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No Media to Preview; Click Import to bring Media into the Organizer

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
September 7, 2016
1 reply
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I have APE 6 on my old computer hard drive and APE 13 on my new computer. I have 14 catalogs (one for each year starting in 2002). I have Back Ups of all my catalogs but have never had to move them until now. I have my Back Ups on Externals drives. These are the steps I've taken:

1. Open APE 6 on old computer and back Up catalog(s) from version 6 to external drive

2. Open version 13; Restore version 6 back up into version 13 saving back up in new location

3. Make back up of new catalog in version 13

4. Close program

5. Open program and no files are in the catalog? What did I do wrong? What am I missing? In short the images disappear after restoring a catalog from a previous version into a new Adobe Photoshop Elements version program.

I've also just toggled between one catalog and another and then back again and the images in the catalog that I thought I'd restored are no longer there.

I can't find anything in the forums on this. Has anyone else had this problem?

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MichelBParis

Legend

AmyNVV wrote:
I have APE 6 on my old computer hard drive and APE 13 on my new computer. I have 14 catalogs (one for each year starting in 2002). I have Back Ups of all my catalogs but have never had to move them until now. I have my Back Ups on Externals drives. These are the steps I've taken:
1. Open APE 6 on old computer and back Up catalog(s) from version 6 to external drive
2. Open version 13; Restore version 6 back up into version 13 saving back up in new location
3. Make back up of new catalog in version 13
4. Close program
5. Open program and no files are in the catalog? What did I do wrong? What am I missing? In short the images disappear after restoring a catalog from a previous version into a new Adobe Photoshop Elements version program.
I've also just toggled between one catalog and another and then back again and the images in the catalog that I thought I'd restored are no longer there.
I can't find anything in the forums on this. Has anyone else had this problem?

The Organizer has two different methods to deal with older catalogs:

1 - The backup and restore process you are using. The result of the restore is to put a copy of your picture files library (the picures folders) as well as the catalog in the destination folder/drive you have chosen as a restore destination. If the restore process detects that the old catalog was in an older version, it will prompt you to convert the catalog to the new format. That does not replace your old catalog, that creates a new catalog with the same name. A catalog is the folder containing the database - catalog.pse6db or catalog.pse13db - and associated files. It seems you are seeing the new empty catalog created with PSE13. Do a search for the database files (catalog.pse6db or catalog.pse13db) from your Explorer or Finder and use the organizer catalog manager to navigate to the real catalog folder.

2 - If your picture files are still in the same computer and you have two different Elements versions, you don't backup and restore, you simply use the 'convert catalog' option of the catalog manager.

In your case, what is the destination of your different restored backups? Each restore restores ALL your pictures as well as the catalogs each time, creating duplicate libraries.

A

AmyNVVAuthor

Participant

Michel,

Thank you for responding.

The destination of my restored backups is on the new computer hard drive where the new PSE13 is located. The external drive “K” that held my original photos stopped working. I had done a backup of the catalog onto another external drive “L” prior to the demise of my “K” drive. In the mean time I purchased a new computer and uploaded PSE13. I had been using PSE6 on my old computer. So my backup catalogs (I have 13 - - one for each year of photos 2002-2015) were from PSE6. I went through the steps of backup on my old computer in version 6 and then did a restore from “L” into a new location (my new computer’s hard drive) and into PSE13. The picture seem to import into PSE13. I then converted the files successfully. After the conversion all photos were became disconnect in PSE13. I went through the reconnect files process and PSE13 found an reconnected all of my missing files. After that I did a fresh full backup of my catalog to my computer’s new hard drive. I was feeling pretty good about this but when I switched to another catalog and then back to the one I had just been working on, the same problem occurred. I had no picture in my catalog. My catalog once again was empty. I can’t seem to get my picture files to “stick” in the catalog. I found the catalog.pse13db. When I clicked on this to import it, PSE 13 tells me nothing was imported. The message I get is, “The files or folders selected to import did not contain any supported file types, or the files are already in this catalog”. Since I've done this action step before I believe that the files are already in the catalog. Problem is, I can't find them. They are not showing up.

