How to fix the Photoshop error “The currently selected scratch disks are full. Please modify scratch disk preferences that will come into effect in the next launch”
Adobe Photoshop relies heavily on RAM (which is an acronym for Random Access Memory) to improve the speed of real-time image processing and application functionalities. However, the physical limitations of installed RAM can become a constraint when manipulating large, high-resolution images or executing complex editing tasks involving numerous layers and effects.
When the system’s RAM capacity is exceeded, Photoshop employs a mechanism known as a ‘scratch disk’. A scratch disk is a designated area of storage – usually on a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD) – that Photoshop utilizes as supplementary virtual memory. This allows the application to offload temporary data and computations from RAM to the extra storage location. This allows the continuation of operations that would otherwise be slowed down or unable to do by insufficient RAM.
By default, Photoshop configures part your primary computer HDD or SSD as its scratch disk. However, when the RAM and scratch disk capacities are used, you will likely receive an error message along the lines of
It is crucial to ensure that the designated scratch disk volumes possess adequate free storage capacity. Insufficient space can lead to a “scratch disk full” error, which will interrupt the workflow and prevent further operations or the saving of work. Regular maintenance, including the management of temporary files and the provision of sufficient free space on the designated drives, is therefore essential for maintaining optimal performance and preventing operational disruptions when working with Adobe Photoshop.
How to fix the “The currently selected scratch disks are full” error in Photoshop
- Clear some storage space on your computer and restart. For example, delete old files. Aim to keep about 10 to 20% of your hard drive available
- Make sure your measurements within Photoshop are not set to inches. If you create a new document at 2200 inches x 1600 inches instead of pixels, millimetres or even centimetres, you’re going to need a huge amount of temporary storage which may cause scratch disk problems, or discrepancies in units can sometimes cause this error
- Add an external hard drive to use as scratch disk storage. If you can open photoshop, go to ‘Edit > Preferences > Scratch Disks’ to add the external hard drive as a scratch disk
- Again, if you are able to open Photoshop, go to ‘Edit > Purge > All’ to delete the temporary files Photoshop is storing in the scratch disk
- If you’re struggling to open Photoshop, hold CTRL + ALT as you’re starting it to go straight to the Scratch Disk options
