Using Photoshop Elements 15 on two computers

Report · Mar 15, 2017

Hi. I have been using Aperture on my iMac for years and have finally taken the plunge and purchased Photoshop Elements 15. I currently have all my photos on my iMac and access them via Aperture either on my iMac or MacBook (the later by accessing my iMac via the MacBook using my network so I am always working with the same file).

I bought PSE15 having been advised that the single license allows me to use it on two machines and I have installed it on both my computers successfully. I have now started to add photos to the Organiser using my iMac but can't find a way of accessing the same same Organiser file using my MacBook.

The help pages seem to suggest I am able to point my MacBook to the Catalogue on my iMac but I can find no way of doing that.

All I am trying to achieve is to be able to use PSE15 on both my machines (not at the same time) so I can access and edit the same set of photos and see those changes whichever computer I use.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

Report · Mar 15, 2017

I am afraid you can't work like before for sharing your library and catalogue on the network.

As far as I know, you can't store the catalog on a network with Macs (I am a Windows user).

So the usual solution to share both your library and catalog on an external drive does not work.

What works well is to store library and catalog on an external USB drive that you plug in alternatively to both computers.

Report · Mar 20, 2017

Thanks very much for your help.

Can you please advise how I go about creating a new catalog on an external drive. Each time I try and create a new catalog it is automatically created in the depths of my hard drive (StartFragmentCatalog Location: /Users/Pete/Library/Group Containers/JQ525L2MZD.pepe/Application Support/Adobe/Elements Organizer/Catalogs/15.0/My Catalog/).EndFragment

There is no option to tell PSE where I want to create the catalog and there is no option to move a folder I have already created.

Thanks again

Report · Mar 20, 2017

peterr54608664 wrote
Thanks very much for your help.
Can you please advise how I go about creating a new catalog on an external drive. Each time I try and create a new catalog it is automatically created in the depths of my hard drive (StartFragmentCatalog Location: /Users/Pete/Library/Group Containers/JQ525L2MZD.pepe/Application Support/Adobe/Elements Organizer/Catalogs/15.0/My Catalog/).EndFragment
There is no option to tell PSE where I want to create the catalog and there is no option to move a folder I have already created.
Thanks again

Yes, Elements has no option to move a catalog folder to a 'custom' destination in the menu File >> Manage catalogs, only to move the other way round from 'custom' to 'default', but there are two ways around that problem:

1 - When you restore a backup to a custom location (other drive or master folder), both the library (image folder tree) and the catalog folder are restored, that is moved where you want.

2 - Even if there is no Adobe help on that possibility, you can copy or move the whole catalog folder from your default location from your OS: Finder or Windows explorer. You can use the catalog manager to browse to 'custom' destination and to the copied folder. In Windows, you can alternatively double click on the 'catalog.pse15db' file: that opens the organizer with the moved folder. Moving or copying a catalog folder (as a backup if you want) does not change anything in its contents, you simply have to choose the new catalog location.

Report · Mar 23, 2017

Thanks for your help but I am still struggling I'm afraid.

I am able to backup both my photos folder and catalog to an external hard drive using the File>Backup Catalog on my iMac.

However, when I use the File>Restore option and chose the location the photos folder is restored to the new location I specify but the catalog is created once again on my iMac hard drive (/Users/Pete/Library/Group Containers/JQ525L2MZD.pepe/Application Support/Adobe/Elements Organizer/Catalogs/15.0/My Catalog/) and not on the external hard drive. There seems to be no option to allow me to specify the location of the restored catalog.

Can you please drop me a note of the step by step actions I need to take.

Thanks very much.

Report · Mar 23, 2017

peterr54608664 wrote
Thanks for your help but I am still struggling I'm afraid.
I am able to backup both my photos folder and catalog to an external hard drive using the File>Backup Catalog on my iMac.
However, when I use the File>Restore option and chose the location the photos folder is restored to the new location I specify but the catalog is created once again on my iMac hard drive (/Users/Pete/Library/Group Containers/JQ525L2MZD.pepe/Application Support/Adobe/Elements Organizer/Catalogs/15.0/My Catalog/) and not on the external hard drive. There seems to be no option to allow me to specify the location of the restored catalog.
Can you please drop me a note of the step by step actions I need to take.
Thanks very much.

I don't know if there is a difference with Macs, but when I restore, the catalog folder is also restored on the destination drive or folder.

The restored catalog is only shown in the catalog manager if you select the 'custom' option (not the default catalogs for all users).

You can use your Finder to move (or copy) any catalog file in the default location to your other external drive; then in the catalog manager you select 'custom' location and browse to that copied catalog folder.

Report · Mar 23, 2017

Thanks - I can only assume that there is a difference in options for the Mac as I have no Custom option available.

Report · Mar 23, 2017

peterr54608664 wrote
Thanks - I can only assume that there is a difference in options for the Mac as I have no Custom option available.

You don't have this radio button?

Report · Mar 24, 2017

Sadly not. This is all I have.

Report · Mar 24, 2017

I have searched the pdf help file for Elements Organizer 15 and I don't see anywhere that you can't have 'custom' catalog locations on Macs.

The only known limitation is:

Open a catalog

1Select File > Manage Catalogs.

2Select the catalog from the list in the Catalog Manager dialog box.

3Click Open.

Note: (Mac OS) You cannot access catalogs on a shared network.

Is your external drive a shared network (NAS) one?

Report · Mar 24, 2017

Thanks. No the drive is a standard USB drive and I am able to add the photos folder without a problem. There is just no option to have a custom catalog location. It is so frustrating that there isn't even a helpline at Adobe to ring.