Photoshop space/scratch disk issues

Hello,

We are having problems with one of our machine where the computer runs out of scratch disk space.



Example.

We are opening a 500mb image (res and everything is okay, 300dpi)

The HD space is 150GB free, and the machine has 4GB of RAM.

Specs: PowerMac G5 Dual 2.5Ghz, running 10.4.11, CS3 Production



When we open the image and it automatically uses up 30GB of space, and as we edit the image it uses up HD space very fast. Within 10 edits we are out of space on the scratch disk. We also have a second HD on in the computer and is set as the secondary scratch disk and the space on the is used up as well.



Things we have tried to resolve the issues:

1. Reinstalled CS3 (complete re-install)

2. Swapped RAM chips with ones from another machine

3. Reformatted the entire machine with complete reinstall of the OS. (Erase and install)

4. Opened the file on another machine and we don't have this space/scratch disk issue



Does anyone have any suggestions?



Thanks

Brian
Photoshop space/scratch disk issues
Brian,



How is the maxed out scratch disk affecting your image editing?



Neil
Photoshop space/scratch disk issues
Brian,

We need to troubleshoot with you a bit more to assist you further...



1. Neil asked a really good question. You should reply to him first.

2. Have you tried defragmenting both disks?

3. What brand of RAM chips did you use? Doritos or Pringles?

4. Are you sure there isn't a corrupt font in the file? Maybe try using a font cach clearing application?



Andrea

Do not use the system disk as a scratch disk.

Neil

- we are not able to complete the editing of the images. currently our retoucher is making a couple edits. quitting and then opening it back up. Doing a couple more edits, save, quit and repeat.



Andrea

2. Yes we degrafraged both disks

3. Using Kingston chips

4. Pretty sure the image isn't corupt cause it happens to all our images on that machine. They don't use fonts on that machine cause all he does is retouch images. But to answer the question is did run FontNuke.



Buko

we've tried switching the order of the scratch disk and as well making the second disk the primary scratch disk.

If you use the system disk as the primary scratch it must fight with the system which writes SWAP files so the system and PS are both using the same read write heads. this will also fill up the free space faster.



If you are having space problems get a bigger second hard drive. You can get a 1TB drive for around $100. make the first partition for Photoshop scratch.

You can try doing an Edit-Purge All to free up memory. You could also reduce the number of History States to fewer than 10 or whatever number of edits makes you run out of space. I'm guessing that the file has a great number of layers in it and once it is uncompressed and loaded into memory that is what is using up all your swap space.

Brian,



First, I assume your an end-user because you don't sound like your in I.T. Kingston doesn't make RAM chips. All machines have fonts.



Have you tried having your user/retoucher try another machine.



Try creating another user account on the original machine.

if all the free space on the both drives is only 150GB that is not enough.

Brian,

I got it!!



Try these steps and your problem should be solved:

- run a defrag

- You should use at least 2 hard drive's as your scratch disk, then create a RAID 1+ 5.

- Use either factory Mac ram or Buffalo ram ONLY!!

- run FontNuke

- then upgrade OS to 10.5



I assure you that this will fix all your problems!

If all else fails, call tech-support, or contact your IT department.



Andrea

AdobeMaster:

Well if you want to get specific, then yes you are right Kingston doesn't make the chips, they make the memory sticks. When i said RAM chips i meant the memory.



And yes i understand that all machines have font, but we are not using fonts in the image. Its a strictly image retouching station. Besides the system fonts, and the fonts that are installed with software no other fonts are used. The question was ''4. Are you sure there isn't a corrupt font in the file? Maybe try using a font cache clearing application? '' not if the machine had fonts. I guess i could have made my answer clearer, but i figured someone would understand i meant no fonts in the file.



I have tried a different account on the machine as well.



Buko

HD 1: 150GB free

HD 2: 100GB free

Is there a way to calculate how much space is required? using up 150GB of scratch disk seems like a lot of space.



When we open the image on other machines it only uses up maybe 30GB of space at the most and we are able to make all the edits without any problems.

Check the scratch usage reported in Photoshop.

Have you made sure that Photoshop is using the disks you think it is using?



Reformatting should have cleared the preferences -- and that would rule out excessive presets and cache levels.

But it is suspicious that you don't see this problem on another system.

Have you tried creating a new user on this system and seeing if the problem still happens?