How to Delete Photoshop Temp Files on Windows 10

Theo Lucia updated Jul 07, 26

5 min(s)

TL;DR:

To safely delete Photoshop temporary files on Windows 10, fully close the application and its background tasks via Task Manager, open the %temp% folder using the Win + R command, and manually delete the Adobe-related .tmp files.
    ● Avoid deleting recently modified temporary files if Photoshop crashed before saving, as these specific files contain vital auto-recovery data for unfinished PSD projects.
    ● Purge the cache directly from within the Photoshop application or verify your assigned scratch disk locations, as large scratch files may be stored on drives other than your primary C: drive.
    ● Restart Windows or verify your administrator permissions if specific temporary files remain locked and display errors preventing deletion after all Adobe processes are closed.

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Photoshop temp files on Windows 10 can be deleted by fully closing Photoshop, locating temporary files in the Windows temp folder, and removing files linked to Photoshop or large .tmp items created during editing sessions. Photoshop scratch data and cache can also be reduced from inside the app to help clear Photoshop cache on Windows safely.

Follow these steps to remove Photoshop temporary files and free up space safely.

Step 1
Close Photoshop and related Adobe processes. Open Task Manager and end Photoshop or Adobe background tasks if any remain open. Temporary files may stay locked until all related processes are closed.
Step 2
Open the Windows temp folder. Press Win + R, type %temp%, and press Enter. The folder usually stores many temporary items, including Photoshop temporary files.
Step 3
Find and delete Photoshop-related temp files carefully. Look for files with names linked to Photoshop or Adobe, and sort by Date modified or Size. Avoid deleting very recent files if Photoshop crashed before the project was saved.
Step 4
Empty Recycle Bin if permanent removal is needed. Deleted temp files still use disk space until Recycle Bin is cleared.
Step 5
Clear cache from Photoshop if the app still uses extra space. Open Photoshop, then use cache or purge options available in the app to clear Photoshop cache on Windows. Save active work first, because purge actions can remove undo history.

Common Issues and Fixes

Temp files cannot be deleted — Likely cause: Photoshop or Adobe services are still running. Fix: close Photoshop completely and end leftover processes in Task Manager.
Wrong files are hard to identify — Likely cause: the temp folder contains files from many apps. Fix: sort by Date Modified or Size and remove only recent Photoshop-related items.
Disk space does not increase much — Likely cause: scratch disk data may be stored on another drive. Fix: check Photoshop scratch disk settings and review free space on the assigned drive.
Photoshop recreates temp files again — Likely cause: temporary and cache files are generated during normal editing. Fix: reduce open projects, increase free space, and clear old temp data regularly.
Unsaved work disappears after cleanup — Likely cause: recent temp files may contain recovery data for unfinished sessions. Fix: check Photoshop auto-recovery options before deleting recent temporary files.

Quick tips to avoid problems during cleanup:

Restart Windows before cleanup if Photoshop temp files remain locked after closing the app.
Avoid deleting all temp files blindly if recent Photoshop crashes occurred, because recovery-related data may still exist.
Scratch disk files may be much larger than normal temp files and can appear on drives other than C:.
Administrator permission may be required to remove some Photoshop temporary files.

💡Protip:

Before deleting recent Photoshop temp files, confirm that important PSD projects have been saved. Temp cleanup can remove crash-recovery data that may still be needed for unsaved work.