Organizer 15: copy images to new folder--not move

[Dick W]

It's great that PSE Organizer finds my images out in cloud storage. But I periodically (every six months or so) want to copy those images to local storage, also in the catalog, and then delete the cloud copies from the catalog only. Basically I want to manage the cloud storage outside of PSE.

I can't find a way to copy/paste in Organizer. (Copy, yes, Paste, no.) I don't want to Organizer Move since I want to leave the original files in place in the cloud storage.

Is there a way to achieve this objective in Organizer? (I understand them not wanting to make it easy for users to inadvertently create duplicates. I don't understand making it impossible.) Or is the only way to Organizer copy, File Explorer paste, Organizer re-import? I don't want to lose any Organizer metadata and then have to re-enter it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[MichelBParis]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Dick+W  wrote

It's great that PSE Organizer finds my images out in cloud storage.

Sorry, I don't understand. What kind of cloud storage are you using? Elements itself does offer cloud storage and can't register/index files in the Cloud directly (I assume you are using PSE15 or another recent version).

Are you by chance using Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive or similar? The synching from cloud to local files copies is managed by those softwares, not by the organizer which deals only with the copied file folders on your computer.

[Dick W]

The cloud storage is Google Drive, but that's not really relevant to the question. I'm not asking how to move the cataloged items to the local cloud folder. Yes, that's where Organizer finds them.

I want to copy them (for purpose of the files themselves) and move them (for purposes of Organizer) from where Organizer found them--indeed, the local sync folder for the cloud storage--to the folders on my server that I use to organize and retain all my photos and stuff. Once there is a copy on the server, and Organizer has only that copy as its copy in the Catalog, I can do whatever I want with the "original" in the cloud storage (yes, locally synced) without Organizer knowing or caring.

Yes, I'm using PSE15, per title of thread.

Is there a way in PSE15 Organizer to copy a cataloged image to a duplicate file/different location and then delete the original item from the catalog only? Is that a better way to ask the question?

[MichelBParis]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Dick+W  wrote

Is there a way in PSE15 Organizer to copy a cataloged image to a duplicate file/different location and then delete the original item from the catalog only? Is that a better way to ask the question?

Since moving a folder tree to any other destination implies deleting the originals, I would first make a copy of the original tree somewhere outside the synced folder before the move from your explorer (sort of a backup); then  would move it back from the explorer.

There may be another solution implying copying the folder tree from the explorer, renaming temporarily the original master folder to show it as 'missing' to the organizer, then 'reconnecting' to the server folder from the organizer. I have not tested this with your setup...

Photoshop Elements (PSE) knowledge base.

[Dick W · Accepted solution]

So here's the workflow I resorted to:

Find images in Organizer, Copy from Organizer

Using File Explorer, go to the desired server folder, paste. (This creates a duplicate.)

Pause the cloud sync.

Rename the locally synced copy of the cloud folder.

In Organizer, Reconnect missing, Browse, point Organizer to the server folder, let it do its magic.

Un-rename the locally synced copy of the cloud folder.

Resume the cloud sync.

Organizer could have made this a lot simpler if it offered a Copy/Paste that could duplicate images.

We'll see what happens the next time Organizer goes looking for new files in the cloud sync folder.