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Participant
June 23, 2025
Question

I need to start Over

  • June 23, 2025
  • 4 replies
  • 235 views

I have been using photoshop elements 2020. My last computer crashed. I am not trying to reset it up on a Windows 11 machine. It is installed, and it looks like the tags were imported. However, none of the people have associated names (tags) and no other tags are associated with the pictures. How can I re establish those connections without doing one picture at a time. I have a catalog from aobut 2 years ago. Do I somehow import that? I'm lost.

4 replies

Greg_S.
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 24, 2025

Instructions for moving a catalog and its photos are found in this Adobe HelpX article, which gives full step-by-step instructions for how to restore the backup that you already have.  However, because you have already imported the images to your new computer, you may end up with duplicate photos on your machine, if you are not careful.  This is not a bad idea, since you can never have enough backups.  But I really need more details from you so that I can suggest how to avoid this problem and not make a mess of your folder structure.

 

So, where are your photo files currently stored?  (On your system C drive or on another internal or external drive?)

Where were those files when you imported them into the current catalog on your new computer?  Did you simply import from the backup folder - which would mean that the files now have the backup names with the B000 prefix?

If the files were originally in the My Photos or My Pictures folder on your old computer, have you set up the new computer with exactly the same Windows user name account?

Greg_S.
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 24, 2025

Does your backup folder have a file named Backup.tly ?  Does it have photo files that have a name prefix of B000?  If so, you should restore that backup using the Elements program that you have installed on your new computer.  

 

To better advise you, we need to know what you did to restore your files to your new machine.

john_5621Author
Participant
June 24, 2025

Thank you for your response. The folder does have a file with a .tly extension. The other files start with B0000001.xmp and continue sequentially numbered with .xmp files, then .json files, then picture files ending in B0041408.JPG.

You suggested, “If so, you should restore that backup using the Elements program…” Can you explain how that is done?

What I have done so far is to make sure Elements was installed and then imported all my pictures.

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 23, 2025

Did you create a backup of the catalog?

john_5621Author
Participant
June 24, 2025

I believe so. I have a folder with about 41,000 files, There are a lot of *.xmp files, *.jspn files, and jpeg files with attached tags.

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
June 23, 2025

@john_5621 

 

I've moved your post from Photoshop to the Photoshop Elements forum.

 

Jane