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Posted on 22/09/07 11:19:30 AM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply  |
full scratch disc
I'm being told my scratch disk is full (working on a large file). Is it safe to empty it, and does anyone know how? Cheers Chris |
Posted on 22/09/07 6:34:34 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4057 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
Hi Chris, I thought that the point of a scratch disc was that it is a file free area so it doesn't become fragmented and slow Photoshop down. You should not store any files on the scratch disc. The size of scratch disc should be considerably larger than any likely file that you will work on as it is intended to hold things like the history states in a temporary memory rather like RAM. Perhaps you need to increase the space you devote to scratch. My own scratch disc on the MAC = 6.5 Gb Gordon |
Posted on 23/09/07 09:45:21 AM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Hi Gordon I'm not the world's brightest when it comes to mac mechanics. Is a scratch disk the same as my start up disc? I've noticed by making more space available on my drive stops the full up message. Chris |
Posted on 23/09/07 11:55:37 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4057 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Hi Chris, The scratch disc is an entirely separate partition on your hard drive or a dedicated hard drive that you designate as a scratch disc. If you use any hard drive that you store data on it will become fragmented as you save and delete files. This slows Photoshop down as it searches for all the fragmented data on your drive. It has been a while now since I set up my scratch discs on both my PC and my MAC and I have forgotten quite how I did it without refering to the manuals. One idea might be to purchase a small hard drive and add it to your PC/MAC and designate that as your scratch disc. Once you have done that forget that you even have it as you shouldn't use it for files. Perhaps Steve or David might be able to add a bit more light to the subject. |
Posted on 23/09/07 12:40:49 PM |
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Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician Posts: 1319 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
I'm sure we have been over this before but have never assigned scrathc disc so I could also do with a bit of direction on this! |
Posted on 23/09/07 12:40:49 PM |
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Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician Posts: 1319 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Sorry double clicked! |
Posted on 23/09/07 8:09:48 PM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
You will need to create a separate partition on your hard disk. I thought I knew how to do it from: Control Panel Administrate Tools Computer Management Disk Management But got stuck but like Gordon, I have forgotten how to. I tend to use Partition Magic, which is a wonderful program. Partition Magic I have used it several times, to create new partitions or changing the size of existing ones. I have my scratch disk at 10GB. If all this is too hard, Assuming you have more than one drive, change what Photoshop uses as it's scratch disk in Photoshops preferences, to something other than your startup disk. |
Posted on 24/09/07 01:18:29 AM |
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dave.cox
Marquee Master Posts: 518 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
By default, photoshop assigns the scratch disk as the startup disk. This is because, many computers only have one disk, which is the startup disk. If you have never re-assigned your scratch disk then it will be working in your startup disk, which is probably the same disk/partition that your OS and all other files are located on. It is very easy to quickly use up all space on this disk. If you have more than one partition, or more than one disk drive, then you should by all means change your scratch disk to anything other than your startup disk. Although it is best to assign a scratch disk partition for photoshop's exclusive use, Just getting photoshop to use any thing other than the startup disk will often stop the problem of running out of disk space. |
Posted on 24/09/07 08:32:33 AM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Thanks Dave That explains everything - I've freed up more space on the HD and that's solved it. |
Posted on 24/09/07 10:31:06 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4057 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Thought I had better mention one thing about partitioning a drive in Windows. If I remember correctly you have to do this when setting up Windows. If you do it after that you erase all the files on your drive as Windows re-formats the drive to create the partition. That's why it is best to get another drive and partiton that instead of partitioning your start up drive. Chris, if you are having to free up space on your start up disc, then you probably need to add another drive anyway so I would get nice big one and partition that when you install it. Dave is right when he says that the start up drive is set as the default scratch disc. Just go to the Photoshop settings and designate your new partition as the scratch. Devote a large chunk of it to Photoshop and don't think of using it for storing data. The remaining space can, of course, be used for data because the computer 'sees' the partitions as separate drives. |
Posted on 25/09/07 09:28:48 AM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Thanks Gordon Am I right in thinking if I keep about 12Gb of my hard drive free I shouldn't have any more scratch disc problems? Rather do this than reassign one. C |
Posted on 25/09/07 10:14:14 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4057 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
12 Gb should be more than enough for most purposes. It really depends on how big your files get and how many history states you have. But the problems come with storing files on the scratch disc. As you save and delete files the disc becomes more fragmented and then Photoshop starts to slow down as it has to assign the temporary files to various different parts of the drive. With a dedicated scratch disc it never becomes fragmented and Photoshop works faster. |
Posted on 25/09/07 10:26:04 AM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
So, if I assign the scratch disk to my plug in drive, does it mean that drive always has to be connected inorder to use PS, or if it isn't, will PS just automatically switch to my main hard drive? |
Posted on 25/09/07 10:54:23 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4057 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
You can assign more than one scratch disc so that, if you remove the plug-in drive you have assigned as your first scratch disc then you would designate another (your start up drive if you wish) as the next scratch disc for photoshop to look for. I'm pretty sure that this disc would be then be used automatically. |
Posted on 25/09/07 7:06:43 PM |
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steve hill
Brain Basher Posts: 228 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
I used partition magic to make a 10 gig partition for my scratch disc this has worked fine for several months now and was very easy to do. Pc answers magazine often has it free on it DVD version. |
Posted on 25/09/07 7:12:28 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Thanks Steve. |
Posted on 25/09/07 7:12:38 PM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Thanks Steve. |
Posted on 26/11/07 04:34:27 AM |
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zapat
Audio Artist Posts: 44 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
if you have only one hard disk i think partitioning is not a great solution maybe freeing some space can solve your problem or buy another hard disk for you to use as scratch disk. if we partition the hard disk its read and write heads will be running some extra miles from one partition where your os and ps are to another partition for your scratch disk. buying an extra hard disk for your scratch can give you more speed compared to partitioning one disk. hope it will help... |
Posted on 26/11/07 11:37:51 AM |
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chris berry
Overhead Overlord Posts: 724 Reply |
Re: full scratch disc
Thanks zapat. That answers a lot of questions. Chris |
Posted on 26/11/07 4:08:50 PM |
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Progenic
** Posts: 104 Reply  |
Re: full scratch disc
Hi Chris although going against what zapat just said which incidentially is correct (although to 99% of people the read/write speed from one partition to another will be only milliseconds slower than having another physical disk, so wouldnt even be noticed) its alot easier to partition a drive and make space that way. I strongly recommend you separate the scratch disk from your OS drive as photoshop will fragment it in a matter of hours, thus making your OS seem to run alot slower in the longrun. Seems somewhat of a paradox, but with most modern drives being vastly bigger than the average person will ever need, its better to make a little space on the same disk. Incidentially this is also true of everything else other than your operating system, its always a good idea to have your programmes on one partition, email and internet files on another, your own private data on another ect ect. This is also much more secure, as the pc sees each partition as a physical drive in every sense, so if one drive fails you almost always have all your data safe and sound on another partition which is usually fine. Johnny |
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