Catalog on network storage

Just install the PSE2021 trial version to check. As far as I know there has been nothing new which could change the way you are working with PSE11.

Does PSE 2021 support having the catalog on a network drive yet?

 

Despite Adobe not recommending it, we have been storing our catalog on a network drive for both PSE 5 and (currently) PSE 11.  Since my wife and I both share the catalog from 2 different PCs, it is the only (?) solution.  Of course, having *anything* on a NAS with redundant drives is a good idea.

 

PSE can be prodiguously slow for certain operations (even on reasonably fast spec PCs), but we tolerate it for the safety and convenience of having the catalog on redundant network storage.  However, I dream of the day when Adobe finally realise that being able to have the catalog on  network storage is a good idea.

By @steerage250

You know, Adobe and many others have dreamed about that from the beginning (2003 ?)

I have found nothing really official from Adobe on the subject. more than 5 years ago, there was a post by Chris Cox explaining why Adobe did not want to 'support' (= help) with using NAS on Elements. Only exception, it's mentioned that a catalog on a NAS will not work on Apple computers.

Now, the number of interested users is much less than before for a number of reasons.

- today, the majority of users would prefer a Cloud solution like Lightroom and not a NAS sharing managed mostly by a single user (the boss, who knows about IT...)

- From the beginning, users have learnt how to share the catalog and library on an external drive plugged in alternatively to different computers.

- Remember that anyway, PSE is licensed to a single user and that it's not created for multiuser access.

- About the safety, what has changed drastically is the use of small, reliable and affordable external drives. The huge advantage is that you can have many drives on different locations. Even with a NAS, you need such additional backups.

Personally, I don't see the point of a NAS. Cost, complexity, lack of speed, need for additional drive and/or Cloud backup.