Answered
Scratch disk full error despite having free SSD storage space
Photoshop displays a "Scratch Disks are full" prompt during startup or rendering even though the primary drive has ample free storage.
Warren HeatonCorrect answer
Community Expert
Aug 21, 2026 5:55 PM UTC
Check for APFS local snapshots — that's almost always the culprit when Finder shows free space but apps still choke on "disk full." Snapshots pin old blocks even after you delete files.
Terminal:
tmutil listlocalsnapshots /
If you see a list, that's your problem. Thin them with:
tmutil thinlocalsnapshots / 50000000000 4
(bumps up to ~50GB purgeable, adjust the number)
Or in Disk Utility: select the volume, hold Option, File > Show APFS Snapshots — you can delete them one by one there too.
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