A

AmyNVVAuthor

Participant

Let's start with two 'basic' facts with Elements catalogs:

- 1 - It's generally a bad idea to divide your library into several catalogs instead of keeping a single one. Your situation is typical of the problem: it requires 13 conversions and does not help for speed significantly in general. If you decide to merge the files afterwards, you'll have big problems: Photoshop Elements 6/7/8 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

- 2 - When you restore a catalog on 'custom' destination, the picture files are restored in that location; same for your catalog folder.

At the end of the restore process, you are asked to 'convert' the catalog to the new format. When that is done, you can use the menu File >> manage catalogs to select the present catalog and click the 'Move' button to move the folder (catalog) to the default destination on your C: drive. That might solve your problem.

The general idea is to locate the catalog folder in each 'custom' restore location. Do a search for a 'catalog.pse13db' file. The folder it is situated in is the catalog folder. With the organizer shut, double clicking on that database file should open the organizer with the catalog.

Step 1 - Retrieved 2008 backup.tyl file from my external "L" drive and Restoring it with my original folder structure to a New Location - now on my hard drive. I am also upgrading from PSE6 (my old computer) to PSE13 on my new computer. My 'L' drive is plugged into my new computer via USB port. I no longer have access to my original pictures as they were lost when my "K" drive broke down.

Step 2 - Catalog conversion from PSE6 to PSE13 done automatically upon restore of 2008 catalog

Step 3 - 2008 Catalog prepared by PSE13. When this was done I noticed in Manage Catalogs, I am no longer in my 2008 Catalog under 'Catalogs Accessible by All Users' but instead am now in 'Custom Location' in a catalog called 'Amy's 2008 Catalog 1'. I understand this was done during the Catalog Conversion step.

Step 4 - Failed attempt to move 'Amys 2008 Catalog 1 (Current) to Catalogs Accessible by All Users

Step 5 - Step 5 Failed attempt - no option to browse to default location to move catalog

Step 6 - Step 6 Clicked on image in catalog to confirm restore destination location on hard drive

Step 7 - Attempt to import catalog.pse13

Step 8 - Failed attempt to import catalog.pse13

Step 9 - Went to Catalogs Accessible by All Users and opened my 2008 catalog (it shows 2009 in the attachment because I'm duplicating steps done with my 2008 and 2009 catalogs). This catalog is empty (I guess because the new catalog was created putting my images in there correct?). I browsed to find the location of 'Amy's 2009 Catalog 1'. Then moved my 2009 catalog to that Custom Location. This took the 2009 catalog out of Catalogs Accessible by All Users.

Step 9.5 - I then moved 'Amy's 2009 Catalog 1 to Catalogs Accessible by All Users'. What you see attached is the 2009 Catalog still left in Custom Location. I was then able to move that Catalog to Catalogs Accessible by All Users as well.

This gives you a picture of some of the Catalogs listed in Catalogs Accessible by All Users and shows my 2009 and Amy's 2009 Catalog 1 catalogs. Since the 2009 catalog does not have any images in it, I removed that catalog leaving the Amy's 2009 Catalog 1 only.

The conversion process created a new folder in the location where that backup was restored calling it Amy’s 2008 Catalog 1. This is where the catalog.pse13db is now located. The catalog.psedb is in the restored location called Amy’s 2008 Catalog where the backup was restored to prior to the conversion. Because my original catalog restore did not contain any actual information in it was it alright to remove it? If I need to do a backup again where do I take that from? Should the new catalog created be re-backed up after this restore and conversion process? Lastly, can you confirm that I did this correctly? The photos I lost on my ‘K’ drive are now on my new computer’s hard drive, correct?

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