Photoshop wont open get error could not open a scratch file because the disk is not available

Had to clone my hard drive to another drive on my computer.
I have been receiving a message "Could not open a scratch file because the disk is not available" I have tried UN-installing and re-installing...still the same message.
Does anyone have any idea how to fix this?
Thanks!

What do you have here.
If that does not help, reset your prefs
Hold fingers over Shift Option Command (or similar on Windows) then boot Photoshop and as fast as you can depress the 3 keys.

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COULD NOT OPEN A SCRATCH FILE BECAUSE THE DISK IS NOT AVAILABLE

Any thoughts? I can't open the program.
I have a mac pro with four drives who thought I just finished a successful install of legit academic version previously used by myself only. Production Premium CS5.
Matt

There's no image "attached". You can't show an image if you are accessing the forum through e-mail. Any file attached to an email will just disappear into cyberspace, without anyone ever seeing it.
To embed an image in a post, use the camera icon in the Reply Editor in the forum's web interface using your web browser.
Back to your issue:
You need to trash your Photoshop preferences by holding down Command+Option+Shift as you launch Photoshop until you get a dialog box allowing you to delete your preference settings.

"Could not initialize Photoshop because the disk is nor available"

I'm trying to install Photoshop CS4 for the very first time onto a Mac Powerbook G4, MacOS 10.4.11. The installation succeeded, but when I launch Photoshop CS4, I get the "Could not open a scratch file because the disk is not available" error followed by the "Could not initialize Photoshop because the disk is nor available" error. There is only one disk in the Powerbook, at it has 27GB free space.
The FAQ advice is to reset preferences. I did that repeatedly by holding down cmd-option-shift while starting up Photoshop and answering "yes" when it asks to delete the preference file. Didn't help. Same errors occur.
I also deleted the ~/Library/Preferences/Adobe Photoshop CS4 Settings and ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe folder hierarchies. Didn't help. I did the above together. Didn't help. Same errors occur.
I uninstalled Photoshop and reinstalled it. Didn't help. Still get the same errors.
I even deleted the root /Library/Application Support/Adobe/ folder tree, which then forced another complete reinstallation of Photoshop CS4 because that killed the license manager. Didn't help. Still get the same errors.
Where else could preferences be lurking? I've never been able to successfully launch Photoshop CS4 on this Mac, so I guess it must be trying to import something weird from another Adobe application.

naturalturn wrote:
There is only one disk in the Powerbook, at it has 27GB free space.
First thing that comes to mind is the lack of free hard drive space. Photoshop writes scratch from the beginning when you open it up. If there is not enough room or no scratch disk then Photoshop will not start up. The OS is using the same free space for writing SWAP files.
Also CS4 is not supported on a G4.
The only solution I can think is to delete some unneeded files and see if opening up some free space will solve the problem.

Elements 9 won't open "because the disk is not available"

Hi All
I have had PSE 9 on my Mac for 18 months with no problems.
Recently I upgraded the boot drive to a larger one as the original was running out of space. I used a standard disc cloning tool and all has been well.
Except...PSE now says it "cannot open scratch file because the disk is not available" followed by "cannot initialise because the disk is not available".
I uninstalled PSE and downloaded a new copy thinking perhaps that the original was somehow corrupted by the cloning. Still does the same thing.
I repaired permissions and re-started but still does the same thing.
Frankly I am stumped.
Anyone got any ideas? It does not even say which disk it thinks is unavailable!

Sadly that has not made any difference I am afraid.
This is what happens:

I get this error upon launching PS5: "could not open a scratch file because the file is locked .."

I get this error upon launching PS5: "could not open a scratch file because the file is locked or ou do not have the necessary access privileges. Use the 'properties' command in the Windows Explorer to unlock the file". The applicaiton will not launch.
Supporting information - I recently changed the scratch disk from C drive to D drive (the back up/restore drive). The application wont launch so I cant change it back to the C drive.
Questions:
- How to I fix this .. from windows explorer how do I find "the file" that the error message refers to?
- Other ways to fix this?
Thanks Steve

Hi there! Because the forum you originally posted in is for beginners trying to learn the basics of Photoshop, I moved your question to the Photoshop General Discussion forum, where you'll get more specialized help.
To help others help you, please read through this article and provide any additional relevant details.

