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Question

Had PE11 on Windows 8.1 and installed on Windows 10. PE11 not opening photos on Ext HD as previous

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
October 31, 2019
4 replies
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Had PE11 on [C:] drive of a Windows 8.1 laptop with photos located on [F:] external HD. Got a new laptop with Windows 10 and Adobe helped me download my Photoshop Elements 11 and Premier Elements 11. Using the same [F:] external HD, Adobe could not get the Photoshop Organizer to recognize my photos on the [F:].

On my Windows 8.1 laptop I believe my Catalog was on my [C:] internal HD. My new laptop has 256GB SSD [C:] internal HD and 1TB HDD internal HD. Adobe downloaded the PE11 to my [C:] instead of my [D:]. Not sure how to find where my catalog is on my new Windows 10 HD.

I now very little about computers and I really need a solution to help me have the Photoshop Media and Catalog for all of my 15,000+ photos. Thanks!

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MichelBParis

Legend

"So I should double-click the catalog.pse11.db on just my [D:] drive and not my [C:] drive?"

Yes.

Double clicking the catalog.pse11db in a catalog folder will open the organizer with the corresponding catalog. It appears that your old catalog is on D : while the catalog on C: is an empty one created when PSE was installed.

- The catalog.pse11db file in the catalog folder is the main database. Double clicking tells your Windows operating system to open the organizer with the catalog containing the catalog.pse11db file. The organizer can't work without a catalog. This choice is remembered by the organizer the next time you open it. The menu File >> manage catalogs shows two radio buttons for the type of location of the catalog folder. Either the default location on C: or a 'custom' location, which can be on any drive or master folder. This lets you change catalog if you have several ones. You also have the option to 'move' the catalog from the 'custom' location to the default one (for all users).

- The main database catalog.pse11db stores the location (drive + path) of each file. If you move or copy the whole catalog folder from your Windows Explorer, that information does not change. Your files on F: are still on F: which explains why you don't need to update the contents of the database.

- In your case, it does not matter much if your catalog folder is on C: or D : drives since the location is remembered by the organizer. It may be better to move the whole catalog folder from D : to the default location on C:, either from the organizer (menu File >> move ... for all users) or even from the Windows Explorer. That's a more obvious location to remember and the SSD will be faster. However if the size of your SSD appears to be a bit small, choosing the D : drive is quite good.

Lou216Author

Known Participant

Michel, tried to reply to your email, but didn't work so I am back on Adobe. I appreciate your help and I apologize for asking questions that, to you, must make you be scratching your head and asking "Who is this Lou guy?" I just don't know much about computers (as you can tell) and afraid to screw up this process. I think I have it, but just want to run my steps by you first.

(1) My [C:] SSD is only 256GB and is filling up faster than I would like, so I will not be moving my Catalog file here. Nor will I move it to my [F:] external HD, but will keep it where it is on my [D:] HDD.

(2) I will plug in my [F:] ext. HD with the photos into my laptop.

(3) Do I open PE11 now and click on Organizer, or do I do this later?

(4) Go to my D>GeekSquad Data Backup 9-1-19>ProgramData>Adobe>Elements Organizer>Catalogs>My Catalog and double-click on catalog.pse11db file.

(5) In the PE11 Organizer, click on Manage Catalogs in the File drop down menu.

(6) Click the radio button 'custom' and enter the path to my catalog - D>GeekSquad Data Backup 9-1-19>ProgramData>Adobe>Elements Organizer>Catalogs>My Catalog or do I take it one step further by listing one of the files under My Catalog?

(7) If I get to this point and have not screwed things up, will the catalog be available immediately to all of my photos, or will there be a long downloading period?

Thanks again, Michel

MichelBParis

Legend

The first and hopefully only thing to do is to plug in your F: drive, to check that the organizer is not running and to double click on on the catalog.pse11db file in the D : drive.

There is absolutely no risk in doing so.

I am pretty sure that the result will be that you'll see the organizer starting and displaying your catalog.

(Even if that does not work, you'll get an error message which should be useful.)

Only after you try that, have a look at my comments to your last post:

Good, that makes sense.

(2) I will plug in my [F:] ext. HD with the photos into my laptop.

Yes, you must to that first.

(3) Do I open PE11 now and click on Organizer, or do I do this later?

No, double clicking will open the organizer for you.

