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How to manage that two PC's share the same catalog?

Explorer ,
Jan 04, 2018 Jan 04, 2018

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Photoshop elements Organiser 15

Windows 10

I have Photoshop elements installed on two different PC's

When I start the organiser on PC2 it is obviously not the same as on PC1 (For instance I have to re-tag the same persons names)

How can I manage that my two PC's share the same catalog

I tried to instal my catalogs on the cloud (OneDrive) but apparently they are different

How to arrange that?

Thank you for the help.

daniel

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Explorer ,
Jan 30, 2018 Jan 30, 2018

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Hello

My files are big I guess (80k pics, 1500 folders) As the backup and the restore each take about 5 hours on HDs, I thought SSDs would be faster, but they didn't really.

And also I don't think that SSD or HD's are the matter.

For me it didn't work using a HD, and it didn't either with a SSD.

Actually, when I create the catalog by BackUp-Restore on the HD on the PC1, it works on PC1. SO PC1 can work with the catalog on an external HD.

When I plug in this same HD on PC2, it works also,  (provided that you change the letter and keep the same as on PC1). I find all my medias and tags created on PC1.

I can modify, add new pics on PC2, it all works.

But when I plug then the HD on PC2 : Error! and he can't open the catalog anymore...

My question now is:

Are you able to use one HD only for two PCs, going from one to another?

Are there any members of this forum who could reproduce that?

I have followed exactly your instructions and I could'nt succeed...

I really don't know what to do now to be honnest???

Thank you for the help.

Daniel

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Explorer ,
Feb 06, 2018 Feb 06, 2018

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Hi Michel

It's working

I could implement the process: I work now with one catalog -  on a 500Gb SSD - and I use it on two PC's

The error I made was the following: I was unplugging my SSD (or HD) too fast, before the warning of Windows 'Safe to unplug this media'

As my catalog is big (400G) it's making the update process a bit slow, so I have to wait sometime a few minutes before Windows allow me to unplug. It is very important to wait, otherwise you will receive an error message from Photoshop.

Thanks for the help

Daniel

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New Here ,
Sep 08, 2020 Sep 08, 2020

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I am trying to do the same thing. I have done backup from desktop to hard drive, restored to laptop from hard drive. Everything works fine. Now I am back on the desktop and I browse the hard drive for catalog and I find it. I use Manage Catalog and use Custom and click on catalog on hard drive. The only options now available to me are New or Convert and I am not sure what they do.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 08, 2020 Sep 08, 2020

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After your backup, an copy of your catalog folder (with updated links) has been restored on your new laptop.

From the Win Explorer, search for the location of the 'catalog.pseXXdb' database file.

XX is the PSE version number, for instance .pse15db for PSE15, .pse16db for PSE2018 (version 16) or .pse18db for the current PSE2020.

Double click on that file to open the organizer with that catalog. Next time, the organizer will remember that choice.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 08, 2020 Sep 08, 2020

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For some reason, my reply to this post is no longer displayed even if it's stated as beeing the latest answer... Yet another glitch from this forum software!

So new answer:

1 - locate your catalog folder on your desktop: menu Help >> System Information

2 - Copy it somewhere to the laptop, preferable directly under the root folder.

3 - In the laptop, double click the file 'catalog.pseXXdb' which will open the organizer with the catalog. Next time, this choice will be remembered. 'XX' is the PSE version number, ie 15 for PSE15, 18 for PSE2020 - version 18.

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New Here ,
Sep 09, 2020 Sep 09, 2020

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Note that this thread is 2-1/2 years old. Generally you will get a better response by starting a new thread.

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LEGEND ,
Sep 09, 2020 Sep 09, 2020

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This is a Test reply that is not nested.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 09, 2020 Sep 09, 2020

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To Sandy0001:

"I am trying to do the same thing. I have done backup from desktop to hard drive, restored to laptop from hard drive. Everything works fine. Now I am back on the desktop and I browse the hard drive for catalog and I find it. I use Manage Catalog and use Custom and click on catalog on hard drive. The only options now available to me are New or Convert and I am not sure what they do."

