing our laser sights on Photoshop. Afterward all, it is the most common application. Merely rest assured that the info we cover volition utilize to nigh programs that rely on scratch drives.

Scratch disk is your difficult drive space used by Photoshop every bit virtual retentiveness when there is not enough RAM to consummate a task. Photoshop allows you to assign several scratch disks: that manner, it has more space at its disposal.

When working with large images and lots of layers, Photoshop is secretly chewing up your bulldoze space by rapidly creating a mountain of project temp files.

Information technology's important to notation that when y'all set up up Photoshop, you volition have the selection to assign the scratch disks to the drive of your selection. Nosotros highly recommend not using your system drive unless you have no other alternatives.

Reasons behind "scratch disks are full" error

Temporary files are the most significant reason behind the "scratch disks are total" fault. They usually mass up in your bulldoze without leaving single evidence of their presence. If you have a addiction of forcefulness-quitting Photoshop, you lot may take a lot of temporary files stored in your system. As Photoshop can't fully shut all projects later you quitted it and so chop-chop, information technology keeps such files on your machine.

Hither are some other reasons that may cause the mentioned message:

  • Lack of space in the drive where the scratch disk is located
  • The partition of the disk being used by Photoshop is full
  • Limited RAM allowed for the Photoshop

What to practise when your scratch disks are full?

Next, we'll explicate how to clear out the scratch disk and fix the Photoshop issue on a Mac. If you've faced a trouble on the Windows computer, follow the instructions below.

  • How to clear the scratch disk on Windows

How to clear scratch disks in Photoshop

Mac users receive a "scratch deejay full" message when Photoshop (or any of the other programs) has used upwards all the space on the hard bulldoze that has been assigned as a scratch deejay. This used-up space is temporary and separate from your bodily project file.

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

And then how to empty a scratch disk in Photoshop? Let's find out.

1. Clear your Photoshop enshroud

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 accept up a lot of space on your scratch disk.

To utilize this tool, simply enter Photoshop in Mac and with an paradigm open:

  1. Click the Edit menu push.
  2. Hover your mouse over "purge" to reveal 4 different cache categories: Undo, Clipboard, Histories, All. Here'due south what they mean:
  • Photoshop records all commands you lot apply while working on a project. Purging Undo sweeps away records nearly the most recently applied control.
  • The Clipboard is a small part of retention that stores everything you re-create. You can't insert copied data after y'all purge the Clipboard.
  • Histories contain the previous versions of your project. Purging it will remove all history states saved previously, and you won't exist able to undo your latest actions.
  • Clicking All will purge all your Photoshop caches.
  • Video Cache stores changes y'all've previously made to the video project. You won't be able to restore changes, after you lot purge this category.

Select the specific particular you want to delete or select "All" to delete all of your caches. If an particular is greyed out, that ways it has already been deleted.

Yous will be warned that the purge cannot exist undone, so brand sure you don't need a previous version of i of your projects then click OK.

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

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

    Each time you press Command-S, some space is wasted away from your Scratch drive. Say your file weighs 23 MB. Then, vii temporary editions would increase that size to 161 MB. This problem hasn't been widely known until recently, but, luckily, in that location is an automated solution.

    CleanMyMac'southward System Junk module lists Documents' Versions from Sketch and other like apps. You can keep the final and the oldest version of a project and delete all revisions in-between. Voila, you've got free space again!

    ii. Delete your temp files

    When information technology comes to wasting space on your scratch disk, Photoshop'south ain temp files are oftentimes the worst culprit. If Photoshop isn't going to get rid of them, I judge you're going to have to do the job yourself.

    To observe them, y'all'll need to go to Finder and click the Finder card. Here, choose Go to Folder. Type/tmp in the field and press Enter. Y'all could also search "Photoshop Temp" with a space between the two words correct in your Finder search.

    You lot should see a list of files. If your work is saved and the programme is airtight, you can safely delete these files and watch as your scratch deejay space is reclaimed.

    3. Clear your deejay space

    If you lot don't have another drive or don't desire to purchase one, then information technology's time to do some spring cleaning. Await at the drive contents to come across if you lot can delete annihilation you lot don't need. Is there storage space that can be cleared? Unremarkably, there is, so get ahead and delete your one-time files and free up some space.

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

    Your Mac already has the congenital-in tools to assist you manage storage space. If y'all navigate to Apple Bill of fare > About This Mac > Storage tab, you will come across the storage graph.

    If you click on "Manage," you will run into a list of recommendations. There are some truly helpful elements, like using Optimized Storage to customize what Television set shows and movies y'all 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 expect for files you can remove to optimize your space.

    A good way to keep Photoshop cache from piling up is past running regular disk cleanups. But here is a problem: the cache sits so deep in arrangement folders (and their subfolders) that deleting it manually becomes a hurting. A company called MacPaw produced a tool just for this purpose, CleanMyMac X. You've heard of similar tools, simply that 1 actually pioneered Mac cleanup.

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

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

    Merely let it do its thing. That way, you lot'll never forget to clear Photoshop enshroud and tons of other arrangement junk on your system.

    Y'all can download CleanMyMac Ten free version and run into how it works.

