Photoshop Elements 12 photos in Windows directory won't show in PSE

[misplonj]

I haven't used Photoshop Elements in a while.  I have photos that show up in the Windows10 directory folders, but they do not show up in the PSE directory folders and I can not copy files from one folder to another in PSE.

[Message edited by moderator to clarify PSE]

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[jane-e]

Hi

Can you clarify if you are using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements? Your subject line refers to both. Thanks.

~ Jane

[misplonj]

Sorry it is Elements

[jane-e]

No worries, we can move posts to the proper forum for you. I also slightly edited your post to clarify that it's about PSE, not PS. If it's not okay, you can edit it or ask for more help.

~ Jane

[MichelBParis]

The organizer works with a catalog. That means that the files you want to manage must have been 'registered' in the database. You 'import' or 'get files' which means you select the files you want to manage and those files are read and their properties, exif data and location on your drives are stored in the database.

Even if the left folders panel looks like the explorer or finder, it only shows managed files.

Also look at the help for 'watched folders' feature. This service running in the background checks if new files have been added to some folders (with their subfolders).

[misplonj]

Thank you that helps.  One other question.  I seem to have something of a jumbled mess of these photos from one trip I took.  I was trying to leave the orignals in the folders of the dates when taken, and copy some out to another folder to use photoshop on them to use in a Mixbook, and another folder to combine mine with my Daughter in laws.  The photos show in all the folders in File Explorer but not in Elements, (again jumbled mess) I am sure because they are registered other places in the cataloge.  If I were to remove all these photos from the catalog and then re-import them, that would not delete the actual photos, I hope, just remove them from the catalog.  Is that correct?

[Greg_S.]

misplonj said:

If I were to remove all these photos from the catalog and then re-import them, that would not delete the actual photos, I hope, just remove them from the catalog. Is that correct?

That is correct.  When you select photos in the Organizer and hit the Delete key, a message will pop up asking if you want to also delete the files from your hard drive.

However, how are you going to delete files from the catalog if you can't find them there?  All file moving and deletion activity should take place within the Organizer.  If you conduct these operations in File Explorer, you will have a bigger mess.

I don't know if this may be a source of your problems, but the default Folders view for the Organizer is a flat alpha-numeric list.  It is better to use the Tree view which you can access via the "hamburger" button at the top of the panel: