[camarosource]

[Computer]

[PROBLEM]:

"Could not complete your request because there is not enough memory (RAM)" trying to save a LARGE .PSD file with 2 GIGs memory.

[DESCRIPTION]

I have a HUGE 60megs PSD file that consists of over 200 layers, along with tons of Folders and Subfolders inside conveniently organizing a very large project for a Client.

The problem is i've reached my limit apparently.. Opening up the file immediately causes the photoshop.exe to use 1.7 GIGS of ram.

Now it seems that can't go any futher in this project since the memory required is nearly the MAX installed and can't get more as I have the MAX 1 GIG per each of the 2 available slots that comes with the motherboard.

There HAS to be a setting I have wrong.. Adobe recommends least 512MEGS of RAM for Photoshop.. Yet I have the MAX my motherboard can hold which is 2 GIGS..

So I am assuming there must be a set up reason? Why couldn't it just use Virtual RAM DISK?

Is there ANYTHING that can be done to stop the out of memory problems???

In fact I can load the file up, then just SAVE IT (Done nothing to the file) and it sends that Not enough RAM prompt.

[STATS]

Motherboard: Asus AI Series (P5S800-VM) with 2 memory slots at a max limit of 1GIG PER slot.
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 CPU (3.0GHZ)
RAM : 2 GIG's (1 GIG per slot installed)

[Main setup]

C: = 10 GIGs remaining
D: = 19 GIGs remaining

Computer Loads on C:

- Adobe is on C:
- Adobe Settings - Scratch Disk : First = "D:"
: Second = "None"
: Third = "None"
: Fourth = "None"

- Cache Settings (Levels = 6) (I've tried 1 - 6 but not sure what this does)
- Min Memory used my Photoshop : 40% (705MB) (Again, I've tried all the way to 90%)

I Need this fixed URGENTLY!!

[pixelzombie]

check your history options, Adobe in their infinite wisdom decided that it should automatically make a snapshot by default, which means a 1 gig image is really 2 gigs in size..turn that off and quit photoshop and try opening your image again, you seem to have enough scratch disk space but photoshop is truly a ram hog...

[camarosource]

Did what you said about the history snapshot being turned OFF. But still same thing. I can load the file, then immediately SAVE without any changes and it still prompts about running out of RAM.

[Doug Nelson]

Sounds like your drives are full. I generally recommend never letting any one drive get more than 50% full before expanding, especially the OS drive. There's too much invisible stuff that takes up space.

[dennisu]

Every time you add a new layer your workfile increases about the same size (in Mb) as the background layer. You have 200 layers active, so this will be very very memory consuming.

Is it possible to merge down some layers or layer groups? In that case you'll be able to free up some megs...

[DannyRaphael]

Besides the suggestions so far, looks like a lot of info here:

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DMUS_en___US215&q=Could+not+complete+your+request+because+there+is+not+enough+memory

[Kraellin]

increase your windows swap file space, the 'virtual memory'.

close down unneeded applications to save on memory use. if you're working while also online to the internet, go offline so you can close down anti-virus, anti-spyware and all that stuff associated with internet protection.

go http://www.blackviper.com and read up on freeing up resources in windows. windows runs a LOT of junk you just dont need and it all eats up computer resources. this guy knows more about windows JUNK than anyone else i know.

even though windows xp doesnt use very well ram in excess of 2 gigs, it will use it. so, increase your ram.

lower your screen resolution on windows. displaying in VERY large resolutions eats resources over and above smaller resolutions sizes and 'should' refresh faster. no guarantees, but it shld.

change your monitor's refresh rate to a lower setting. this may or may not gain you much, depending on vid card type and monitor type.

cut your file in half. i've worked on VERY large files before, 90 megs and larger. and where i dont recall one of those with 200 layers, i do know that i can often just do a copy merge and paste as new layer somewhere, save the file and then do a control c, control v on that copy merged layer and start 'fresh' on that 'new' image while killing the original out of memory. this can free up a TON of resources. only you will be able to determine if this is possible for your large, current file, however. but, hopefully you can do this.

and even if you dont break the file up, you can often just save the file, kill it and reload it. this will usually free up quite a bit of memory due to the undo-redo nature of graphic editors. all those undos have to be stored in memory so that photoshop knows what to undo. that eats up memory like mad. sometimes this is saved off to the scratch disk or swap file, but not always. so, save, kill and reload when Photoshop is slogging down to a crawl.

and, if you're working on this type of file often, upgrade your computer. get a quad-core at the fastest cpu speed you can find and afford. the quads really do make a BIG difference.

also, i've never known or worked on a large file where i couldnt just delete some of my early layers. again, this is your determination here, but i'd seriously take a look at that possibility. 1.7 gigs on load-up is pretty insane

[chillin]

If the OS is Vista then Ready Boost could help.

[camarosource]

Originally Posted by Kraellin

increase your windows swap file space, the 'virtual memory'.

How? Where?

close down unneeded applications to save on memory use. if you're working while also online to the internet, go offline so you can close down anti-virus, anti-spyware and all that stuff associated with internet protection.

I have nothing loaded.

go http://www.blackviper.com and read up on freeing up resources in windows. windows runs a LOT of junk you just dont need and it all eats up computer resources. this guy knows more about windows JUNK than anyone else i know.

even though windows xp doesnt use very well ram in excess of 2 gigs, it will use it. so, increase your ram.

Can't increase ram. I am at my max. Only 2 DDR slots on the motherboard with a MAX capacity of 1 GIG per slot. I have 1 GIG per each of the 2 slots = 2 GIGs.


I Can;'t even SHRINK the file size because the MOMENT I load the file and just SAVE IT.. Even not even doing ANYTHING to it yet.. It's maxed out memory.. So I can't merge layers.. I'm STUCK!

[pixelzombie]

there is a way to open the file with all layers flattened but i don't think that would do you any good...

[Doug Nelson]

Scrutize your hd and find stuff to delete. Uninstall software you never use or can easily reinstall later. Buy an external hd (I recommend the Seagate Freeagent 750GB) and move your images, documents, audio, movie files, etc.

[camarosource]

GOT IT! Least somewhat for me!

I tried an experiment and remembered someone saying for every history change listest, it repeats the file again. I changed a bunch of layers and tried to save.. OUT OF RAM MSG.. I then CLEARED THE HISTORY SLATE and so far that seems to allow me to (least so far) do whatever changes I need to and allow me to save

[pixelzombie]

i've always worked on a mac and have never gotten an out of memory error and i've worked on some big files, there still seems to be an issue with your scratch disk as you seem to have enough room on them...