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Moving Photoshop Elements Files from One NAS Drive to Another

New Here ,
Feb 25, 2022 Feb 25, 2022

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Hi,

I need to move my Photoshop Elements files from one NAS Drive to another. I have LOTS of files in lots of folders, all correctly connected in the catalog.  I am scared of losing stuff in this process so would like to follow the safest method..  I have backed-up the current catalog using the 'Backup Catalog' function within Elements Organiser.  I see that when I restore from this back-up using the 'Restore Catalog' function within Elements Organiser, I can select the new NAS as the 'New Location.'

 

Before I do the restore, do I need to delete the existing catalog and files from the old/current NAS drive, or does the 'Restore Catalogue' to 'New location' function, first delete the old location stuff before re-creating in the new location?  I don't want everything twice!  If I do need to delete the old stuff first, what is the best / safest way of doing that? Does the 'Restore Catalog' function restore everything, is there anything I will lose? 

 

Any other pointers would be welcome!

 

Many thanks!

 

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Expert , Feb 25, 2022 Feb 25, 2022
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correction:  "I would end up with two catalogues and file structures UNTIL I delete?


By @Tim23331070tcea

Yes, that's a duplication of both the catalog folder and the restored files. Of course it does not make sense to keep the original if you are sure of the restore especially if you keep the backup folder (even NASes can be stolen or destroyed or be  compromised by user errors).

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Community Expert ,
Feb 25, 2022 Feb 25, 2022

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Before I do the restore, do I need to delete the existing catalog and files from the old/current NAS drive, or does the 'Restore Catalogue' to 'New location' function, first delete the old location stuff before re-creating in the new location?  I don't want everything twice! 


By @Tim23331070tcea

You say you care about safety, so think about what is a 'move'. It's just a copy followed by a deletion of the original. So to move safely you must be certain that the copy is strictly ok before deleting the source file. In other words, you want both source and copy at the same time, temporarily, until you are sure the copy is good. Then you can safetly delete the original. If the copy is not strictly the same as the original, you don't have twice the same file.

 

You are mentioning the recommended backup and restore process. Contrary to the title of the tech doc, it does not describe a 'move', it describes a copy. Deleting the source is not covered, it's your job.

The only practical way to know if a backup is good is to restore and to examine the restore to check manually if you don't get errors and can use the files and the catalog as usual. I would never delete the original before checking the restored version. The most frequent risk is that the backup can't be restored at all. So, my advice is to keep the original as well as the backup folder until you have checked.the restore. Of course, for basic safety, you need a valid (tested = restored) backup even if you are using a NAS ?

 

There is another workflow to move a library to another drive. I don't use NASes, so I mean different drives, external or internal. My guess is that it works the same with NASes.

From the organizer left folders panel in tree mode, you just drag and drop a master folder with all its subfolders to another drive. The organizer does the 'moving' job, copying and deleting with the drag and drop command. Where is the safety? If the process (which can take hours) is interrupted, which happened once to me (power failure), what's your safety? You may end up with a corrupt source and partial copy. In my case, the process was safe enough, the database transaction was reverted, the source was unharmed and I only had to delete the incomplete copy. Useless to say this drag and drop method works well provided you have a good backup beforehand. You can move selectively a folder branch only instead of the whole library.

 

I suppose you are following this tech doc;

https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/backup-restore-move-catalog-photoshop.html

There is a note about 'offline drives': NASs are considered 'offline', not missing if not connected.

 

 

 

 

 

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New Here ,
Feb 25, 2022 Feb 25, 2022

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Hi MichelBParis,

Thanks very much for your response.  Your comment that what is described as a 'move' is actually a 'copy' is really helpful.

 

Just to clarify.  Lets say 'NAS-1' contains the original catalog and files.  I back this up (using Elements Organiser) into a dedicated folder on NAS-1.  I then restore from this back-up into a folder on a new NAS drive, NAS-2.  Will I then end up with 2 catalogs, the original one on NAS-1 and a new one on NAS-2?  I can then check that the NAS-2 catalog and file structure matches that on NAS-1.  When I am happy, I can then delete the catalog and file stucture on NAS-1.  When I am completly happy, if I want, I can delete the back-up on NAS-1.  Have I understood how it works correctly, please, that is, I would end up with two catalogues and file structures into I delete?  Many thanks!!    

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New Here ,
Feb 25, 2022 Feb 25, 2022

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correction:  "I would end up with two catalogues and file structures UNTIL I delete?

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Community Expert ,
Feb 25, 2022 Feb 25, 2022

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quote

correction:  "I would end up with two catalogues and file structures UNTIL I delete?


By @Tim23331070tcea

Yes, that's a duplication of both the catalog folder and the restored files. Of course it does not make sense to keep the original if you are sure of the restore especially if you keep the backup folder (even NASes can be stolen or destroyed or be  compromised by user errors).

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