HELP! Photoshop Memory/Quit problems

BA
Posted By
Beth_Ann_Jaworski
Aug 5, 2004
Views
203
Replies
5
Status
Closed
Hey All,

I have suddenly and consistently been getting the following error message in Photoshop: "Could not load color book. Not enough memory (RAM)." Photoshop then quits. It is now to the point where I can do nothing in the program without it quitting on me.

I never got this message before, and I do not have any other programs running simultaneously. I tried increasing memory from 50% to 75% in PSD Preferences/Memory&Image Cache, but this had not helped.

I have a 800MHz PowerMac G4 with 512mb of RAM and a 40gig hard drive. Any help you can give is GREATLY appreciated, as I am the sole employee in my company with a MAC and our IT department can not support me.

Thanks! Beth
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R
Ram
Aug 5, 2004
Beth,

What exact version of the OS? Have you applied the plug-in updates to Photoshop CS? How much available disk space left? How big are your files? How many History states are you set to?

You may indeed be short of memory.

Increasing the % of memory to Photoshop may be counter productive, as you may be starving the OS.

Answer the above questions first, then we can go from there.
BA
Beth_Ann_Jaworski
Aug 5, 2004
OK, sorry… I am running OS Jaguar (10.2.8). I have not applied any plug-in updates, I’ll try that. I have 22Gigs of disk space available and the file I am currently in is 149meg, but most are smaller in size.

I have to be honest, I don’t even know how to set the history states, could you enlighten me? THANKS!!!
R
Ram
Aug 5, 2004
Beth,

You set the number of History states in Preferences. Photoshop Menu > Preferences > General > History states. Set it to a low number for now, like 9 or 10.

Let’s assume for a moment that your OS is using about 162MB of RAM and you are running no other applications simultaneously other than Photoshop. With the memory set at 50%, (remember, that’s 50% of available memory, not installed RAM), Photoshop will be a allowed to use up to 175MB of RAM, and that’s not much really. If you were to set it at 65%, Photoshop would use up to 210MB.

A 149MB file can quickly balloon to over half a meg if you add a few layers. History states also need memory, so Photoshop has to hit the scratch disk.

Try Repairing Permissions (with Apple’s Disk Utility) BEFORE and AFTER any system upgrade as well as BEFORE and AFTER installing any software that uses an installer.

I know it sounds like OS X voodoo, and it is; but it fixes and prevents a bunch of problems.

Additionally, if your machine does not run 24/7 so that it runs the daily, weekly and monthly Cron Scripts in the middle of the night as intended, run Cocktail (shareware) as well.
BA
Beth_Ann_Jaworski
Aug 5, 2004
Thanks for the advice, Ramon! I’ll try it out.

PS – I have not installed the Tryout version CS , as of yet. Not sure if that will help, as well.
R
Ram
Aug 5, 2004
I would not install CS until you fix your memory issue.

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