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Photoshop Elements 2025

New Here ,
Aug 21, 2025 Aug 21, 2025

Downloaded the new photoshop.  I want to install my pictures and tree structure into the new version from photoshop elements 2020 (version 18).  I have 2 catalogs in my 2020 photoshop that I want to transfer to the new one.  I did the backup from the old and restore it in the new but my organization structure didnt come over.  It came over with all the folders.  I have windows 11 on a G3 3590 dell computer.  Am I better off  copy and paste from the c drive the catalogs? (see below a picture of my  picture layout)

Separate issue:  One of my picture files call it X was in my catalog in the elements organizer now I cant locate it but its in my picture folder on my computer  How do i get it back into my elements organizer?

Thank you for all your help

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Valorous Hero ,
Aug 21, 2025 Aug 21, 2025

I did the backup from the old and restore.... Hopefully you did that from with the program, and not manually.  You should have been prompted about importing your cataloges when you installed pse 2025, did that happen?

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Community Expert ,
Aug 21, 2025 Aug 21, 2025

@mec4cast said:  I did the backup from the old and restore it in the new but my organization structure didnt come over.

 

I'm not sure what you mean.  In your screenshot, you are showing that the Pictures folder at the top has been expanded to display all of the sub-folders.  The Pictures folder is a virtual folder and its physical storage location is displayed at the bottom of your screenshot under your user name.  If you expand that folder display, it should be the same as the one at the top.

 

4882025.08.21.png

In any event, I am assuming that you have not changed computers.  If that is the case, there is no need to do a backup and restore.  What you need to do is convert the old catalogs to the new version.  As Glenn indicates, when you first opened Elements 2025 you would have been prompted to convert the last used catalog to the new version.  However, even if you had said yes to the prompt, you would still need to convert your second catalog.  So, here is what you need to do:

  • Go to File>Manage Catalogs
  • Click on the Convert button.  This will open a new dialog.
  • In the Convert dialog, there should be a list of your Version 18 catalogs (if they have not already been converted)
  • Select one of the catalogs and click the Convert button

 

Depending on the size of your catalog, it will take several minutes to convert it.  A copy of your old catalog will be made and you will still be able to open that catalog in Elements 2020.   A new catalog will be created for Elements 2025 and will have the same name as the old one, but with a numeric suffix.

 

Repeat the process for your second catalog.

 

As for Photo X, find the folder in the My Folders panel on the left. Select the folder and right-click on it.  There will be an option in the context menu to Import Media.  If Photo X is not already in the catalog, it will be imported.  (You will get a message that any photos in the folder that are already in the catalog have not been imported because they are already there.)

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New Here ,
Aug 22, 2025 Aug 22, 2025

Thank you for your help.  I will try what you suggested over the weekend.  I had gotten help from photoshop when installing it -  and the man on the phone told me to stop the organizer from installing.  I would rather follow your steps.  My next question is can I delete the new version and reinstall it? And then allow the program to download the organizer.  I know i will have to install the other catalog manually.  Correct?  TY for all your help

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Community Expert ,
Aug 22, 2025 Aug 22, 2025

Yes, you can uninstall and reinstall Elements.  But I'm not sure whether reinstallation will automatically create a new prompt to convert the old catalog if any version 2025 catalog can be found on your system.  It would probably require a total uninstall of the program, removal of preferences, removal of all Elements 2025 catalogs, and possibly some cleanup of the registry.  Given the ease with which your old catalogs can be converted, I would not bother with that approach.

 

BTW, there is no way to stop the installation of the Organizer.  It is automatically part of the program's installation.

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New Here ,
Aug 23, 2025 Aug 23, 2025

Hi Greg

I am having problems getting into the organizer. I hit the organizer button and then get media and the this is the message I get (see screenshot below).  Not sure how to proceed with this.

Mary

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Community Expert ,
Aug 23, 2025 Aug 23, 2025

That is a normal message. Simply click the Continue button. However, if you do not want your files to sync with the Adobe Cloud, as soon as you open the Organizer, go to Edit>Preferences >Auto Sync and uncheck the boxes. 

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New Here ,
Aug 24, 2025 Aug 24, 2025

GM Greg

Got my catalogs loaded they look like they are all there.  My folder names came over to the new version but the album names didnt.  If there isnt a way to get that do I just re do the structure in the organizer and move the appropriate folders into their correct positions.  I took screenshots of the new photoshop version and the old 2020 version

Also this message appears in the 2025 version (see screenshot below) about backups.  I didnt do the backup yet because I didnt have the albums and folders in the spot that I had in the 2020 version.  I know I can set the backup after every use or whatever I want-correct?  

Thank you again for your help and patience with me.

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Community Expert ,
Aug 24, 2025 Aug 24, 2025

Your folders (albums) are in the correct order, but not the correct view.  I don't know why Elements uses this list view as the default but it is easy to fix.

 

Click on the down arrow next to the My Folders heading and select View as Tree.  The My Folders panel will then display your folders in the same structure as Windows File Explorer. 

 

4952025.08.24.png

 

 

If sub-folders are not being displayed, right click on the parent folder and select Show All SubFolders from the context menu.

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New Here ,
Aug 25, 2025 Aug 25, 2025

Thank you so much for all your help.  The program is working and both my catalogs are populated.

Should I  do a backup everytime I am using the program.  If so if I am doing a backup to my external drive do I do the original way of doing the backup or just my a copy of the backup that I was doing all a long from the c drive (where they are stored) and paste on the external drive?

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Community Expert ,
Aug 25, 2025 Aug 25, 2025

You can never have too many backups!! 

 

The auto backup that is created when you close the program (according to the schedule that you set in Preferences) only protects the catalog itself, not the media files.  The backup is fairly small and I believe it rotates on a 3 file cycle.  IOW, older automatic backups are deleted when the newer ones are created.  The purpose of this backup is to resolve issues that (rarely) occur when the catalog becomes corrupt and won't open.  The backup is then supposed to automatically kick in.

 

Personally, I don't use this automatic backup (primarily because I can be opening and closing the Organizer many times a day and it would become an annoyance).  Copy-and-pasting the catalog folder to another drive is my preferred way of backing up my catalog (along with synching copies of my media files among several different drives).  If this is what you do, I have a small tip that saves some time.  Compress/zip the catalog folder before copying it to another drive.  Then unzip the file when it has been copied.  In my experience, even with zipping and unzipping the folder, this can be much faster than copying the folder itself, particularly with a large catalog.  The reason for this is that the catalog folder contains thousands of .very small text files.  These take exponentially longer to read and write to a hard drive than a single (zipped) file of the same size as all the small ones.  The compression also slightly reduces the total size of the files being transferred.

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New Here ,
Aug 25, 2025 Aug 25, 2025
LATEST

Thank you again.  I now understand it much better.

Mary

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