Firewire Drive for Laptop: OK for scratch disk?

MC
Posted By
Martin_Coleman
Oct 9, 2003
Views
377
Replies
7
Status
Closed
I searched the forum on this but can’t find a definitive answer. Some seem to say PS wont recognise an external drive for the Scratch disk. What about a Firewire Drive? It would be plugged in to a Notebook Win XP. PS 7.

Thanks

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Y
YrbkMgr
Oct 9, 2003
It depends on the drive, and thus it depends on how the OS handles the drive. If PS recognizes the drive, either USB or FireWire, you CAN use it, but I would recommend against it.

Since PS relies so heavily on the scratch volume, you want it as fast as possible and that’s going to be local, internal. The minute you start running into an I/O backlog, I’m betting PS will croak. That’s an opinion, not a fact.
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Oct 9, 2003
It´s risky. My firewire drive sometimes disconnect for no reason.
LH
Lawrence_Hudetz
Oct 10, 2003
I have had no problems. I was heavily advised against it in this forum, even told that PS doesn’t recognize those drives. It’s actually a function of the OS. If it does not recognize the drive as removable, then PS won’t either.

Sure it’s risky, but hey, HD’s fail in the middle of a job too!

One nice perk:

Turn off the drive when on the Web. No one can touch it then. Put all your final images there also.
MC
Martin_Coleman
Oct 10, 2003
Thanks for your help there though, still undecided. 2 to 1 against. I might just get the HD anyway, cos my teeny tiny 30 GB are almost choked!

Martin
Y
YrbkMgr
Oct 10, 2003
Martin,

Don’t let the commentary stop you from buying a firewire/usb external drive. They’re great. I port a boatload of stuff using them. My commentary was aimed at the specific intended use – as a scratch disk. I’ll be buying more this year, but you just don’t want (IMO) to use it as a scratch disk for Photoshop, although apparently Lawrence hasn’t had an issue doing so.

I love them personally.
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Oct 10, 2003
Echo Tonys statement. I have a 200 gig Firewire drive. I call it ‘Hangar’, and it serves a purpose. Just not a scratchdisk one.
LH
Lawrence_Hudetz
Oct 10, 2003
If I had a second internal HD, it would be my scratch disk. It was far easier to buy a firewire and simply plug it in.

Master Retouching Hair

Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections