Adobe photoshop "not enough ram" message opening a 60 MB TIFF file

I am working with Windows 7 x64 on a full HD monitor, Intel i5-2500K and 8 GB RAM, currently available 5,5GB. I tried to extend photoshop's memory usage and scratch disk settings as following:

Photoshop performance settings

But as I try to open a 60MB TIFF file with compression, dimensions 7040x9860 (resulted by scanning with 1200ppi) I still get the mentioned message:

Error message

Why are 5,5 GB not enough to open a 60 MB file? I don't have any clues!

Update: I understand that 60 MB compressed would take much more place after decompression, which must be done by opening the file. That's why a just tried the following: I scanned the same document but chose uncompressed TIFF. The resulted file is approximately 200 MB and it can be opened by Photoshop! Well this causes more confusion...

Update 2: Here's the Photoshop's about dialog for those who are asking:

enter image description here

Danny Lo

Posted 2014-08-08T13:17:18.310

Reputation: 172

Could you give an exact translation of the error message into english please? – YetiFiasco – 2014-08-08T14:06:02.700

The 60MB file is compressed. Uncompressed it will use much more memory (almost ideally it will use 264.75MiB, but with multiple layers this it could need much much worse.

(Logic for 264MiB: 1)

You mention 7040x9860.
7040x9860 is 69414400 pixels.
Assuming 4 bytes per data (For R, G, B and alfa channel) and you need:

69414400 pixels * 4 bytes = 277657600 bytes

That is a large number, lets make it a bit more readable:

277657600 bytes is 277657600/1024 KiB (271.150KiB) which is 264.75MiB. – Hennes – 2014-08-08T14:06:23.080

Error translated: "Could not progress because there is insufficient memory (RAM) available" – Hennes – 2014-08-08T14:07:19.253

1I suspect this is more about the virtual memory then the physical memory. This the same machine the file was created on? – Ramhound – 2014-08-08T14:17:12.527

@Ramhound Yes, it's the same PC. I just scanned a picture on a MFP and wanted to open it. – Danny Lo – 2014-08-08T14:17:57.603

What's the version reported in the About dialog? – and31415 – 2014-08-08T14:29:40.107

@and31415 Please see the updated question. – Danny Lo – 2014-08-08T14:36:50.680

Latest version is 12.0.4. Close Photoshop, install the update, and then try again.

– and31415 – 2014-08-08T14:40:20.887

Answers

I had the same problem on an 8GB machine and a 12GB machine with a 12MB TIFF using PsE. I opened the file in GIMP which told me the file had a "bad null bit" (but opened it anyway). I exported this image back to hard drive with a new filename, and this GIMP output opened in Adobe fine.

D Washburn

Posted 2014-08-08T13:17:18.310

Reputation: 21

I expect that this (file corruption) was the issue, in light of the fact the OP was able to open a different version of the scan using the same workflow. Certainly the pixel dimensions and 200MB memory footprint are both supported by Photoshop. – Yorik – 2017-01-10T22:43:18.267

No definite answer, but some things to ponder on:

Compression, may require immense amounts of extra RAM temporarily.
--> This might be something allocated OUTSIDE Ps's memory realm; if you reserve all memory for Ps - then there is none to get.
I assume C:\ is your system- and software installation-disk.

a) Reorder your temporary folders; make D:\ be used first or "only"
--> better leave the system disk as a "last option".

b) make Windows swapfile appear on D:\ - not C:\ - the swapfile may well eat up all 10 GB in memory hungry operations
--> At least older Windows versions has a habit of misbehaving severely in that situation.

Hannu

Posted 2014-08-08T13:17:18.310

Reputation: 4 950