Unable to start Photoshop CS6 - could not open a scratch file because the file is locked (Windows)

When I first installed Adobe Photoshop CS6 I was unable to run Photoshop or Bridge CS6. Photoshop would give me an error about "could not open a scratch file because the file is locked. If I ran either of these programs as an administrator they would run without issue, this led me to believe that there was a permission issue somewhere. After some digging I found out the both Bridge and Photoshop try to create a temp file (similiar to Photoshop Temp2777223910092) on the c:\ drive of the computer. In my case the user that I was logged in with did not have access to write to the root of the C:\ drive. Note that you run the program as the administrator and change the scratch disk location as that changes the preference for the administrator user and not the user that you are currently logged in as.
To get around this issue I first had to give the user that I was logged on with write permissions to the root of the C:\ drive. Next try and run Photoshop, you will get an error another error about the scratch disk and about and invalid or missing setting file. To correct this you need to have run Photoshop as an administrator, next you can go to Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS6\Adobe Photoshop CS6 Settings and copy Adobe Photoshop CS6 Prefs and/or Adobe Photoshop X64 CS6 Prefs to Users\<your logged in username>\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS6\Adobe Photoshop CS6 Settings.
Photoshop and bridge should now start up with no issues.
I hope that this can help others out there as this caused me a great deal of frustration when upgrading to CS6.

station_two wrote:
OK, here comes the explanation of what the scratch disk does and why it's optimal to have it on a physically separate internal drive (not partition!) other than your boot drive
I probably shouldn't say anything since it could complicate this thread, but the rules of thumb can be different under special circumstances when SSD is involved.
IF you have a LOT of empty space on your SSD-based system drive, then Photoshop can actually work great with it's scratch setting pointed at the system drive. This is because a) SSD transfers are much faster than spinning hard drives and b) there's no seek time, so simultaneous transfers to/from scratch and swap files aren't devastating to performance, and you can see a net gain because of the increased I/O throughput over what's possible using a separate spinning drive for scratch.
But if you don't have a huge amount of free space (hundreds of GB) on the system SSD, it's definitely better to use a separate drive, as station_two has said.
Also, up to about a year or so ago, you had to try to severely limit write activity to your SSD drive, since you could actually wear them out by repeated high data write activity. That's pretty much a non-issue now with the advent of things like the SandForce in-drive controller that does wear-leveling inside the drive. Modern drives will last 10 years or more in normal typical use, without special consideration.
As it turns out, making a RAID array of SSDs is a great way to boost performance across the board, have bunches of free space, and ensure even the heaviest usage doesn't shorten the drive life. I have done so, creating a 2 TB system drive C: made from 4 SSDs and Photoshop's swap file (and pretty much everything else) pointed to C:. This system flies, and I can barely tell when Photoshop and/or Windows "goes virtual" and starts using its scratch/swap files heavily. I don't even notice Photoshop auto-saves.
Sorry for the SSD diversion.
Back on topic:
Pretty much everyone who's successfully using a computer - Mac and PC users alike - comes to realize after a while that the task of integrating things on their computers and making everything work falls on THEM, not the developers of applications like Adobe. Some applications pose unique challenges, but to think you can just throw up your hands and try to make it someone else's problem when something goes wrong simply isn't a viable strategy. Maybe that's how things should be, but it's not how it is.
For those of you struggling to get Photoshop to run properly, bear in mind that it's on you to get things working. It works for most folks. It could be a configuration or setup choice you've made that may need revisiting, or some kind of restorative activity that you need to do, or even something very minor like clearing your Photoshop preferences, but it may well take your learning new things and doing things you didn't think you'd have to do to get back to where you can edit photos. It's no one's problem but your own.
So let us here on the forum help you - when we say to do something, try it. We're not here to jerk you around; we're users just like you who have already found the ways to make things work, and we'd like to help you do the same.
-Noel

