PE 2021 New Computer Photos On Drive C, No Longer on E

[esetter]

I reinstalled Photoshop Elements 2021 on a new Windows 11 computer. On my old computer, all my photos were on drive E, but they're now on drive C. I've reinstalled PE 2021, loaded my old catalog, but all the catalog photo references are to drive E.  Is there any way to quickly reconnect all my photos to their new location on drive C? Doing it one by one would take forever.

[MichelBParis]

No magical solution in your situation.

Using the option to  reconnect all the files to the new location won't work, even if that is useful for smaller batches where you can guide the search.

So, if you have not used the recommended way to migrate both the media files and the catalogs via full backup and restore to the new destination, what can you do?

- If the old computer is still working, use the backup and restore process. Create a master folder for the destination, preferably directly under your root folder, not the Pictures of Windows.  Or even to a separate external drive.

- If your previous E drive was an external drive or an internal one which you can  use externally in a special USB enclosure, there is hope. The catalog(s) you have already recovered will recognize the necessary data for the paths: the folder structure and paths and the internal serial number of the original E drive. What you'll have to do will be to assign the E letter to that drive in Windows.

- I don't know where you have copied your media files on your C drive, but I suppose you'll never be able to use them now with any catalog, even with editing the sqlite database.

[esetter]

Michel, thanks for your prompt response. I do still have my old computer.  Prior to copying my photos to my new computer's C drive, I did have PE write all the metadata to the photo files. 

I know that if I import these files from my new C drive into a new catalog, PE 2021 allows me to simultaneously import each photo's tags.  However, PE 2021 does not import version set or album information.  Short of the "recommended method", are there any workarounds to easily recreate the version sets and albums (version sets I can recreate with brute force; albums are more difficult to recreate)? 

I am not aware of the recommended method. Could you please refer me to more information on this method.  I can place my "E: photos" onto an external disk which I can temporarily label E:

Thanks again.

[MichelBParis]

Ok, you should be good with that solution.

The doc about moving catalogs:

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