Inspiring

Question

Catalog Location for Photoshop Element 2021 in Windows 10

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
February 28, 2021
5 replies
16161 views

I just purchased and installed Photoshop Element 2021 and then uninstalled PSE 15 - my previous version that I was using. In the installtion process, I selected the option to convert my Catalog that was in use at that time. Everything looks good and everything works just fine.

In my Windows 10 desktop PC, I have a 100 GB SSD (C) and a much bigger mechanical Hard drive (D). To save space, I installed the Photoshop Element 2021 in my 😧 Drive.

After the installation, I chnaged the Catalog name to make it more meaningful to me to reflect the starting point for my PSE 2021. And, that chnage was accepted, and I have no trouble in opening and accessing all of my current information, and it uses the RENAMED Catalog.

Now, I am trying to locate where it stores that Catalog. I have looked around everywhere using Window's File Explorer, but can not locate my newly named Catalog.

I sure could use some help in locating this Catalog so that I can make sure to protect it and manaully back it up whenver I wanted.

Thank you so much.

Installation

This topic has been closed for replies.

P

PKFloAuthor

Inspiring

Thank you all very much for all of the helpful information. As a result, I understand the Catalog structure, and its usage and management much better.

With this post, I am closing this topic.

Again, thank you everybody.

Walter_H

Legend

@PKFlo, Help>System Info... will show you the location of the catalog file.

--Walter in Davie, FL

MichelBParis

Legend

A few ideas about where to store catalogs:

- Necessary to know: use the menu Help >> System Information to read where the catalog is stored.

- Phil is right: that location is hidden by default and you have to make those folders visible.

- Is it a good thing that the default location is hidden? That prevents many beginners to fiddle with the catalog folders without knowing what they are doing. However, you'll discover that you'll have to know that information some day later, as you have found.

- Is it a good thing to use the default location? Knowing that you can move or copy the catalog folder anywhere else from the Windows Explorer is the most important thing, and that is not known to many users. Storing everything in the default location may help get catalogs together. Storing copies or moving catalogs is extremely useful, especially if you want to use the catalogs and photo files on an external USB drive to share between two PCs. You can choose the fastest drive if you want, but don't expect a big difference.

- Big catalogs may grow much more than the space needed for the Elements software itself. So why risk installing your software in D (without knowing the consequences) when you save more space by storing the catalogs on your D drive?

- What makes a difference with working with catalogs is having more than the minimum RAM requirements. Having a SSD makes a difference for storing your scratch disks (preferences, performance). Having the media files and catalogs on a non SSD drive, even a USB external drive is perfectly ok. Storing them on the SSD does not help, on the contrary.

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PKFloAuthor

Inspiring

MichelBParis and Somya Agrawal, thnak you for your wonderful, detailed very helpful advise. I have followed your instructions and have been able to make the move of my Catalog to my Custom location. And my PSE 2021 is working correctly.

But, I wanted to share something that's occurring that I was not expecting.

My Catalog NOW shows up in my File Explorer in BOTH Places - the Default Loaction in C: Drive, as well as in my Custom Location in 😧 drive. And, when I open my PSE 2021, whether I click the Catalog name on bottom right of the Organiser or access vis File/ Manage Catalogs, the Catalog Name does show up as my Catalog in USE and my new Custom Location appears greyed out having replaced the Defult location that it used to show. The Default location does not appear.

Does this make sense to you?

Again, thank you both so much (and I did not Somya's correction).

P

PKFloAuthor

Inspiring

Sorry about the emoji showing up in place my 😧 Drive. And, the typo for my remark regarding Somya A.'s comment - I meant to say "NOTED" and not "NOT>

Phil Pickering

Legend

On Windows 10, Photoshop Elements 2021 stores the catalog (by default) in C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs

You will need to go to View > Hidden Items in the File Explores to see the Program Data folder 🙂

Good info here for bookmarking.

P

PKFloAuthor

Inspiring

Phil, all of my previous Catalogs are in D:/Adobe/Elements Organizer Catalog/Elements Organizer/Catalogs folder. It shows all FOUR prior Catalogs and one of my Training Catalog. I have been using PSE ver. 5 to 15 (five of them over the years) and now the 2021.

Can I just move the newly named Catalog from C: Drive to my 😧 Drive to the location I show you here?

Or, is there a better more appropriate way to do this to make sure I don';t brake any links to the app.

Thank you so much.

S

Somya_Agarwal

Adobe Employee

Hi,

Yes, you can move your catalog to any desired location. For this,

1. Open Catalog Manager, by clicking on Catalog Name at bottom right corner of Organizer.

2. Choose 'Custom Location' out of the the 3 radio buttons visible, and then Browse to the location of your choice. It will be 'D:/Adobe/Elements Organizer Catalog/Elements Organizer/Catalogs folder' in your case.

3. Now again choose 'Catalogs accessible to all users' in this window, and select your catalog from the list using a single click.

4. Click on 'Move' from the various buttons at the right of Catlog Manager Window.

5. A new window opens, and choose 'Custom Location' here, and click on OK

Your catalog will move to your desired location. Please let me know if this solves your issue or in case of any other concerns.

Thanks!