Reinstall 2019 Element Windows 10 how to find catalog

[carl750]

I had to reinstall Windows 10 and therefore all software.  Microsoft said the process would not lose my data.  Everything appears to be there, but ....

Opening the reinstalled Element 2019, it wants to build new catalog.  Where is my old catalog and how do I tell Element to use it?

[Peru Bob]

I've moved this from the poorly named Community Help forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to the Photoshop Elements forum so that proper help can be offered.

[Greg_S.]

If you stored the catalog in the default location and did not change the name, it should be in the My Catalog folder here (not the folder you have selected):

In that folder, you should have a file named catalog.pse17db.  Double-click on it and it should open up in the Organizer. 

I'm assuming that you did not create a new catalog when prompted to do so.  If you moved or renamed your original catalog, then do a Windows search for the file catalog.pse17db and double-click on each one until you find the correct catalog.

[carl750]

I followed your instructions.  It did open Orangizer, but with the display "no media available".

So did my catalog get wiped out with the reinstall?

[carl750]

I turned on "show hidden files" ........ seach then found the necessary catalog.  Your suggesstion to "double clip" to open organizer worked.  I am now back in business. Thanks

[Greg_S.]

👍  Glad you were able to sort it out. I think it's actually the file name extensions that need to be turned on in Explorer.