Scratch Disk Placement

FF
Posted By
Frankie_Ferrell
Jan 3, 2009
Views
346
Replies
11
Status
Closed
I am running PS7 on an XP SP2 system with 512 MB ram and a slow processor. I have two internal hard drives and have tried many times to assign the scratch disk to my second drive which is the largest and fastest. When I do this, Photoshop will not open and I have to delete the preference file in order to get the program to run. What could be causing Photoshop not to recognize my second drive on startup? Any help would be appreciated, as I was hoping this would increase performance on this old machine.

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Wolf_Eilers
Jan 3, 2009
I am running PS7 on an XP SP2 system with 512 MB ram and a slow processor.

Forget about where you place the scratch disk. Increase your RAM to at least 1Gb and ideally 2Gb.

On second thought get a new computer.
FF
Frankie_Ferrell
Jan 3, 2009
I did get a new computer after waiting 8 years and shortly thereafter my home was burglarized and it was stolen so I can’t afford one at this time. My machine is maxed out on the allowed memory installed.
ND
Nick_Decker
Jan 3, 2009
Is your second drive showing up under My Computer? If so, I’m afraid I can’t imagine why PS wouldn’t recognize it.
FF
Frankie_Ferrell
Jan 3, 2009
Yes it is there and Photoshop is installed on that drive but it is creating the scratch disk on the C: drive temp folder,
QP
Q_Photo
Jan 4, 2009
Why is Photoshop not installed on the C drive? I think that is where it should be. Q
ND
Nick_Decker
Jan 4, 2009
Frankie, try switching it around like Q said. If your second drive is the fastest, that’s where the scratch should be, and the scratch should be on a separate drive from where PS is installed.
FF
Frankie_Ferrell
Jan 4, 2009
I originally had it on the C: drive and still could not assign the scratch to D:. I have it on the D because it is a faster drive and the C: drive, which is only 20GB is 3/4 full. Most all of my graphics programs are on the D: drive and I have no problems except not being able to assign the scratch disk and wondered if it might have something to do with permissions?
ND
Nick_Decker
Jan 4, 2009
Sorry, I’m out of guesses, but having the scratch on a separate drive is the only way I know of to improve scratch performance.
CY
curt_young
Jan 5, 2009
How much free space is on C and D drive? Are both drives defragmented? The scratch operation can defragment a disk in a hurry. Some say not to fill a disk more than 3/4 full as then there is not room to reorganize files to properly defragment.

Possible PS thinks the D drive has insufficient space? If using large RAW files it can take a huge amount of disk scratch space.
FF
Frankie_Ferrell
Jan 6, 2009
There is only 6 gigs free on C whereas there are 48 gigs on D. It would’nt let me move the scratch disk even when D was first installed. C is quickly running out of space as it is only a 20 gb drive and I have removed everything I can from it and put it on D. When Photoshop is running C only has about 4 gbs due to the scratch, hence one of the reasons I don’t want it there plus as I said D is the faster drive.
DM
dave_milbut
Jan 6, 2009
get a big fast drive for under a hundred bux and start fresh with a new windows install. that drive is too small for today’s system needs.

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