(4) Go to my D>GeekSquad Data Backup 9-1-19>ProgramData>Adobe>Elements Organizer>Catalogs>My Catalog and double-click on catalog.pse11db file.

Yes!!!

(5) In the PE11 Organizer, click on Manage Catalogs in the File drop down menu.

This will be for the next time you want to access your catalog.

(6) Click the radio button 'custom' and enter the path to my catalog - D>GeekSquad Data Backup

Then, you should not need to do that, the organizer should remember the custom location and open the catalog automatically.

9-1-19>ProgramData>Adobe>Elements Organizer>Catalogs>My Catalog or do I take it one step further by listing one of the files under My Catalog?

No need to do that. Only if you want to manage other catalogs. When you need to manage different catalogs, the menu File >> manage catalogs offers the required buttons.

(7) If I get to this point and have not screwed things up, will the catalog be available immediately to all of my photos, or will there be a long downloading period?

The only risk is that the catalog does not open, nothing will be changed in the catalog or in the photo files.

I hope other users are interested by your pertinent questions.

I want to stress that my own workflow has much in common with yours. I don't use a SSD, but I want to share the same library and catalog between two desktops 200 miles apart... I have stored both my photo files and the catalog on an external drive which I plug in alternatively depending on my travels.

What should be interesting for you is that I am a bit paranoid about safety. So I do use a second external drive which I keep in sync after each editing session for the photo files. I also do a simple copy of the catalog folder on that secondary drive and also on my internal drive. And you know what? Any of both copies of the catalog do work perfectly with the photo files in the first external drive. Periodically, I create a full backup from the organizer on a third external drive, and my advice is to do the same for your library.

MichelBParis

Legend

Michael (or anyone else who can help) - Before I do anything with my Catelog I have a few questions. Since my photos are on my [F:] external hard drive, you say there is nothing I need to do with that (although I anticipate replacing this [F:] drive in the future. My new laptop has 256GB SSD labled [C:] and a 1TB HDD labeled as [D:]. The Geek Squad moved my folders and files from my old laptop(which had only a [C:] drive) and installed them on my new computer's [D:] drive. I found my Catalog under D>Geek Squad Backup 9-1-19>Program Data>Adobe>Elements Organizer>Catalogs>Catalog and in that Catalog folder I have the following:

BreezeDate 8/29/2019 File folder

CAXMPFiles 8/29/2019 File folder

Previews 12/7/2013 File Folder

WaldoData 8/29/2019 File folder

backupCt.data 8/29/2019 1KB

catalog.pse11db 8/29/2019 175,041KB

collstatus.dat 8/29/2019 1KB

face.thumb9.cache 8/7/2019 428,208KB

peoplestatus.dat 8/29/2019 1KB

rmf.3.cache 8/6/2019 1KB

tagstatus.dat 8/29/2019 1KB

lthumb.5.cache 8/29/2019 661,602KB

That sounds exacty what you need: simply double click on the 'catalog.pse11db' file.

This should open the organizer with the catalog folder moved by your Geek squad.

I am confident that will work, then we'll see if you have to store the catalog elsewhere.

Lou216Author

Known Participant

So I should double-click the catalog.pse11.db on just my [D:] drive and not my [C:] drive?

MichelBParis

Legend

"On my Windows 8.1 laptop I believe my Catalog was on my [C:] internal HD."

That's the default location. You can check in which drive and folder your catalog folder is situated by using the menu Help >> System Information of the organizer in your old laptop. The new installation of the programs in the new laptop has not transferred anything of your own files and your catalog. The usual way to transfer catalog and photo file folders tree is to create a full backup on an external drive, then a restore on custom location in the new computer or drive. In your case, you don't need to transfer the photo files which are still on the same location on your F: drive. You only need to transfer the catalog folder from your old computer to the new one. Using the Explorer you can move or copy the catalog folder where you want so that it is accessible from your new computer. I would recommend copying the catalog somewhere in your F: drive (outside of your photo folders tree).

Once the copy is made, look in the catalog folder for a catalog.pse11db file, and double click it. That will open the organizer with the copied catalog. If you prefer to store your catalog in the default location on C:, use the organizer menu, catalog manager to move it back to default location.

Lou216Author

Known Participant

Being a computer novice, I'm not sure that I totally understand this. However, I will see if I can get some help and give it a try. Thanks, and I will update you after my efforts.