How to convert .json files to .jpeg

Report · May 25, 2021

I backed up my entire Photoshop Elements cataloque to an external HD and all the pictures were converted to .json files and I cannot retreive them. Does anyone know if I can convert them back to a standar file format tlike .jpeg etc.?

Report · May 25, 2021

You can be assured that your jpeg files were not converted to .json files which are text files associated with your photos. What you are seeing is probably the files that contain all of the face recognition information in your catalog. How did you come the conclusion that your photo files have disappeared during the backup process?

And a catalog backup is not intended to simply save your photos to an external drive. The intention is that you can restore the backup to replace your original photos in case they are lost from their original storage location, e.g. if your hard drive fails.

So, what OS and version of Elements are you using?

Report · Jun 04, 2021

I am using Adobe Elements 2018 version 16.0. I had backed the catalogue up because I got a new computer and also wanted to import to Adobe Lightroom but that is when the files on the external HD appeared to have been converted to .json files. Thanks

Regards,

Brad Fenton

Report · Jun 05, 2021

I am using Adobe Elements 2018 version 16.0. I had backed the catalogue up because I got a new computer and also wanted to import to Adobe Lightroom but that is when the files on the external HD appeared to have been converted to .json files. Thanks

Brad, have you tried to restore your backup to your new computer? If so, did the restore function fail? As I suggested in my earlier post, it is impossible that your photos were converted to a .json file format. However, it is possible that your backup failed or became corrupted. Unless you give us more details about what your problem is, there is not much more we can do to help you.

Report · Jun 07, 2021

I did try to restore, and it was unsuccessful. I have now found the vast majority of the images on an old PC I still have. My apologies for the lack of tech skills but I am now wondering what the bets way would be to transfer the images to my new PC and to Lightroom Classis. Any advice you may be able to provide would be appreciated. Thank you.

Regards,

Brad

Report · Jun 08, 2021

Probably the best way to transfer the photos and media catalog from your old to your new computers is to try to create a backup of your catalog on the old computer and restore it to the new one. Once the catalog and media have been transferred to the new computer, you can convert the catalog in Lightroom via the File menu:

Before creating a new backup on your old computer, use the File>Manage Catalogs dialog to Repair and Optimize the catalog. Also, make sure that you have no missing files in the catalog, by using the Find>All Missing Files command.

Report · Jun 08, 2021

Thank you. Would you recommend and Photo Stick for the back-up and restore?

Report · Jun 09, 2021

I'm not sure what you mean by a photo stick. If you are talking about a USB thumb drive, the answer depends on the size of the device. I have seen some as large as several Terabytes, but the ones I tried were unreliable. Most are much smaller e.g. 256 GB or much less. You would need to make sure that there was enough room for all of your photo files as well as the catalog folder files which will be relatively small, depending on the size of the catalog.

A better approach would be to use an external drive. Huge external drives are now very affordable.

Report · Jun 09, 2021

Thank you again for your advice. One last question hopefully 😊. Can I select the image format type when undertaking a back-up to avoid the conversion to .json?

Brad

Report · Jun 09, 2021

Brad, I thought I had made it clear that none of your photos are being changed in any way when you backup your catalog. The .json files are files that are related to the database and face recognition. There is one .json file for every photo that has been face recognized during media analysis of your catalog. Unfortunately, those files are very small and create an exponential addition of time to creating and restoring the backup. But if you were to delete them all, you would lose any face recognition information that has been created in your catalog.