Hard drive not recognized by Photoshop

Hello,

You cannot "transfer" an installed software from one drive to another. You would need to uninstall it and then reinstall it by entering the activation code again.

Additionally, some software only installs on the main drive (C:) or require that the software settings be configured there.

Furthermore, the installation is likely different depending on whether you have an older version of Photoshop (with its code to copy before uninstalling) or the latest versions, where the validation occurs online (meaning you don’t have control over the choice of drive).

p.s.: I went to Preferences > Hard Disk (my assumption) applies to the designation of a drive or external device of your choice for the default saving of files and not to the installation of the software.

But above all, software does not recognize the presence of a storage drive, but the system, namely Windows.

Therefore, you need to address this issue first if the device (the SSD card) does not appear ("I only have my PC's hard drive."). If the SSD appears, proceed with the uninstall/reinstall I mentioned earlier or check the recommended procedure on Adobe's website for subscription versions.

A knowledgeable user can of course correct or complete my statements.

In the meantime, see: https://helpx.adobe.com/fr/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-remove-app.html

However, I advise against any action (except verifying the recognition of the SSD) before receiving precise information on the installation procedure on a secondary drive).

Hello, thank you first of all for your response! It's true that my message is a bit vague, sorry about that, I will try to clarify as best as I can!
It’s not really about installing and uninstalling the software on another drive but, as you guessed, designating an external drive or medium and making it my working drive where my file recordings would indeed take place!
I go to the preferences tab and then go to "working disk" (which isn’t even hard drives as I had indicated!). At this point, I have this display:

The current drive is indeed my main one but I thought my external device, namely my SSD card, would be recognized...

In that case, maybe it is indeed related to the age of my Photoshop? I tried uninstalling it to reinstall it but unfortunately, it didn't change anything.

Good evening,

Indeed, I misinterpreted your request. That said, since the new drive is not appearing, we should first check that it is present in the disk manager (left-click on the Windows button) on one hand, and that we can save files from programs other than Photoshop.

In my opinion, there should be no reason for access to a volume to be managed differently from one program to another, since it is Windows that controls the file input and output.

Why do you have to go through preferences? Have you tried saving the current file with CTRL/S or the file menu?

Hello,

In fact, this saturation should persist as long as you have only 7 GB left on the main drive.

It is recommended to have at least 10% free space on the main drive for proper management of temporary files and printing operations.

Therefore, you should choose the SSD as the destination, provided that this storage option appears in the "save as" menu, and verify that saving a file of such size generates the same size on the SSD.

Furthermore, it is likely possible to disable a different save for each modification, rather than using the menu you have been trying to select so far.

Another point, since the SSD seems capable of saving files, also check that file saves from other software (with the same size between source and destination) work properly.

If these operations do not establish compliant behavior of Photoshop, we can only hope that another party can untangle this issue and provide you with a solution that I admit I am unable to imagine further.

Hi

What version of Photoshop?

What do you mean by "SSD card" (that doesn’t exist)?

A SD card?

Brand? Model?

How is it connected to the PC? (Internal, USB, card reader?)

What is it formatted as? (FAT32, ExFat, NTFS?)

Give us a screenshot of Windows Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc)

As a working disk, Photoshop requires an internal drive.. external drives or USB keys, etc., are not recognized..
These are drives that are not reliable and whose communication interface is not fast enough...

Hello kaumune, hello contrariness,

And thank you for taking over. I have no doubt that with your expertise, we will manage to solve the equation and at least identify the problem. Don't hesitate to correct previous statements if necessary.

I remain attentive in order to improve my knowledge.

Best regards

Thank you for your responses, I will try to reply as best as I can!

@georges97: "On the other hand, it is probably possible to deactivate a different recording with each modification, rather than using the menu you have tried to select so far." I wish I could, but I can't find any other methods, and even if I manually save a file on my SD card, it doesn't change the fact that Photoshop wants a scratch disk with more space :/

@kaumune :

- Which version of Photoshop?

Photoshop CC 2019

- An SD card?

Yes, sorry, it's a microSD card!

- Brand? Model?

Sandisk Ultra

- Connected how to the PC? (Internal, USB, card reader?)

Card reader, I suppose?

- Formatted how? (FAT32, ExtFat, Ntfs?)

NFTS

- Please send us a screenshot of the Windows disk management (diskmgmt.msc)

@contrariness: That's what I thought, but an Adobe help site suggested that it was possible under the NFTS format. Admittedly, they also say that "USB keys" are "not recommended," but that doesn't mean it's impossible, and besides, it's not really a key for me, it's an SD card. Is it configured the same way?
Here is the link to the site in question:

https://helpx.adobe.com/fr/photoshop/using/scratch-disks-preferences.html

Thank you again for your responses!

Hello,

This post marks my final contribution. At first, you present the issue in terms that suggest you want to install Photoshop on an external drive, while misnaming the drive. No one could blame you for these errors, as the essence of mutual assistance lies in education.

However, your recent posts resemble strong opinions about the use of an (finally identified) SD card, which you unreservedly consider to function and have limitations differently than a USB drive, disputing what several participants in this thread, whom I consider sufficiently competent, have stated.

Furthermore, you disregard the program's warning about the insufficient capacity left on a main drive that is already "tiny" (100 GB, insufficient for demanding use and especially with less than 10% remaining space, which is advised against by all specialists).

In conclusion, basic logic would consist of:

1) transferring everything that clutters C: (data and programs to be reinstalled on another volume)

2) using D: (which you do not mention) for data, with the triple advantage of greater capacity, 97% free space, and especially correct functioning with Photoshop, whether you like it or not.

3) to do this, you should first securely back up the unknown 3% of data present there and convert the drive to NTFS format since there’s no reason, except for the fact that you haven’t indicated it is in exFAT.

4) And of course, I would use D: to save all data, with Photoshop as a priority, even if it means making a copy on a removable drive in your choice of format, without any guarantees.

To finish, I have benefited for over 10 years from the insightful advice of established contributors like contrariness and kaumune, and I will continue to do so. Everyone is free in their choices and experiments, as long as they argue based on recognized foundations, which does not seem evident in this case.

Best wishes.

Very well, I note your answers, it's too bad for me if Photoshop doesn't support the format! It's not convenient for me but I would have tried, haha, thank you!

@george97 :
"1) transfer everything cluttering C: (data and programs to be reinstalled on another volume)" Exactly, that's all I can do, but given that what relates to a "USB key" doesn't allow much for programs, I'm going to have to figure something else out.

"2) use D: (that you don't mention) for data, with the triple advantage of larger capacity, 97% free space, and especially proper functioning with Photoshop, whether you like it or not." That's precisely the SD card I mentioned, I'm afraid.

Thank you for your clear and precise answers!