Inspiring

Question

Duplicate Backup Files

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
February 15, 2021
13 replies
1241 views

I just installed Photoshop elements 2021 (version 19.0.0.0 oddly enough) on a new Win10 PC. After importing my file from another PC and PE 2014, I made a backup of my data on my F:\ drive. A week later, I edited some files and accepted the prompt to backup my work and another backup was created on C drive (C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs). The catalog manager only displays the first one on F: drive (where I want it) and labels it as “current”. The System Information only identifies the one on C drive.

I want to specify where all backups are to go (F: drive). I can’t find that option, and I'm confused as to why these two views are different. How do I fix this?

Thanks.

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MichelBParis

Legend

I just installed Photoshop elements 2021 (version 19.0.0.0 oddly enough) on a new Win10 PC. After importing my file from another PC and PE 2014, I made a backup of my data on my F:\ drive. A week later, I edited some files and accepted the prompt to backup my work and another backup was created on C drive (C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs). The catalog manager only displays the first one on F: drive (where I want it) and labels it as “current”. The System Information only identifies the one on C drive.

I want to specify where all backups are to go (F: drive). I can’t find that option, and I'm confused as to why these two views are different. How do I fix this?

Thanks.

By @WSC33

You say:

I made a backup of my data on my F:\ drive.

How?

Did you use the catalog manager to create a backup with the option to backup the file structure (without the media files)?

Did you only specify the F: drive (the root folder) without creating a folder to store the resulting the backup folder?

It's always a bad idea to store your data directly in the root folder. The worst result is that if you start a new backup, everything will be mixed together and totally unuseable. Whether you want to create a full backup, and incremental backup or a catalog structure one, you have create your destination folder; preferably with a clear folder name, specifying the type and the date of the backup.

You say:

"...and accepted the prompt to backup my work and another backup was created on C drive (C:\Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs)"

Depending on your preferences, PSE2021 (version 19 - 19th version since the first version in 2002 ) offers a new automatic backup feature by making a copy of the catalog folder (minus the thumbnail cache, which is the bigger part and does not need to be copied since it can be recreated automatically.)

I suppose you have agreed to the prompt when exiting the organizer. That's the automatic part commented by @yachikag65468126

If I am right, you now have two versions of the catalog structure backup.

The first one is voluntary and created and restore from the catalog manager. It's also much longer to process.

The second one is automatic and very fast; it's restored automatically when crashes are recorded in the system.

Anyway, the important thing to keep in mind is that both solutions don't backup the media files. And there is a much simpler solution, available to all versions of Elements: just copy periodically the catalog folder as a backup on your external drive. You find that catalog folder from the menu 'Help >> System Information'

W

WSC33Author

Inspiring

“You say: I made a backup of my data on my F:\ drive. How?

Did you use the catalog manager to create a backup with the option to backup the file structure (without the media files)? Did you only specify the F: drive (the root folder) without creating a folder to store the resulting the backup folder?”

To be honest, I don’t remember, but I suppose I did as you suggested, and I stored the backup in a folder called “F:\Scott Elements 2021 Catalog” on my F drive which is reserved exclusively for my photos and related data. I'm assuming this means that, yes, I stored it in a folder on the root drive of F:\ or are you suggesting that the folder "Scott Elements 2021 Catalog" must be a subfolder under another folder? And when I do a backup I should create a whole new folder instead of updating the existing one? Is this what PSE does on the automatic auto-backup? I mean, does it create a new date-specific catalog backup each time? I see no sense in creating multiple backups, just keeping the existing one reasonably current. Am I missing something?

Yes, I have two versions as you describe. I realize that they don’t backup the media. I handle that via my backup program to an external drive (obviously along with my other files). After a disaster, I would put media files back and then look to PSE to reapply the catalog.

Am I missing anything?

MichelBParis

Legend

I totally agree that it is confusing to choose among the various solutions for your backup strategy, and that is particularly true for the 'catalog folder structure backup' in PSE2021.

Not widely known and never suggested in help docs for previous versions:

- finding the location of the catalog folder and using the explorer to manually copy it where you want. Typically in an external drive or a dedicated OneDrive, Dropbox or Google drive synced folder.

- including the path of your catalog folder in your usual external backup software.

- Using 'syncing tools' like Microsoft SyncToy or Syncredible to sync the catalog folder to another drive.

New in PSE2021:

The 'automatic' catalog feature is well implemented in my opinion. I have set it to ask on exit. It will protect against user errors and software bugs. It checks for errors. It is remarkably fast. I don't see any drawback to using it even with other backup strategies.

New again, the option for the traditional backup procedure to offer catalog structure backup additionally to full and incremental backups. Not automatic, much slower. Good for longtime users using the full backups. Probably the best if you want to keep versions of different dates.

I recommend to test both and choose for one's own situation.

I handle that via my backup program to an external drive (obviously along with my other files). After a disaster, I would put media files back and then look to PSE to reapply the catalog.

Maybe you are missing that external backups can only restore the files and the catalog ONLY on the original drive. The restored catalog points to the original drive, not the new drive or computer. All your files are 'disconnected'. Good luck to reconnect! Just try to restore on a new spare external drive or partition and report back.

MichelBParis

Legend

Much too dangerous to specify only the drive for the backup.

You must specify a distinct destination folder each time.

Y

yachikag65468126

Adobe Employee

Hi WSC33,

Thanks for reaching out to Adobe forums.

To clear the concept of two backup types, the backup you saved on F:\ drive is the manual backup of your catalog. Here, you can specify the backup location of your choice. Using this backup file, you can later restore your catalog either on same or a different pc.

The automatic backup that is by default saved on C:\ drive, has its significance in auto restoring the corrupted catalog on same pc. In case your catalog gets corrupted, catalog manager will identify its automatic backup on c drive (at: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs\_AutoBackup_) and will automatically restore the corrupted catalog, saving your time to create everything from scratch.

I hope this answers your query.

Thanks!

W

WSC33Author

Inspiring

You know, that makes sense to me but the odd thing is that both folders are almost exactly the same size, contain very close to the same number of files, and have the same folder structure. There are no photos in either backup. I'm not sure why I need two different backups that contain the same information. The first is just out of date.

And why would I use this older one when there is another more current version that I only learned about by accident? I must have been asked at the beginning where to put the first catalog backup (F: drive), and I assumed my backups on exit would keep it current. I didn’t get asked for the second folder to be created. I was prompted for permission to backup the catalog that ended up on C drive when I exited the program. I don’t consider that automatic. I went looking for the other (C:) when I noticed that the F:\ drive one didn’t have any new files or updated dates.

I understand the need to back up the catalog, but I'm not sure why I can’t specify where it should go nor why I don’t see both of these backups in Catalog Manager and in the System Information view. BTW, both catalog backups have the same name, but as I noted, the first is not being updated with the current catalog information.

What am I not getting?

Thanks.

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