I am trying to import developed images from LightRoom 5 in o Photoshop 6. I am receiving this message and the images will not open.....'Could not open scratch file because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions or another progra

I am trying to import developed images from LightRoom 5 Photoshop 6 for further editing. I am receiving this message and the images will not open.....'Could not open scratch file because the file is locked, or you do not have necessary access permissions or another program is using the file. Use the 'Properties' command in the Windows Explorer to unlock the file. How do I fix this? I would greatly appreciate it if you would respond with terms and procedures that a computer ignorant user, such as me, will understand. Thanks.

Have you tried restoring the Preferences yet?

Unable to start Photoshop CS 6 Beta - could not open a scratch file because the file is locked (win)

The Program does nor start.
I the the following error message:
Gould not open a scratch file because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access perimssens, or another program is using the file. Use the "Properities" command In the WIndows Explorer to unlock the file.
Which file shoud I unlock?
What means "unlock"?
Adda

"Hello, Adda. Most users can use it without problems. Did you set strict permissions on your machine?
Also, is it a small SSD? you lose their speed benefit by not putting Photoshop's scratch file on it."
Most power users are having big problems, We don't put scratch files on our SSDs because we know that this will run those into the ground. They are not intended for the pounding of constant read / write cycles. We also switch off indexing and any other constant cycling technology. Again, SSDs are best use for static files. They are, in fact, intended mainly for super fast launch, which is what they do so well. Obviously, if all you have is an SSD, then you have to live with the shortened life.
I have my scratch files and my TEMP folder set to a huge and empty internal drive. I have my USERS folder hard linked to a different huge internal drive, where I also store MY DOCUMENTS. I have an even larger internal drive where I store MY PICTURES. This has worked flawlessly (and very fast) for CS5 and LR4 Beta 1. Only CS6 complains constantly.
"Yes, I agree, but sometimes, what sounds and smells like a bug is not one, hence the troubleshooting we're trying to do, before QE tries to reproduce it."
This one not may or may not be a bug. But since I own and run dozens of applications, and only CS6 is freaking out constantly, I would say that it is not normal behavior.

I am trying to import developed images from LightRoom 5 into Photoshop 6. I am receiving this message and the images will not open.....'Could not open scratch file because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions or another progra

I am trying to import developed images from LightRoom 5 into Photoshop 6. I am receiving this message and the images will not open.....'Could not open scratch file because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions or another program is using the file. Use the 'properties' command in the Windows Explorer to unlock the file'. This has not happened before. How do I change this?

Could not open a scratch file because the file is locked or you do not have the necessary access privileges. (…) | Mylen…
Mylenium

Photoshop won't start: Could not open a scratch file because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions, or another program is using the file.

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended
"Could not open a scratch file because the file is locked, you do not have necessary access permissions, or another program is using the file."
I've tried finding and checking and fixing permissions but no success.
This happened from one day to the next. I think it has to do with the sn attached to the disk rather then the motherboard. I have the suite co-installed with Symphony 5.05. I've tried reinstalling.
What's to b done? The rest of the Creative Suite 6 (AE, AI etc.) works fine.
Anyone...?
Loui

Have you tried restoring the Preferences yet?

Could not open scratch file because the file is locked or you do not have the necessary access rights.

could not open scratch file because the file is locked or you do not have the necessary access rights.

It means what it says: Check your file permissions on your scratch disk.
Mylenium

Using trial of Photoshop CC but when trying 3D get "Could not apply the workspace because the disk is not available." can anyone help?

I am trying out Photoshop CC specifically the 3D facility but every time i go to 3D I get "Could not apply the workspace because the disk is not available"
I have searched online for answer but cannot resolve this, can anyone advise?
regards
Drew.

