File opens slowly, saves slowly

SU
Posted By
Seattle_User
Aug 11, 2008
Views
221
Replies
4
Status
Closed
With the scenarios set up below, it seems that these files are taking unusually long to open and save (up to 20 minutes on scenario #1, up to 7 minutes on scenario #2). Is this typical for the filetype described? Any help would be appreciated – this is causing workdays until midnight!!! =(

SCENARIO #1
[Running 32 bit Windows XP on a 2.3GHz ThinkCentre M55p, 2GB RAM, Photoshop CS1. Have files ranging in size from 50MB to 325MB. Application installed on C: drive, primary scratch disk is on partitioned D: drive with 3.96GB free space, secondary scratch disk is on C: drive with 53.98GB free space. Largest file has about 12 layers, including 3 layers with rasterized PDFs and about 9 layers that have blocks of filled color with craquelure & inner shadow added.]

SCENARIO #2
[Running 32 bit Windows XP on a 2.3GHz ThinkPad T61p, 2GB RAM, Photoshop CS1. Have files ranging in size from 50MB to 325MB. Application installed on C: drive, primary scratch disk is on partitioned D: drive with 36.4GB free space, secondary scratch disk is on C: drive with 29.7GB free space. Largest file has about 12 layers, including 3 layers with rasterized PDFs and about 9 layers that have blocks of filled color with craquelure & inner shadow added.
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file open save slow

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John Joslin
Aug 11, 2008
The standard question in this situation is are you opening and/or saving over a network.

If not you may have slowness if your default printer is on a network (although really this first became common with CS3).
SP
Sid_Phillips
Aug 12, 2008
John is right. If your printer and files are on the network, create a local printer and make that your default, then copy the files to your C-drive. Reboot, and try reading the local files then saving them back out on the local drive.
BH
BILL_HUNT
Aug 12, 2008
Seattle User,

One big bottleneck is your I/O. Nowadays, there are very few reasons to partition any physical HDD. If you feel the need to do so, make sure that nothing related to PS is on that second partition – nothing. I’d also make sure that your Windows Page File is not on it either – nothing but maybe documents, or other non-image assets.

What happens with a partitioned drive that is part of the PS setup is that you are asking the heads to be in many places at the same time. That cannot happen, so something has to give. That is the access time. Always use physical disks. Depending on your controller, you might even want to split the I/O load over a second PCIe controller card. HDDs are so very cheap now, there is no reason to not fill one’s case with them and use them to do everything to keep all files off your C:\ (and, in your case D:\ drives).

It appears that at least one of these machines is a laptop, maybe both. You will get better results without the partitions. If the case can hold more physical HDDs, then I’d add ’em. My laptop has 3x 200GB 7200RPM drives, and I can do SD video in real time on it.

If the case will not support more HDDs, then think about external HDDs. Go for eSATA via an ExpressCard, or almost as good, IEEE-1394b (FW-800). Some years back, I did some timing tests on a Toshiba with only 2x 80GB 5400RPM HDDs, using various externals. There was a measurable difference having the PS Scratch Disk on a 250GB Maxtor between the USB and the FW-400, but not much in real world times. I picked up almost a minute with the test file and the Actions, designed to use the Scratch Disk (external) with FW-400. Other than a faster processor (pure GHz, as I do not see the Core config of your two CPUs), the Toshiba would Open and Save 200+GB image files in about a minute and a half. The new laptop does it in seconds, without any "external" Scratch Disks. About as fast as my workstation does.

Remember, if you do change your Scratch Disk location, you’ll need to re-start PS for these changes to take effect – at least you do with CS2. Maybe CS3 is dynamic, in that regard.

Hunt
SU
Seattle_User
Aug 14, 2008
Thanks for the detailed responses – I need to find some time to test some of this. I’m working in a managed environment, so some of the options are not feasible, though I know we have already tested some of the suggestions to no avail. I’ll update this later once I’ve had a chance to try some more.

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