Duplicates being created in Elements 2022 Photo Downloader

[Andy_Bear]

Since installing Elements 2022, I have been getting duplicates everytime I wish to download from my camera (a Fuji X30). Initially, I thought I was doing something to cause this, and have checked through all relevant Discussion threads on this forum. Firstly, before I actually download any pictures, I am checking that there are no duplicates on the camera, and can confirm that there aren't. I have also checked whether there were duplicate DCIM folders. Initially I found one, but the pictures in it had already been downloaded, and were not in the sequence of pictures in the Downloader app. However, just to be sure I removed it. The duplication still occurred. I then checked it file individually in Windows Explorer against the files in the Elements Photo Downloader, and found that though the files were duplicated in the downloader, they were not duplicated in Windows Explorer. I also found another anomoly, the file names (just the number assigned by the camera) were being chnaged in downloader, though not when downloaded onto the PC and into Elements Organiser!

Has anybody got a solution to this? At the moment, before downloading I uncheck each of the duplicates, and so only one file is downloaded. All duplicates retain the original file name with a suffix of -1, which is what I would expect. I cannot find any settings to change in the downloader which may be causing this, but if anybody can point to somewhere I can change this I would be very grateful. It is becoming very tedious having to uncheck every duplicate before downloading.

Thanks

Andy

[Greg_S.]

Are you only shooting jpegs?  Or have you previously downloaded raw+jpg?  In your research, you may have found a post of mine where I theorize that the duplicate finder in the APD only looks to compare visible files in the grid.  So, if I have previously imported some files and stacked my raw+jpeg files, the APD will only look at the raw files on top of the stacks to determine whether there are any duplicates on the memory card from which the import is being taken.  For this reason, the jpegs will appear in the APD grid for import, even if the Hide duplicates toggle is turned on.

Although it sounds like you have already done this, can you confirm that you have used the APD's folder browser (if present) to see whether there is a duplicate set of checked (DCIM?) folders on the memory card.  I have only seen this when importing from my iPhone.  And I just looked at my camera but the APD folder browser is not present when I select it in the APD.

Does this issue exist on more than one memory card?  Does it exist if you reformat the memory card?

I also just noted from your screenshot that you do not have the Hide Duplicates toggle set to on.  If you are not using this toggle, turning it on will solve your problem.

[David22237187r8z1]

Is getting an external card read really the answer?  I'm shocked there is no other fix.  I have elements 22 and Canon T8i and only shoot raw and it always comes with duplicates, and its a pain.

[MichelBParis]

Is getting an external card read really the answer?  I'm shocked there is no other fix.  I have elements 22 and Canon T8i and only shoot raw and it always comes with duplicates, and its a pain.

By @David22237187r8z1

Using an external card reader is indeed one of the best answers, provided you can remove the card easily, which is not the case with some recent Android phones. It's very affordable, no danger with cables and phone/camera connexions, faster and less risks of duplicates.

Your choices are:

- downloading on your computer from your Explorer or Finder, then 'Getting files from files and folders'. You don't use the Adobe downloader for the transfer from camera/phone to the computer.

- Using the Adobe downloader for the transfer, via cable or card reader

- Using external Cloud solutions to backup the photos on the Cloud, then 'Import them' from your Cloud account to your computer. Then you use the 'Get files from files and folders" as described above. That works from Dropbox, Google Photos,OneDrive and many other Cloud solutions. No need for cables or card readers.

The issue with importing duplicates has been discussed in some recent discussions, mainly when importing via a cable from a phone. Whatever the reason of duplicates in your case, there should be an alternative solution to avoid  using import from cable from your camera or phone.

[Andy_Bear]

Hi, thanks for the reply. When I set duplicates to off, I get the response in the screen shot below. I have previously downloaded Raw only from a different camera, but only ever jpg from the Fuji X30.

I can confirm that I have used the browser to check for Duplicate DCIM on the card, and though there was one, it had different photos with unique file names, and in any event, I have now deleted it, and the problem is still there.

I will reformat the card and see what happens, but I am not optimistic. I really do feel there is a bug on the downloader software.

[MichelBParis · Accepted solution]

@Andy_Bear 

I undertand that you are downloading from the camera directly. Did you try to import from a card reader?

I know that if you are shooting with your smartphone, the card may not be very accessible, but from a camera there should be no duplicate issue. I never import from the camera directly.

There has been a handful of similar duplicate issues as confirmed by Greg. In some of them, there were indeed duplicates in the phone/camera. I came across such a case after I had to migrate to a new Android smartphone after the USB C connector died and I could not charge or connect my phone. In the transfer a 'backup' was created on the phone while the originals stayed on the microSD card (doubling the number of photos in the phone!)

Keep in mind that 'duplicates' are not recognized by the filename, they must have the same size in kB and the same date_taken.

[Andy_Bear]

Michel B, using a card reader does resolve the problem, so thanks. However, why can't I download from the camera directly? I can find no examples on the phone, either going through the phone, or through a Windows file browser.

[Andy_Bear]

Further testing! I have formatted the SD card, taken a couple of photos, and downloading from the camera still produces Duplicates in the downloader. So the solution is clearly to read off the SD card directly, so many thanks for providing a solution. As a matter of interest, even though I had downloaded 1 batch of photos, but not deleted them from the SD card, when I put the card into the PC, though it recognised that the photo's had already been downloaded, so did not put them in the catalogue, it still downloaded them into the PC as duplicates. Is there a way to stop this?

[MichelBParis]

As a matter of interest, even though I had downloaded 1 batch of photos, but not deleted them from the SD card, when I put the card into the PC, though it recognised that the photo's had already been downloaded, so did not put them in the catalogue, it still downloaded them into the PC as duplicates. Is there a way to stop this?

By @Andy_Bear

The duplicate identification is relative to the catalog in use. It may happen that the file to download has already been written to disk before the comparison happens to decide if the file may also be 'imported = registered' in the current database. If you import a file from the SD card which has already been imported and registered in a different catalog, the file will be downloaded to disk, either with the same name if your download is set for a different folder or with a renamed name with an order number suffix if the destination if the same. I don't know if that explains your observation, but Windows does not allow importing files with duplicate names in the same folder.

[Greg_S.]

One other point of note is that, in your screenshot, you have checked Import to Album.  I have never used that option so don't have any experience to share about it.  If this is your routine setting, maybe see what happens if you uncheck the box.