I am using a MacBook Air
Model Name: MacBook Air
Model Identifier: MacBookAir6,2
Processor Name: Intel Core i7
Processor Speed: 1.7 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 4 MB
Memory: 8 GB

Could not initialize Photoshop because the disk is not available

I get this message when I try to startup Photoshop:
"Could not initialize Photoshop because the disk is not available."
I found a fix in Tech Notes about selecting the scratch disk and choosing ignore permissions, but I don't even remember what the scratch disk was, so I don't really know how to select ignore permissions on it.
Does anyone know another way to fix this. It seems like this must be some "login-local" preference (meaning that there must be something in the user's local preferences for setting this scratch disk parameter (the only reason I'm thinking this is that if I create another user and run Photoshop, I get no error.)
I looked through ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe for any kind of Photoshop Preference, but I couldn't find a specific preference that stood out. Anyone have an idea?

I just got the same message, "Could not initialize Photoshop because the disk is not available". I had just assigned my primary scratch disk to an internal drive that was empty and had lots of free space. When I restarted my machine, the error message appeared when I tried to open Photoshop.
Not sure why this error occurred, but deleting the preferences did fix that problem... unfortunately, doing that will reset all your prefs = pallets, brushes, actions. I suspect you could just delete the "Adobe Photoshop CS2 Prefs.psp" file and leave the others intact to avoid that.
I would still like to know why changing the scratch disk gives us this problem? I mean, isn't that the whole point of having another internal drive?
- JA

Could not initalize photoshop because the disk is not available

Could not initalize photoshop because the disk is not available. What is gouing on at Adobe?
How do I get into my cs6 now.
Problem since that extenede for the cloud has been coming up and I have just always quit and never subscribed now today the trial is over and i Have never used the trial and can not get back into cs6 for my work. No support from adobe until monday
any suggestions
Dick

Do you have a perpetual license (not a cloud subscription)?
If so, then you will have received a serial number.
You need to follow the prompts to the point where you enter your serial number and enter it. That should activate the software.
You'll need also to make sure you've updated it to the latest release. The specific number of that will depend on what kind of system you have.
-Noel

I keep getting "error occurred while attempting to import file *******. The disc your are attempting to use is full." I have an external hard drive that I moved files over to, but apparently they're also still on my hard drive? HELP!

I keep getting "error occurred while attempting to import file *******. The disc your are attempting to use is full." I have an external hard drive that I moved files over to, but apparently they're also still on my hard drive? HELP!

So you have backed up the content of the computer's hard drive, too?
That usually is a great idea since it is possible to lose use of the system
if parts of it have accidentally been removed or get over-written, or the
main system files get corrupted, when the hard disk drive gets too full.
If you have not trashed the originals of your created content, that remain
after you made copies on an external hard drive or other device, then
that is what you'd have to do to reclaim the capacity still in use by them.
What are specifications of the hard disk drive? The unused capacity
verses the used, in GB? If the hard drive has less than 15 to 20%
free or unused capacity, you could run into trouble. Mine are 40-50%
unused hard drive space, so ample room is available for automatic
Virtual Memory to use that capacity as temporary swap file space.
This is helpful when the computer could use more physical RAM
memory capacity, but doesn't have it. Or if the RAM is maxxed out
and you can't add any more. Virtual Memory is part of OS X and the
system automatically can use as much as is available, but it is better
to be sure there is plenty of resources available to include chip RAM
as well as unused or free hard drive capacity for use as VM.
If for some reason your files in Trash won't go away when you empty
it, you may have to restart. Be sure you have not included any System
files in the content in the Trash, or the Mac may not start up later on.
You may have to boot the computer from the install-restore OS X DVD
and run Repair Disk from its version of Disk Utility, to be sure it's OK.
I'm guessing that by now you know enough about the vintage system
in the older hardware to figure it out, so I won't write about it now.
In any event... hopefully you can simply trash the files, but check them
carefully, & you may need to remove (copy to archive first) even more.
Good luck & happy computing!

Photoshop wont open get error could not open a scratch file because the disk is not available

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