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Another duplicate question.

Participant ,
Jul 03, 2021 Jul 03, 2021

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I have been reviewing some of my photos and am finding some with multiple duplicates. I don't understand how they get into organizer in the first place but I am afraid to delete them as, in past experience, it seems when I delete one I end up with a question mark instead of a picture and it wants to try and find the picture but can't. My organization skills are lacking.

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How to , Organizer , Windows

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Community Expert ,
Jul 03, 2021 Jul 03, 2021

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What version of Elements are you using?

When you say you are finding some photos with multiple duplicates, we need to have more information about those duplicates. 

Are the duplicates in stacks or version sets? Have they been edited by you?

Do the files have exactly the same names?

Do they have exactly the same date and times?

How many physical drives do you have attached to your computer and how many drive partitions (drive letters) do you have?

Where are the files stored on your computer?  Give us the exact path of some duplicates and state whether they are stored on an external or internal drive.

How do you import files to your computer?

Have you cloned any drives where your photos are stored, either to add a new drive to your computer, to move a drive to a new computer or to replace a drive on your computer?

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Participant ,
Jul 04, 2021 Jul 04, 2021

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Wow, so many questions and so few answers. I will give it a shot: Elements 18 ver. 16.0

I am not smart enough to know what a stack of version set is. I edit almost all my photos.

I haven't looked at all of them but there are many duplicates with the same name with same date and time.

Not sure on the drive partitions but have a C drive and D, G and H. C and D are both internal and I use the G for backups and H I have tried to use to backup photos only. Tried.

How do I determine the path of the duplicates?

I import by putting my sd card in slot and then go to the Elements program and upload via get photos from files or folders then find them on the sd card.

I have not done any cloning personally but when I got my computer about 3 years ago I think they may have cloned a c drive so I could have a backup.

 

 

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Community Expert ,
Jul 03, 2021 Jul 03, 2021

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. . .  and a couple more questions:

Have you created a backup of your photo files and possibly imported the backup files into your catalog?  The backup files will generally have a name starting with B00.  Where have you stored your backups?

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Participant ,
Jul 04, 2021 Jul 04, 2021

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I just looked on my portable drive that I intended to backup all my photos to exclusively and see I have thousands of files like below with only 1 kb and several I can open. Can I or should I get rid of the ones with only 1 kb? 

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Community Expert ,
Jul 04, 2021 Jul 04, 2021

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So the .json files are text files that contain all face recognition information and possibly other database information.  If you were to delete them, you would lose all face recognition information.

 

A stack is a tool that is available in the Organizer grid to manage your photos.  In the following screenshot, you will see one of my photos at the top with an arrow at the side.  When I click the arrow, the stack expands to display 3 photos in the stack.  One of the photos is a raw file which I automatically stack with the identical jpeg image.  The third file with the edited suffix in the name is an edited file, saved as a jpeg copy.  Again, I automatically stack edited files with the original in what is known as a version set.  The edited file sits on top of the stack.  And the stack or version set can be collapsed to display only a single thumbnail by clicking on the side arrow.

Ashampoo_Snap_2021.07.04_16h34m15s_000_SnapCollage.png

If you select any photo and right-click on it, you will have a choice to Go To Folder.  Click that option and the folder in which the file is stored will be selected in the Folders panel on the left.  (Make sure you are in View as Tree rather than View as List.)

 

Ashampoo_Snap_2021.07.04_16h51m12s_000_SnapCollage.png

Do this with each of the duplicate files and this will give us an idea of where the files are actually stored on your computer.  Alternatively, the location of the file may be found in the Info. Panel on the right of the screen.  It is listed under Location.  Usually, the full path cannot be seen.  So you can click on the Location which is a link that will take you to a Windows File Explorer window containing the file in question.

 

Ashampoo_Snap_2021.07.04_17h01m14s_010_.png

One other thing you should do is to select All Missing Files from the Find menu.  You mention having the question mark icon in your original post.  Finding all missing files will let you see whether you still have any in your catalog and if you do, you can clean up the catalog by selecting all the found missing files and deleting them.

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Participant ,
Jul 05, 2021 Jul 05, 2021

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Sooo very helpful!! I have had Elements for many years with many different versions and still trying to learn how it actually works! I just did as you described and went to the folder on one picture to see its location and it came up as D:\Pictures\Adobe\Photos from removable Media. I am thinking that when I download my photos from the sd card that they go into that folder as the main folder?

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Community Expert ,
Jul 05, 2021 Jul 05, 2021

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Yes, that explains what has happened. You should have been importing the files on your camera card via the Adobe Photo Downloader (APD).  You do this by using the Import from Camera or Card Reader option.  Since you used the Import from Files and Folders option, the program may have thought that you were storing the files on your (removable media) memory card and did not transfer them from the card to your hard drive.  This happens if you were to deselect the option to copy files on import.  If that is what you did, only a thumbnail gets transferred to the computer and you would have to reinsert the removable media with the stored file in order to access it for editing.  Otherwise, you will see the missing file icon.

