TechNote

Error "Scratch disk is full" when you edit an image (PhotoDeluxe 3.0-4.x)

Issue

When you try to edit an image in Adobe PhotoDeluxe 3.x or later for Windows, PhotoDeluxe returns one of the following errors:

-- "Scratch disk is full."

-- "That command could not be completed because your scratch disk is full. You may want to delete some files on your hard disk. 20 MB free space is recommended. See Adobe PhotoDeluxe Help for details."

Solutions

Do one or more of the following:

Solution 1

Make sure that the scratch disk for PhotoDeluxe has enough free contiguous space. PhotoDeluxe requires free contiguous hard disk space equivalent to three to five times the size of the file you edit.

To specify a scratch disk with enough space:

1. In PhotoDeluxe, choose File > Preferences > Scratch Disks.

2. Choose a drive from the Primary pop-up menu that has adequate disk space for image editing. If no drive has adequate disk space, you need to make more disk space available.

3. If you have a second hard drive, choose it from the Secondary pop-up menu.

4. Click OK to close the Memory Preferences dialog box, and then restart PhotoDeluxe.

Note: You shouldn't use a compressed drive as the scratch disk because the compression program may not always accurately report the amount of available hard disk space. Many compression programs calculate available hard disk space based on the average compression ratios applied to existing files on the hard disk. The amount of compression applied to any given file may vary, causing the amount of available hard disk space to fluctuate.

Solution 2

Search for and remove temporary (*.tmp) files to free up disk space :

1. Go to Start > Find > Files or Folders.

2. In the Named field, type *.tmp .

3. Choose My Computer from the Look In pop-up menu.

4. Select the Include Subfolders option.

5. Click Find Now.

6. After Windows displays the search results , choose Edit > Select All.

7. Choose File > Delete, and then click Yes to send the files to the Recycle Bin. If Windows returns a message that a file is in use or cannot be deleted, reselect all other temporary files, and then delete them.

8. Right-click the Recycle Bin, and choose Empty Recycle Bin.

Solution 3

Optimize the drive(s) selected as the Primary and Secondary scratch disks for PhotoDeluxe by using the Scandisk and Defragmenter commands, which are included with most versions of Windows (choose Start > Programs > Accessories > System tools) or a disk optimization utility (for example, Symantec Norton Utilities) . For instructions on using the Scandisk and Defragmenter commands, see the documentation included with Windows.

Solution 4

Make sure that the amount of virtual memory available to Windows is at least twice the amount of installed RAM . For instructions, see Additional Information.

Solution 5

Rename the PhotoDeluxe preferences file:

1. Exit from PhotoDeluxe.

2. Locate the PhotoDeluxe preferences file:

-- In PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 3.x, locate the Pd30.psp file in the Program Files/PhotoDeluxe HE 3.0/Prefs folder.

-- In PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 4.x, locate the Pd20.psp file in the Program Files/PhotoDeluxe Home Edition 4.0/Prefs folder.

3. Change the extension from ".psp" to ".old" (for example, change Pd.psp to Pd.old).

4. Restart PhotoDeluxe.

Additional Information

PhotoDeluxe uses a scratch disk (that is, temporary hard disk space used for storing data and performing computations) when insufficient RAM is available for image editing. If insufficient RAM and scratch disk space is available, PhotoDeluxe returns an error.

Deleting .tmp files from the hard disk frees up additional hard drive space. Many applications create .tmp files and then delete them when you exit from the application. Crashes or system errors, however, may prevent an application from deleting these files.

Virtual memory is space on the hard disk that Windows uses instead of RAM. Windows temporarily moves, or swaps, information from RAM to the hard disk, making RAM available to other applications. In Windows, this space on the hard disk used for virtual memory is called the virtual memory file, or paging file. Windows can store portions of PhotoDeluxe in virtual memory, freeing up additional RAM for image data. When insufficient virtual memory is available, Windows has to retain portions of the application in physical RAM, which reduces the amount of RAM available for image data.

