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Inspiring
December 31, 2024
Answered

Scratch disk

  • December 31, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 3863 views

I have just upgraded PS to the latest version and now I only have one scratch disk. How do I assign another one? I had two in the previous version. Holding down command/option when I start up does not help.  Using Mac Sequoia 15.2

Correct answer Redhartotter

For a scratch disk, don’t choose Case Sensitive or Encrypted.

 

Adobe applications don’t work with case sensitive volumes:

https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-suite/kb/error-case-sensitive-drives-supported.html

 

Encryption isn’t needed on a scratch disk, and it might slow it down.

 

On a volume you use for normal everyday computing, encryption is recommended if you need to protect others from accessing personal data on that drive if it’s lost or stolen. I use encryption on internal and external volumes that store my files. But don’t use encryption for a scratch disk, which will contain only temporary, expendable files.


Thank you.  All good to go now.

1 reply

Chuck Uebele
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 31, 2024

You can set up scratch disk in your preferences: cmd-k, under the scratch disk tab.

Inspiring
December 31, 2024

Thanks Chuck but this is what I get.........

Only one scratch disk available - how doo a assign another?

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 31, 2024

The uploaded image looks like a recipe, which probably wasn’t intended. But, we probably can guess what you were looking at, the Scratch Disk preferences with only one volume listed. If that happens, these are the questions you want to ask about the volume you want to use as a scratch disk:

 

  • Is the volume a hard drive or SSD, and it’s connected internally or as external direct attached storage (DAS), such as USB 3 or Thunderbolt? Those should work. (Photoshop does not allow certain types of volumes to be scratch disks, for example you can’t use a removable cartridge or an NAS.) 
  • Is the volume formatted as APFS or macOS Extended (Journaled)? (Photoshop won’t accept other formats as scratch disks.) 

 

If a volume doesn’t meet both of those requirements, it isn’t going to show up in the Scratch Disks list.

 

For more details about the requirements, read the later part of this Adobe help article:

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/scratch-disks-preferences.html