Photoshop Scratch Disk Files (Photoshop Temp)

Bottom Line: It is 100% safe to delete Photoshop Temp files left behind when Photoshop is closed. Deleting leftover scratch files will NOT delete your .psd design files, photos, or saved work.

What are Photoshop Temp & Scratch Disk Files?

Located inside your designated Scratch Disk drive (or under %LocalAppData%\Temp / ~/Library/Caches), Photoshop Temp files are created by Adobe Photoshop.

When editing high-resolution images, multi-layer PSD files, or smart objects, Photoshop uses RAM for processing. When RAM fills up, Photoshop writes temporary working memory files named Photoshop TempXXXXX directly to your drive’s Scratch Disk.

If Photoshop crashes, freezes, or is force-closed via Task Manager, it fails to delete these temporary scratch files, leaving 10 GB to 100 GB+ of orphaned scratch files clogging your drive.

Can You Delete Photoshop Temp Files?

✅ Yes, it is safe to delete (when Photoshop is closed).

• Fixes “Scratch Disks Full” error: Removing leftover temp files immediately resolves the infamous “Could not initialize Photoshop because the scratch disks are full” error.
• Safety rule: Only delete Photoshop Temp files when Adobe Photoshop is completely closed.

How to Safely Clean Up Photoshop Scratch Disks

Method 1: Manual File Deletion (When Photoshop is Closed)

1. Close Adobe Photoshop completely.
2. Press Win + R, type temp, and press Enter.
3. Search for files starting with Photoshop Temp.
4. Select and delete all Photoshop Temp files.

Method 2: Change Scratch Disk Location in Photoshop

If your C: drive runs out of space while working in Photoshop:

1. Open Photoshop.
2. Go to Edit > Preferences > Scratch Disks (or Photoshop > Settings > Scratch Disks on Mac).
3. Check a secondary drive (D: or E:) with more free space.
4. Uncheck C: drive and click OK.

Related Guides

• Learn about deleting Adobe Media Cache.
• How to clean up Premiere Pro Scratch Disks.
• Check if you can clean After Effects Disk Cache.