During startup, PhotoDeluxe creates a preferences file that stores information about PhotoDeluxe settings. If the preferences file becomes damaged, PhotoDeluxe may return an error. Deleting or renaming the preferences file and then restarting PhotoDeluxe causes PhotoDeluxe to create a new preferences file with default settings and updated plug-in folder and file information.

To increase the amount of virtual memory available to Windows:

-- For Windows XP:

Note: You must be logged in as Administrator to change the size of the paging file.

1. Exit from open applications.

2. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.

3. Double-click System.

4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings in the Performance section.

5. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Change in the Virtual Memory section.

6. From the Drive list, select a hard disk that has at least twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM. To determine the amount of space available on a drive, click the drive letter; the amount of space available appears in the Paging File Size for Selected Drive section.

7. In the Initial Size text box, enter a value equal to the amount of the computer's installed RAM plus 12 MB.

8. In the Maximum Size text box, enter a value equal to twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM.

9. Click Set, and then click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog box.

10. Click OK when Windows returns the alert "The changes you have made require you to restart your computer . . . ."

11. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box, and then click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.

12. Click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box. Windows restarts.

-- For Windows 2000:

Note: You must be logged in as Administrator to change the size of the paging file.

1. Exit from open applications.

2. Choose > Start > Settings > Control Panel.

3. Double-click System, click the Advanced tab, and then click Performance Options.

4. Click Change in the Virtual Memory section.

5. From the Drive list, select a hard drive that has at least twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM. (To determine the amount of space available on a drive, click the drive letter; the amount of space available appears in the Paging File Size for Selected Drive section.)

6. In the Initial Size text box, enter a value equal to the amount of the computer's installed RAM plus 12 MB.

7. In the Maximum Size text field, enter a value equal to twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM.

8. Click Set, and then click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog box.

9. Click OK to close the Performance Options dialog box, and the System Properties dialog box.

10. Click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box to restart Windows.

-- For Windows Me or Windows 98:

1. Exit from open applications.

2. Make sure that a startup disk is available before you continue. After you change system settings, such as Virtual Memory, Windows may be unable to start, so you may need a startup disk to start Windows. For instructions to create a startup disk, see the documentation for Windows.

3. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.

4. Double-click System.

Note: If the System Control Panel doesn't appear in Windows Me, click View All Control Panel Options in the Control Panel window.

5. Click the Performance tab, and then click Virtual Memory.

6. Select the Let Me Specify My Own Virtual Memory Settings option, and then click OK.

7. From the Hard Disk pop-up menu, choose a hard disk that has at least twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM. For example, if the computer has 24 MB of RAM, choose a hard disk that has at least 48 MB of free hard disk space.

8. In both the Minimum and Maximum boxes, enter a value equal to twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM.

9. Click OK to close the Virtual Memory dialog box. The Confirm Virtual Memory Setting dialog box displays the message "You have chosen not to let Windows manage virtual memory automatically. . . ."

10. If you have a startup disk, click Yes to close the Confirm Virtual Memory Settings dialog box.

11. Click Okay to close the System Properties dialog box.

12. To restart Windows, click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box. If Windows doesn't restart, insert the startup disk, and restart Windows.

-- For Windows NT 4.0:

1. Exit from open applications.

2. Right-click My Computer, and choose Properties from the pop-up menu.

3. Click the Performance tab, and then click Change.

5. From the Drive list, select a hard disk that has at least twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM. For example, if the computer has 24 MB of RAM, select a hard disk that has at least 48 MB of free hard disk space.

7. In the Initial Size box in the Paging File Size for Selected Drive section, enter a value equal to the amount of the computer's installed RAM plus 12 MB.

8. In the Maximum Size box, enter a value equal to twice the amount of the computer's installed RAM.

9. Click Set, and then click OK.

10. Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.

11. To restart Windows, click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog box.