Same issue here, and I don't have any third-party plugins, brushes, etc. In fact, it's a relatively new install of CS5 on a new machine. Of all the CS5 (production bundle) apps, only Photoshop seems to have this particular issue, and it's a pretty big pain having to close PS every time I want to eject/swap out a drive. (CS5 on Mac)

I experience the same issue on a regular basis—with both Photoshop CS5 and CS5.1. It's a standard install, no additional custom plug-ins, brushes, etc. My macbook mounts a TIme Machine backup drive when connected to a display and frequently requires me to quit Photoshop before I can eject the drive to move my machine. The backup drive has no other data on it. It's just backup.

My best guess is that the issue is related to fonts. Photoshop has prompted me in the past asking for permission to use/access fonts it's found on the backup drive—which I always deny. I assume when I open documents that have unrecognized fonts that it automatically searches for fonts on my machine to display things properly. I'm wondering now if it's still able to access those fonts. I don't see any other reason it would be running anything from the backup drive. I would rather it left my external drives alone.

MacBook Pro, OSX 10.6.8

Photoshop CS5.1

Same issue here, fresh install of CS5 and no other data on the external disk. Scratch disk is not the backup drive, I'm not saving anything on it, all my Photoshop files go to another place. I never received any error or any font related permission question.

Why should it hold onto the Time Machine disk? Why Adobe doesn't answer that?

I have the same thing going since the moment I use Photoshop 12.1 from CS5.5 on Mac OS X 10.6.8.

This problem occurs with any harddisk connected. I have nothing on those harddisks I am using in Photoshop, not even fonts, just music and video. They also are not checked in preferences-volumes and I have no additional plugins, just standard install and I never use Adobe Bridge.

Always when Photoshop is running, when I want to eject a harddisk, it says its used by Photoshop and I have to quit Photoshop in order to eject.

This should just not be happening.

Anyone found a solution for this yet?

The "Mondo Virtual Memory" (or is it "Machine"?) framework (MVM for short) is internal to Photoshop, so yes, you are using it.

As far as I can see, this is a bona fide problem with Photoshop and Adobe has been reluctant/slow to acknowledge it.  And it seems to be a cross-platform problem as well - on some systems Photoshop puts temporary files in the TEMP folder you have identified, and on others, it seems to put them wherever it wants to.

We hope this will be fixed in Photoshop CS6, which is just around the corner.  Can we expect them to release an update to CS5.anything at this point?  Seems unlikely.

-Noel

But... but, if you don't buy another update, how will you know when it's fixed? Adobe is counting you to beta test this kind of stuff with each new version.

Yeah, I'm just bitter at this point. I've purchased the last three suites only to find they all have the same bugs, along with a whole new crop of their own. Adobe leaves the impression they're no longer interested in supporting the professional design community, but they sure don't mind charging for their broken wares as if they were still premium tools.

I totally agree that the there is more and more bugs in Adobe products. Each new version has only a few new "features" but also new bugs.

This is an unbearable situation and mostly it is because we are stuck with the software. There is no real options for Photoshop for example.

Why Adobe should do anything - we buy the next version anyway, right?

I wouldn't mind being a beta tester if it would have some influence to the actual product(s).

This "Photoshop CS5 using my external disks" is just one of the bugs that have been in the software for too long (this discussion has started over a year ago). I bet Adobe is aware about it.

Is there any site or discussion group that collects the bugs? Maybe if enough people would report the bug(s) it might have some effects.

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

Ouzones, check here:

http://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family

-Noel

Unfortunately, I don't believe Adobe's products are up to the standards of "commercial quality" anymore. I work with several publishers who continue to use CS3 simply because they've found CS5 unsuitable for deadline-driven production work. It's true Photoshop owns the market and has little to no competition, but I think many of us look forward to a time when that is no longer the case. And it's never a good thing when your best customers are rooting against you.

I don't question their will to innovate -- they truly have done some amazing stuff lately -- but I really question their commitment to production-quality software.

Competition may come slowly, but I think it will come eventually. Pixelmator is already doing a lot to replace the need for Photoshop among game developers and Web artists, and with luck, a new 800-pound gorilla will enter the professional-grade media market to help clean up the mess Photoshop and the rest of the CS suite have become.

Hmmph. I guess I really AM bitter about this.

Hi VeryVito

Thanks for sharing. My personal fix for this problem was: Going back to CS4. It also solved a lot of other things that annoyed me about CS5, mostly new "features" that could not be shut off.

I completely agree with your above posts. Adobe software is on a very low level regarding GUI user experience.