The other way to assign the new catalog as the current one for the organizer is:

- With the organizer closed, use the Windows explorer to find the restored catalog folder

- double click on the 'catalog.pseXXdb' which will open the organizer with the restored catalog

- next time you open the organizer, it will remember that choice and show the catalog in the 'custom' section of the catalog manager.

 

Note:

There is a bug in this forum which prevents going to the last post of the discussion and which made my two previous attemps to answer to be ignored. To continue the discussion, only click on the blue 'Answer' button under the first post of the discussion.

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New Here ,
Sep 29, 2020 Sep 29, 2020

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Thanks for the great questions and answers.  I have similar goal with more questions.  I want to use PS on two computers and I want each computer to have the catalog and photo files in case something happens to one of the computers.  With the description of backup and restore and using external drive B for the catalog is the catalog and photo files stored on both computers AND the external drive?  If I delete files from Computer A and want them deleted from Computer B will the external drive delete them from both the catalog and from the computer itself?  Thanks, mb

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New Here ,
Sep 29, 2020 Sep 29, 2020

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My question above also makes me wonder if I should have different names for three catalogs to make it easy to know which is which?  

Mark

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Community Expert ,
Oct 02, 2020 Oct 02, 2020

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A catalog name should always make clear for which computer it has been created.

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Community Expert ,
Sep 29, 2020 Sep 29, 2020

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"I want to use PS on two computers and I want each computer to have the catalog and photo files in case something happens to one of the computers. With the description of backup and restore and using external drive B for the catalog is the catalog and photo files stored on both computers AND the external drive? If I delete files from Computer A and want them deleted from Computer B will the external drive delete them from both the catalog and from the computer itself? Thanks, mb"

 

It's simple: the backup and restore process creates a working COPY of your media files and the catalog.

It does not delete anything from the original location.

You can work from the original or from the restored copy, but as soon as you edit something in a catalog, those edits are ignored by the other one. No syncing. Each catalog and files library starts its own life.

You still have the backup available to restore the situation in the original location or copy it to any other computer, drive or even master folder.

 

General workflow if you want to share as explained previously:

The original situation is kept on the original drive,

The external drive contains the copy and can be used from either computer by plugging it alternatively.

You can ignore or even delete the files and original catalog from the original drive to save space. You can restore another time from the backup folder in case of a crash on the original or destination computer.

The destination computer has no copy of the files and the catalog: it uses those on the external drive.

If you want to also have the catalog and files copied on the second computer, you can restore from the backup directly instead of, or additionally to the external drive.

 

The key reason to use an external drive is that you are always in sync when switching computers.

With an external drive, you need to back it up regularly on another external drive (or to either of your computers if you want and have enough space).

 

 

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New Here ,
Oct 01, 2020 Oct 01, 2020

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Thanks Michael, 

I understand.  I was initially thinking of the external drive as being a way to sync the two catalogs on two computers, but understand the external drive is allowing mer to use the same catalog and media files on two computers by haveing the computers look to the external drive.  Is there a way to use Organizer to sync two computers, I could use the home network, so that if I delete a media file on the PC it will get deleted on the laptop?   I if keep a catalog on three devices should I use different names for the HD and computer catalogs, like PS Catalog Ext drive, PS Catalog PC, PS Catalog Laptop?

Thanks,!

Mark

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Community Expert ,
Oct 02, 2020 Oct 02, 2020

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No, you can't sync like this. You can't share from a network, you can't share from the Web. That's only a (widespread) dream.

While there are ways to sync the media files library and even the catalog folder, I don't know any practical way to use the catalog.

Imagine you have created a backup and restore copy of computer A to B.

Just after the copy, A and B are in Sync.

As soon as you do any editing, they are no longer in sync.

You work for a while on A and want to update B (without a new backup and restore).

You use any sync utility (I do use Microsoft Synctoy). The media files are updated, the catalog is updated... but the catalog in B points to the files in A. All files are disconnected. And reconnecting is not easy nor fast; it's easier with Lightroom.

 

 

 

 

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New Here ,
Oct 02, 2020 Oct 02, 2020

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Very much thanks.  Now I understand why I can not do what I wanted to do and I have a plan: use the external drive to allow use on both computers, delete all the media files on the laptop with has limited HD space, backup intermittently somewhere (could be another external drive or use a removable internal drive on the PC.  Keep another backup in another location. 

Mark

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