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fader5
Inspiring
January 5, 2024
Question

New computer

  • January 5, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 319 views

I have a new computer and it has less internal expandable drive space. 
I've been using Adobe Elements from almost the beginning and have over 100,000 photos and close to a 1tb in files.  I guess it's time to move it over to one of my NAS devices. 
My question is any recommendations on which one handles pictures better for viewing pictures while away from home? I have both a QNAP and a Synology NAS. 
My second question is how do I move my Elements Organizer catalog to the new computer and access the pictures after I move them to one of the NAS devices?

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1 reply

MichelBParis
Legend
January 6, 2024

Hi @fader5 

I'll start with your second question:

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

 

For your first one, I don't have NAS drives and don't need them, so I'll leave NAS experts help you. That said, you should consider using a very small SSD external USB dri.ve (let's say with 2 TB) to store both your media files and your catalog using the catalog transfer described above.

The big advantage is that the external drive is plugged in to a different computer with the same PSE version, you have nothing to do beside switching the drive to the other computer. The drive is so small you can keep it easily in your laptop bag, and it will work just as if you had increased your internal memory.

 

It's also possible to use the catalog manager to move the transfered catalog folder back to the default location on your C: drive if you don't switch computers. Theoretically, that may be speedier, but I have never noticed it.

 

Alternatively, you can use the folders panel in tree mode to move a folder with all its subfolders trees to the external drive to spare internal disk space.

 

About NAS: They are ideal to store PSE backups, but you may have performance loss and it's not recommended or even possible to store catalog folders there.