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where are my photos located

New Here ,
Mar 14, 2021 Mar 14, 2021

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I had been using Elements Organizer on my laptop with pictures stored an external HD.  I have since installed a 1T ssd in the laptop and want to move the pictures to the SSD.  I also use Ond=e Drive and would like to have them backed up there.  I backed up with a Full Backup and wanted to restore to my C: drive.  I chose the Pictures folder and Camera roll.  Not the files ocation seems conveluted and shows as, "C:\users\bille\onedrive\pictures\cameraroll\users\bille\onedrive\elements online\1948 04 01"  did I choose the wrong location to REstore or perhaps I should not have chosen to retain file structure.  I would like to simplify things. can yo sugges how i can correct this?  Thank you 

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Adobe Employee ,
Mar 14, 2021 Mar 14, 2021

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Hi,

 

If you want everyting to be inside Parent folder, you will have to de-select 'Restore Original Folder structure', while doing Restore.

 

Thanks!

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New Here ,
Mar 15, 2021 Mar 15, 2021

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Thanks, now I have restored everything a few times. I probably have files
all over the place that aren’t used. Is there a way to find them and delete
them? I don’t want to delete what is needed
Bill Eilers

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 15, 2021 Mar 15, 2021

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I am in a similar situation. After a restore I have media file folders all over the place and would like to get rid of all of them that are not needed.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 16, 2021 Mar 16, 2021

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hi @defaultivswcv2e2xez  and @billeilers ,

 

The 'backup and restore' process has to be used when you want to 'move' your library and the catalog elsewhere instead of in the same location because it's the good way to keep the links in the catalog database to the new destination: computer, drive, partition or master folder.

Obviously, this is a 'copy + resync' operation, not a move, since the original photo files are still there and working. So, if you want to recover the disk space of the original photo files and original catalog, you'll have to delete them.

Most of the time, your photo files are under the 'Pictures' system folder and the easiest way to delete them in bulk is to use the explorer. You may have a number of other locations to look in, such as the downloads folder or the desktop.

Managing files in a catalog like in the organizer or Lightroom means that media files not in a catalog are not known at all to the catalogs and the organizer, and you can't manage them until you have imported them.

You have to deal differently with the catalogued photo files and with the other ones.

The first idea with the catalogued files of the old computer is to use the organizer to select all and delete all from catalog AND from disk. Unfortunately, the organizer is much to slow and will choke in the process of deleting a big library. You may need to delete by many smaller batches. Another workaround, instead of bulk deleting, would be to move your selected files to a temporary disk space which can be easily and quickly deleted from the Explorer.

Now, what about the files on your computer but not in the catalog?  I suggest to create a temporary new catalog and import everything 'in bulk'. That will help you to check those files and decide if you want to delete all or to keep a part of them. Same workaround as above to move away the rejected ones.

 

Another note about moving your photo files (not the catalog) to another drive, partition or master folder:

In the left folders panel of the organizer in tree mode, you can drag and drop a whole folder tree with its subfolders to another location such as an external drive. It's a real move, not a copy + sync.

In my experience it's safe even if I strongly recommend to do a full backup before. It's a slow process, but you can move folder by folder and decide to move only a part of your library and keep another part.

In that process, nothing is changed with your catalog folder, no copy or move.

Also, you can always copy or move your catalog folder elsewhere: its contents are not changed and all links are kept. You copy as a kind of backup or to make the catalog accessible from an external drive for instance.

 

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 16, 2021 Mar 16, 2021

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A complicated process as expected. I will have to give it some thought and
intend to give it a try

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Community Expert ,
Mar 16, 2021 Mar 16, 2021

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A complicated process as expected. I will have to give it some thought andintend to give it a try
By @defaultivswcv2e2xez

What makes it look complicated is that it describes two distinct solutions to move your photo folder trees, the backup and restore and the simple folder tree dragging.

As usual, you need to understand the principle of catalogs containing pointers to the location of the files on your disks and NO photo files. The paradox is that if you move photo files outside of the organizer, the catalog is corrupted; its pointers are disconnected. if you move or copy the catalog folders, their contents are not changed. It's like having a catalog of the Louvre museum: you can use it on the spot, or at home:  it will always indicate the right room to find Mona Lisa.

 

I have made it a bit more complicated to warn you about what the organizer can do easily or not. It can't delete all your files from the catalog easily. Two possible workarounds: deleting smaller batches or moving to a temporary drive. It is smart enough to do a 'bulk import' which deals with the hassle of the files not imported in the catalog everywhere on your computer. That can be done easily after you have dealt with the catalogued files by moving or deleting them. I did not mention that the organizer is able to find those not catalogued files even if you have not yet deleted the catalogued files. The bulk import is available and will only import those not yet catalogued files, skipping the already present files; if you sort by 'import batch', you can tag all those newly imported files and take the time to see if they need to stay or be deleted.

 

Consider that without those tools, managing those not catalogued files would be very difficult, if even possible.

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