All pictures show "file missing" after a backup being restored on a different computer

[Herby11]

Hello,

Using elements 2018 I want to copy my catalog and my pictures to a second computer. I did a full backup on the first computer, Installed Elements 2018 on my second computer and restored the catalog on the second computer. On my first computer I had the files under different directories on different (internal) HDD, on the second computer I restored everything under the D: drive.

Problem: No pictures are displayed when I open the catalog on my second computer, all pictures show "file missing". I then checked under information the location where Photoshop is looking for the picture and it shows the location (drive, directory) where the picure is stored on my first computer. So somehow the restoration process did not update the picture location. As this are 50.000 pictures I can`t reconnec them automatically or manually. Would be great if someone knew how to solve this problem!

Thanks in advance

Nic

[MichelBParis]

If you want to restore your files located on several drives on a single drive:

- create a new master folder on that single drive. For instance a 'My Photos' folder just under the root of the C drive. I don't recommend storing in the My Pictures default Microsoft library.

- Be sure to restore from your backup folder to that master folder

- All your files should be restored, the different original drives will be restored under different subfolders keeping the names of the drives. Instead of having your library split over different drives or partitions, you have it split under different subfolders just under the master folder.

- Storing the restore on a new 'custom' location like this also stores the catalog folder just under the new master folder. That catalog folder appears in the 'custom' location category in the catalog manager. From the catalog manager you can chose the option to 'move' it back to the default location on your C drive (optional). You can also copy or move the catalog folder elsewhere from your explorer.

[aaron_vijayan]

Hi Nic,

Thanks for reaching out on the Adobe forums. Could you please specify the OS of the second machine on which you attempted to restore the backup?

Regards,
Aaron Vijayan