Scratch Disks Are Full In Adobe Photoshop: What It Means And How To Fix It
The longer you use Adobe Photoshop and itsplethora of tools and effects, the more likely you are to run into a scratch disk error. But don’t panic: If you do encounter a “Could not initialize Photoshop because the scratch disks are full” pop-up, there are a few simple explanations (and fixes) for it.
All a “scratch disk error” means is that you’re running out of storage space. And that space is necessary to complete the task you’re currently trying to perform. This can pertain to anything from using a filter to saving your project. But as long as Photoshop itself is still running, you don’t have to worry about losing any of your work — just address the issue while keeping Photoshop open, then return to it once you’ve finished and try the process again.
Bear in mind that, while the error does always indicate a lack of necessary storage space, said space may not always be the real problem. If you try the below steps but the error persists, it’s likely a problem with the software itself.
Start making more space
Since a scratch disk error is generally caused by a lack of memory, the simplest and most direct fix is to free up more memory so that availability is no longer an issue. Photoshop will select your computer’s default hard drive as the scratch disk, so that’s where you should start. Though if you previously selected another driver or partition to be used as the scratch disk, work on clearing space there instead.
Once enough space is cleared (Adobe recommends having a minimum of 50 GB available), go back to Photoshop and try once more.
Change scratch disk drives
Another option is to tell Photoshop to use a different drive as a scratch disk instead, so you won’t have to delete anything you don’t want to lose. It can be a secondary driveor a partition, but know that you do need to have at least one other drive set up on your computer — if you only have one, that’s the one you have to stick with. This process is a little less direct than simply freeing up hard drive space, but it can be just as effective.
As long as the newly-selected drive has enough available space, Photoshop should start functioning normally again.
Make adjustments in Photoshop
Scratch disk errors can also be flagged when Photoshop’s settings conflict with what your system can handle. Even a simple user mistake can lead to a warning. Here are some general troubleshooting tips to try within Photoshop itself:
Please note that, while these settings will reduce the amount of memory Photoshop will require to operate, it may also prevent you from recovering your work if you encounter other problems. Turn off Auto Recovery and reduce the number of History States at your own discretion and risk.
