The Problem
You're in the middle of a project, things are going fine—and then suddenly Photoshop freezes and displays an error message that reads:
"Could not complete your request because the scratch disks are full."
This warning may seem perplexing or even alarming if you have no idea what a "scratch disk" is. The outcome? You can't open your file, save your work, or even start up Photoshop altogether.
Why This Happens
Scratch disk is one of your hard drive's space that Photoshop accesses for temporary purposes when your RAM is not sufficient to deal with large files or multiple layers. It assists Photoshop in dealing with data, particularly for large projects.
This error typically indicates:
· Your hard drive (most commonly the system drive such as C:) is complete or almost complete.
· Photoshop has too many temporary files on it.
· You've been using very big files, several tabs, or memory-intensive effects.
· Photoshop is using your system drive as its default scratch disk—and that drive has no space left.
The Solution
You can correct this mistake in a couple of swift moves:
1. Clear Space
Remove old or unnecessary files from your system drive.
Empty Recycle Bin/Trash.
Uninstall unused applications or transfer big files to an external drive.
Clear Photoshop temporary files (optional, but useful).
2. Modify the Scratch Disk Location
If you have another drive with more available space:
Open Photoshop (or press Ctrl + Alt / Cmd + Option if Photoshop won't open).
Go to:
Edit > Preferences > Scratch Disks (mac: Photoshop > Preferences > Scratch Disks)
Verify another drive with free space.
Click OK and close Photoshop.
3. Purge Photoshop Cache
At times, Photoshop refuses to let go of old information:
Go to: Edit > Purge > All
(This will clear clipboard content, histories, and cache—save your work beforehand!)
Pro Tip: Make sure you have at least 20–30 GB of empty space on your scratch disk, particularly if you work on projects of high resolutions.
Coming right up:
Next, I will discuss the frustrating "Photoshop Freezing or Lagging" problem—what causes it and how to eliminate it to maintain smooth flow in design. Interested now? Just let me know!
