With Windows 10 being End of Lifed in November 2025 and my current Windows 10 PC from 2017 not being supported on win11, I bought a new PC and had a hell of a time migrating Elements to it. After attempting to restore and then Update ACR correctly and at the correct time during the process, I created a fairly clean step by step procedure. I did not find this documented anywhere. BTW, I'm not a tech writer, just an end user.
Table of Contents
My PC Attributes
If Cleanup is need on the Destination PC
Install PSE
Install ACR (Adobe Camera Raw)
Manually copy the updated Camera Raw.8bi to the Elements folder < --- VERY IMPORTANT
Start the Restore
===================================================
My PC Attributes
The example below has these attributes:
Photoshop Elements 2023, also known as Elements 21. This same version will be installed on the Destination PC
Old or Source PC: Dell XPS 8900 with Windows 10
New or Destination PC: Dell XPS 8960 with Windows 11
All photo files(Pictures) reside on HHD (D:) which is an internal SATA disk
My Pictures folder is 3.4 TB, Has 294,328 Files, and 2,364 Folders
My Raw Files are from a Nikon Z8 (NEFs)
I set the Volume Letters to be the same on the Destination as the Source to avoid any conflicts during the restore
My volume label is ' 8 TB APP-Data' (D:)
Correct any Missing Files
On the source PC , from Organizer run Find > All Missing Files
Then backup the catalog 'File > Back up Catalog...'
If Cleanup is need on the Destination PC
If you want to do a full restore to an existing PC and want to remove or clean up before the restore.
I did this because I had a couple of installation problems due to ACR (Adobe Camera Raw)
Remove all PSE
Uninstall PSE via Apps Uninstall
Delete \Pictures from 8 TB APP-Data (D:)
Delete \ProgramData\Adobe from 8 TB APP-Data (D:)
8 TB APP-Data (D:)
Music Users <--- Only Content
Delete OS(C:) \ProgramData\Adobe
Delete (C:) \Users\paul\AppData\Roaming\Adobe
Note: I'm leaving this here because I didn't previously delete it:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-Ins\Elements 21\File Formats
And this doesn't exist and will get recreated:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-Ins\CC
Install PSE
Note: I previously received PSE Install Error MSVCR120.dll
And needed to Install the MS Visual C++ 2013 Redistributables to resolve the install problem
Execute the installer:
PhotoshopElements_2023_LS30_win64.exe
Select Default Location
Note: The Adobe Photoshop Elements 2023 window opens
Optional:
Note: I open the Editor and check for a ACR version
Help > About Plug-in > No 'Camera Raw' listed
Note: From the Adobe Photoshop Elements 2023 window I select Organizer
The Welcome to Elements Organizer window open, I select OK
Message appears:
The 'PSE12 Catalog 1 2' catalog could not be found. Please
open or create a different catalog. OK
Note: Catalog Manager opens and I'm not sure what to do here. As there should be no known catalogs to PSE at this point I'll create a new one
Select New
Enter a name for the new catalog:
XPS 8960 catalog
Note: any name will do
OK
Install ACR (Adobe Camera Raw)
Note: If you do not do this correctly and at this time of the procedure you will encounter many problems with New Camera's RAW files. They may not even copy from the backup.
Install ACR from the Organizer
Organizer > Help > Install Camera RAW
Note: This opens the 'Adobe Photoshop Elements Add-on Utilities 2023 ...' app launcher
Default Location
Continue
Note: You will need to close the Organizer and Editor if open, otherwise you will get a message like this:
Installation Conflict
Please save your work and close the
following programs for all logged in users,
then click "Continue":
-Elements 2023 Organizer
(Error Code: 131)
Note: I exit the Organizer and Select Continue and the ACR install completes
Note: This installed the latest ACR from Adobe. Version 17.0 in my case
Manually copy the updated Camera Raw.8bi to the Elements folder
First Rename the Camera Raw.8bi file at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-Ins\Elements 21\File Formats
Camera Raw.8bi to ~Camera Raw.8bi
Note: Elements 21 is the version I have, yours may differ
Then copy the updated Camera Raw.8bi
from
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-Ins\CC\File Formats
to
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Plug-Ins\Elements 21\File Formats
Note: Version 17 size = 210,661 KB>
Open the Editor to verify the ACR version
Help > About Plug-in >
Version 17.0.1.2048
Start the Restore
Note: Close the editor and open the Organizer to start the restore
File > Restore Catalog...
Restore Catalog from CD, DVD, or Hard Drive
Hard Drive and Browse
Select 16 TB Backup
Note: My backup named PSE-Full-1 is on volume '16 TB Backup, yours will differ
Note: Wait for the Backup.tly to present itself
Select the file then 'Open'
Note: My Backup file is 147,076 KB
Then this will be presented
Locate the Backup File: E:\PSE-Full-1\Backup.tly
Note: Select the file then 'Open'
Restore to
Specify Destination: <NONE> {Browse}
Note: Restore is Grayed out
Select 'Restore Original File Structure'
Browse and select D:\
Note: Select your Destination Folder, mine is (D\:)
Restore Original File Structure
Select Restore
Please wait...
Folder Already Exists
One or more folders already exist with the same name at the
folders being restored. To combine the contents with the
existing folders click OK. To specify a different location, click
Cancel.
Selected OK
Note: I was prompted with the above 'Folder Already Exists', then selected OK
File Already Exists
Would you like to overwrite 'D:
\Users\paul\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Network
Shortcuts\PMB_8369_edited-1.jpg
Selected Yes to All
Note: I was prompted with the above 'File Already Exists', then selected 'Yes to All'
Please wait...
Copying files...
Restoring Files...
The restore completed successfully
Note: This completed in about 7 hours
My Pictures folder is 3.4 TB, Has 294,328 Files, and 2,364 Folders
Preparing the Catalog...
Note: This completed in about 2-3 hours
All photos are refreshing to the display
This could take some time, maybe hours to refresh all the thumbnails
Everything now appears to be as it was on my Source PC, including all Tags, Keywords etc
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