    Tip

    If you're wondering how to fix a scratch disk mistake on Mac, here's our commodity yous might observe helpful — 11 quick ways to make clean your disk infinite. Inside we have lots of practical advice for macOS users who desire a make clean drive that performs well.


    4. Change your scratch disk

    So, yous've identified speedily depleting free infinite on your Mac hard drive — now what? Well, it may be a good idea to change your scratch disk to another drive in your organisation (merely not the organization bulldoze, as that is one drive you actually don't want to slow downwardly). If you lot don't have another drive, you lot could purchase one, with SSD beingness the best option for macOS scratch disk purposes.

    Follow these steps to change your scratch disk in Photoshop:

    1. Click on the Photoshop menu.
    2. Become to Preferences and then Scratch Disk.
    3. Tick the checkbox to select or remove a drive equally the scratch deejay.
    4. Click OK.
    5. Restart Photoshop.

    5. Consider buying a new SSD

    The scratch deejay problem happens because of 2 simple reasons: lack of RAM and lack of complimentary storage infinite. Both tin be addressed if you buy a Thunderbolt SSD (solid-country drive) to utilise as your Scratch Disk. By today's standards, 256 GBs should be enough.

    Tip

    It tin be challenging to bank check and clarify all contents of your disk space. Luckily, some tools can provide a disk browse and tin salvage up lots of space on your Mac. Apps notarized by Apple are best for this job. CleanMyMac X, the app I talked about earlier, has a Large & Old Files feature, which finds and removes massive files stored on your Mac.

    6.Follow the 15% rule

    Non strictly a rule, but rather a mutual practice states that you should keep at least 10-fifteen% of your disk space free at all times. If your storage size is 256 GB, your lower limit is 25 GB. Yous'll accept plenty room to render your Photoshop files, salve multiple project copies, etc.

    Tip

    Loud fans racket is a sign your CPU is overloaded and approaching its carrying chapters. Endeavor closing active apps you don't use to lighten the load for your Mac'south CPU: press Control-Option-Esc and select unused program. Click Strength Quit to quit the selected app.

    7. Free up RAM in Terminal

    When Photoshop gets paralyzed due to lack of RAM, at that place is a command you can run in Concluding.

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

    At get-go, yous may non run into the difference, only you lot've merely flushed your RAM, releasing all the files kept in virtual memory. At that place are a few more ways to free up RAM; check them out too.

    You lot tin as well download CleanMyMac X (get a free edition hither) and utilize its Free UP RAM command.

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

    You tin apply this trick someday to unfreeze an app. Too, cheque out the other tools in the Maintenance section. They volition help you take some load off your Mac's retentivity.

    8. Reset Photoshop preferences

    One manner to ready the "Scratch disks are full" error is to reset Photoshop preferences. Here's how to do that:

    1. Open up Photoshop.
    2. Click the Photoshop menu in the top right.
    3. Here, choose Preferences so General.
    4. In the window that appears, click "Reset Preferences On Quit."
    5. Click "OK" to confirm.

    Now, you demand to quit Photoshop to complete the reset. Close the app or click Photoshop menu > Quit. Restart the awarding and see if the problem persists.

    9. Disable auto-recovery

    The motorcar-recovery is a very useful feature that helps you make sure no progress will be lost. Just, if you're experiencing the "scratch disks are full" error on a Mac, disabling auto-recovery might save you some gigabytes of space. So, hither's how to turn off the auto-recovery in Photoshop:

    1. Become to Photoshop carte du jour > Preferences.
    2. Select File Handling from the left-side carte du jour.
    3. Uncheck the "Automatically Save Recovery Data" box.

    At present all your progress won't be automatically saved.

    How to articulate the scratch disk on Windows

    If you are experiencing a "scratch disks are full" mistake on your Windows computer, freeing up infinite in the drive that accommodates the scratch deejay may fix the problem. To do that, yous need showtime to detect out which drive Photoshop uses as a scratch deejay.

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

    The scratch disk should have at least 40GB of free space. If you see that it's running out of space, access the drive and remove or transfer the largest files.

    Some other thing you may do to prepare the fault is clear out Photoshop temporary files. Only make sure you save your work get-go and close all Adobe apps. Then, go to the temp data folder
    C:\Users\Your Username\AppData\Local\Temp. Wait for the files that have "Photoshop Temp" in their names, highlight and remove them.

    The 'Scratch Disk Is Full' error is fixed!

    If you followed this guide, there is absolutely no reason why you should always have to bargain with the abrasive "scratch disk full" error once again. Side by side time yous want to create something amazing in Photoshop, you lot should experience something new - a Photoshop that runs so smoothly it practically purrs.

    Whether you solve the problem yourself or let a bang-up piece of software like CleanMyMac 10 do information technology for you, just brand sure yous clean up your scratch deejay. Your Mac volition thank you for it*.

    *Non literally. That would be weird.

    Often asked questions

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

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

    What are Photoshop temporary files?

    Temporary files will announced if yous 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's easy to find them on your Mac.

    How to fix the "scratch disks are full" Photoshop issue?

    One of the solutions is to change the scratch disk allocation. You may too need to clear the Photoshop enshroud and remove temporary files.