help with scratch discs.

[gsrzn]

hello,

i know you probably get this question a lot, but i couldn't find the answer i was looking for when i searched this site [ and i hope im putting this in the right spot.]

so, i just got a mac OS X with photoshop CS; and i just bought a external memory , so i have the space for a scratch disc, i just don't know how to connect the two. When i'm in photoshop, and i go into preferences under scratch discs, the only thing that i can change is the scratch disc from the hard drive, to the startup disc. Thats under all four ones that i can change [i hope im making sense] So my question is, how do i get my external memory to show-up on the drop down menu to get all of my temporary files to go there.
Ive tried just about everything I can think of, I took off every file i had on my computer, so its kind of like a fresh start, I mean, it wont even let me open up photoshop anymore.

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks,
Gina

 

[Blue Velvet]

Hi Gina

What do you mean by 'external memory'? Have you got an external drive?

Photoshop uses mounted (visible to the computer) hard drives, including the startup and any external drives, to write temporary scratch files while its working. Those scratch files are only for Photoshop's use.

The drives it uses — and the order it will use them in if one is full — are selected in Photoshop's (performance) preferences. Any changes won't be made until you restart Photoshop.

 

[gsrzn]

yes, its an external drive. I guess that is what you would call it.

I've restarted photoshop, and when i went to re-open it, it said "could not start application because scratch discs are full" So i restarted my computer, and it let me open photoshop, and i could work on a document for a little bit, but it did the same thing.

But when i went into preferences, it still isnt reading my external drive, if it even will read it.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Is your external drive showing on the desktop or in a window sidebar? Does it have any data on it? When you purchased it did you have to reformat it?

What happens if you open Disk Utility in the folder Utilities in the folder Applications and select the drive and the partition? What does it say at the bottom of the Disk Utility window?

 

[gsrzn]

Yes, my external is showing up on the desktop, and I have some of my music on it. I didnt have to reformat it, should I have?

When I open the disk utilitys this is everything is says on the bottom:
[Not sure what your looking for so I'll just copy and paste it]

Disk Description : WD 3200AAJ External Media Total Capacity : 298.1 GB (320,072,933,376 Bytes)
Connection Bus : USB Write Status : Read/Write
Connection Type : External S.M.A.R.T. Status : Not Supported


Should I partion it? And if so, how do I connect the 2nd part of the external to my photoshop?