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christybeth
Participant
February 9, 2024
Answered

Premiere Elements Organizer

  • February 9, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 408 views

I moved to a new computer this week and I've installed Premiere Elements and Elements Organizer on my new computer. Premiere Elements is on my C drive, but I installed my old Elements Organizer files on my G Drive. I can not figure out how or where to tell Elements Organizer where to look for my old Elements Organizer files. PLEASE NOTE: I do NOT want to MOVE my photos to Elements Organizer, I only want EO to know where my photos are (on the D Drive) and where my old EO backups are. I've searched the help resources without finding anything that addresses my questions.  Where does these settings live?

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Bill Sprague

    You probably know that your photos and videos are not "IN" Organizer.  It is a database catalog file system that registers the location of those files.   If I understand your question (?), you only have to do what is normally done for lost files.   You open Organizer and "browse" to where you have put your file.    

    I'm not sure, but you might have to put the Organizer files on your primary drive.  Try running it from the D drive and see.  The actual Organizer data file is not big.  If you have to move it to your primary drive there won't be a big impact.  

     

    For reference, here is some Adobe help:  https://helpx.adobe.com/elements-organizer/using/troubleshooting-catalog-issues.html

    2 replies

    Bill SpragueCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    February 9, 2024

    You probably know that your photos and videos are not "IN" Organizer.  It is a database catalog file system that registers the location of those files.   If I understand your question (?), you only have to do what is normally done for lost files.   You open Organizer and "browse" to where you have put your file.    

    I'm not sure, but you might have to put the Organizer files on your primary drive.  Try running it from the D drive and see.  The actual Organizer data file is not big.  If you have to move it to your primary drive there won't be a big impact.  

     

    For reference, here is some Adobe help:  https://helpx.adobe.com/elements-organizer/using/troubleshooting-catalog-issues.html

    christybeth
    Participant
    February 9, 2024

    Thanks for responding to my post. So here's the thing: (and just for reference, I'm using Premiere Elements 2023 / Organizer 2021 now). When I first installed Organizer (2018?) on my old computer and imported picture files, it actually MOVED all my photos - it grabbed them from their folders and disappeared them to somewhere else. I had to use my Backblaze backups to recover my photos from "wherever they went". Maybe it was the earlier version that allowed this catastrophe, and the new one doesn't?  There was a dialog box that gave me two options, and I choose poorly. 

     

    Also, Organizer doubled the size of the data on my D drive when I first imported my photos there, to the point that my computer slowed to a crawl. (Probably because it actually moved the files) so I moved all files to a different drive (G) and got my computer back.

     

    If you are certain this won't happen again with the newer version, I will simply follow your instructions. But I have no plans to import my pictures into Organizer until I know for certain I won't be repeating history.  What I'd really like is to be able to find the place where I can tell Elements where my old Organizer files (or Catalog) is so I don't have to start from scratch.

    christybeth
    Participant
    February 9, 2024

    After all that, I figured out how to import my old Organizer folder into the new Organizer. Now all my old videos and photos are showing up in Elements. And, lucky for me, the software didn't move them anywhere else. Yay! Thanks.

    kglad
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 9, 2024

    in the future, to find the best place to post your message, use the list here, https://community.adobe.com/

    p.s. i don't think the adobe website, and forums in particular, are easy to navigate, so don't spend a lot of time searching that forum list. do your best and we'll move the post (like this one has already been moved) if it helps you get responses.



    <"moved from using the community">
    christybeth
    Participant
    February 9, 2024

    Thank you. I couldn't find any other place to add a new thread, so this is where I ended up. I really with I could just call tech support and ask  my question. The delay this is causing is infuriating.

    kglad
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    February 9, 2024

    @christybeth , you're welcome.)