Photoshop: hangs after a few minutes using brush

[illustratorDavi]

Hi

I've been working on an image using a pastel-style brush (included in the photoshop, not an extra)

I get so far and after about a minute photoshop stalls, the beachball comes up and when I go to another app the arrow stays as a brush outline. Photoshop remains frozen for a few minutes and I end up doing a force quit (the finder doesn't give me the option just to quit)

This has happened for the last 8 times i've tried to work on this illustration. The image is at 800dpi but reducing it down to 400dpi doesn't stop this from happening. I have an illustrator smart object above the layer i'm editing and a scanned image below it.

I first tried deleting the preference files - this didn't fix it
I reinstalled the mac os and photoshop - this didn't fix it

I'm using Photoshop CS2 on a 2.7 G5 running 10.4.3 (the latest security updates) 3gb of ram and 85% given to photoshop but i've also tried reducing it to 60%.

I suspect it could be a problem with the Crucial ram (although i've had it installed for a few months without any big problems) but I don't really want to risk taking them out. Is there a ram testing app anyone recommends?

Any suggestions would be great !!!

Thanks
David

 

[Blue Velvet]

Long shot but have you tried reducing the number of history states in Photoshop to see if that makes a difference? How much capacity left on your HD?

That 800ppi resolution may be leading to some massive scratch files that may need purging.

Also, have you tried working on that layer in a new document rather than the existing one with the additional layers above and below? I guess you may be using the layer beneath as a guide though...

 

[ATD]

I have had bad RAM before, it will cause your whole system to crash, not just one app. Don't get me wrong, try some tests on it but it sounds like a different problem. There is a age old problem (PS 5 and on) that I and others I know have had with PS brushes. Namely, if you are using large brushes, don't zoom in tight to the area you are working on. If your brush screen size (the brush circle) is larger than your fist, there is a good chance it with freeze PS. Try zooming back until the brush circle is much smaller.