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Participant ,
Jul 05, 2021 Jul 05, 2021

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OK, I am a little confused (but that's normal). I think I started doing it that way because if I try to do it the other way, it wants to import all the files on my sd card, as I remember. I would note that drive D. is one of my hard drives and the main one I use for storage. The C: drive I use more for operating system and is a solid state drive. I don't have to reinsert the sd card once I copy them over when I use the Import from Files and Folders option. I believe I have copy files on import selected. Should I? 

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Community Expert ,
Jul 05, 2021 Jul 05, 2021

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Yes, you should definitely copy the files on import from the memory card.

 

But how are the duplicate files organized?  You can't have the same file with the same name in the same folder.  So where do the duplicate files end up?

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Participant ,
Jul 06, 2021 Jul 06, 2021

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I don't know. When you say duplicate, do you mean the copy of the original from the sd card? I think they go to the Picture folder on the D. drive?

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Community Expert ,
Jul 06, 2021 Jul 06, 2021

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@jmillsp said:

I think they go to the Picture folder on the D. drive?

 

You have told us that you have some files with many duplicates in the Organizer.  If they all have identical names and identical dates and times, they cannot possibly be stored in the same folders on your computer.  I have told you how to find the exact location on your computer.  So my question is for you to look at one of the files that has many duplicates and tell us the exact folder location of each of the duplicates.  That may at least give us a clue as to why you have any duplicates.

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Participant ,
Jul 11, 2021 Jul 11, 2021

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Thanks! Sorry I just saw this and will try to get this done today for you and me!

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Participant ,
Jul 11, 2021 Jul 11, 2021

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OK, I think it is becoming more clear to me. I looked at one showing 4 picts of the same picture, the show locations of: D:\Pictures\Misc2008pics and another is D:\Pictues\Misc Pics\Dads Photos and another is D;\Pictures\Miscpics and lastly is D;\Pictues\..es\102canon

Soooo, while they are the same pictues, they are all stored in different locations?

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Community Expert ,
Jul 11, 2021 Jul 11, 2021

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At this point, I have lost track of exactly what your question is.  Your question is about duplicates, but are they really bothering you?  And if so, how?  How many total photos do you have in your catalog and what percentage are duplicates?  How much work have you performed already on the catalog, e.g. tagging all of the files and/or applying names via face recognition?  Have you created any Albums or is it your goal to do so in the future?  Have you edited any of the photos and placed them in version sets? 

 

Since your original question is about duplicate photos, I suppose you might be interested in deleting all of the duplicates.  But if you do so, I would suggest not deleting them from your computer.  Alternatively, simply stack the duplicates so you only see one image in the Organizer's grid. 

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Participant ,
Jul 12, 2021 Jul 12, 2021

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I was wanting to get rid of duplicates, probably just to save space. I am guessing that is not a big issue as I have a 2 terrabyte D drive. Maybe it was just my OCD trying to figure out why I had so many duplicates and thinking I could delete them but then, from past experience, I have issues deleting any of them as I have lost them entirely. I often try to show one in an email or Facebook and at one time, I would copy them to my desktop and then delete them from my desktop only to find out the picture couldn't be found again by the organizer. I have sense learned I need to copy or export to a new file I named "copies for emails" and then I can delete them from their without issue. Maybe I should try the stacking duplicate thing? I just don't want to lose them off the computer. I don't know the percentage of duplicates, I am guessing it to be a small percentage of the 42,000 or so pics I have. Now, I can't find out the exact number. I know I have seen it before but not sure how to bring it up again. Sorry for my lack of understanding. 

 

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Community Expert ,
Jul 12, 2021 Jul 12, 2021

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Yes, creating a copy for email will work.  But there is absolutely no need to do that. 

 

The catalog does not create and store copies of your photo files.  It merely creates a list of where they are stored.   It is therefore essential that you let Elements know what you are doing with your files.  Copying, moving or deleting a file using Windows File Explorer does not provide any information to Elements.  For this reason, and I cannot stress this enough, all file operations (copy, move, rename or delete) must take place within the Organizer.  Your failure to do this has resulted in the missing files in your catalog.

 

When you send a photo via email whether via Elements or via Outlook or other email program, a copy of the photo will be created and embedded within the email.  Nothing happens to the file stored on your computer which is listed in your catalog.  Therefore everything remains the same.  Of course, your email program will store a copy of the photo within the saved email.  If you delete the email, the copy of the photo will also be deleted.  But the original will remain.  If you want to keep track of photos that you have emailed or posted on Facebook, you can put them in an Album or even apply a Posted in Facebook tag to them.  This will not create any duplicate photo files but the information will be stored in your catalog ready to retrieve whenever you want.

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Participant ,
Jul 12, 2021 Jul 12, 2021

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The program is much smarter than I am. I had always thought when I opened the catalog and loaded the pics from my sd card that they were then within the catalog and not elsewhere. Somehow, the catalog or elements must know I want to upload them to my Picture file in D drive?? If I don't creat a copy for files to send via email or facebook, how do I send from the catalog easily.  I just tried copying a picture from the catalog and pasted in Facebook only to have it show 2 pictures instead of one of the same picture I copied.  Before I try your suggestion "If you want to keep track of photos that you have emailed or posted on Facebook, you can put them in an Album or even apply a Posted in Facebook tag to them" I need to figure out how to easily send to email or Facebook. Thanks for your continued help.

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