So you’re working on a really large project in Photoshop, and when you try to save it, an error appears: “Could not save PSD because the scratch disks are full.”
Obviously, you don’t want to lose your project. The good news is that fixing this error is simple. All you need to do is open the Edit menu in Photoshop, select Purge, and then choose All. This will clear all temporary saves, but be aware that it also removes your history states, meaning you won’t be able to revert changes made to your project. However, this will free up enough space to allow you to save your file.
Preventing the Scratch Disk Error in the Future
If you frequently work on large projects, you can reduce the chances of encountering this error by adjusting Photoshop’s scratch disk settings. On Windows, press Ctrl + Alt while launching Photoshop. This will open a settings menu where you can manually select the disks where Photoshop will store its scratch files.
For better performance, consider dedicating a separate SSD just for Photoshop’s scratch disk. This can significantly improve speed and prevent system drive clutter. If an internal SSD isn’t an option, an external USB 3.0 SSD can also work for this purpose. Just make sure to set this new disk as the only scratch disk in Photoshop’s settings, ensuring that Photoshop uses it exclusively for temporary files.
By following these steps, you can keep your projects running smoothly and avoid frustrating save errors in the future.