athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136 
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Post by athegn on Feb 16, 2016 22:08:35 GMT
I have found the catalog in C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs for Elements 11.
I want this to be backed up by the Win 7/Win 10 (machine soon to be converted from 7 to 10) backup system.
Microsoft say this data is backed up is:-
"Data files that are saved in libraries, on the desktop, and in default Windows folders for all people with a user account on the computer."
Does this backup save this catalog data? If not how can I get this catalog into one of the Windows folders that its backup saves?
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Post by Andy on Feb 16, 2016 23:14:22 GMT
Be careful of using Windows backup to backup your Catalog and Photos. If you aren't really careful with how you do it, your catalog will lose track of your photos. I would suggest you use the PSE built-in backup.
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 17, 2016 7:30:18 GMT
Doesn't the PSE backup also backup the images? If I have backed these up using Windows backup I will have duplicate backups?
Also this is not my machine; I am several hundred miles from home and trying to help someone so do not have access to my own setup where all is backed up but using my own backup procedures.
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 17, 2016 7:48:26 GMT
Found this:- forums.adobe.com/thread/853966?tstart=0It suggests to move the location of the catalog and thumbnail cache file; in fact the whole catalogs folder. When I look at Manage Catalogs there is a move function but it does not seem to allow moving the catalog to your chosen location. In this case I want the location to be C:\Users\user\My documents or My pictures, which the Windows backup saves. |
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 17, 2016 8:51:45 GMT
I have created a "Test" catalog in C:\Users\User\My Pictures but when I examine that folder, in Windows Explorer, I do not see a *.psedb file (show hidden files/folders is checked). Should I see that file so that I can be sure it is backed up?
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 17, 2016 8:59:18 GMT
I have now found where my Test catalog is; so please ignore this particular question.
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 17, 2016 9:18:50 GMT
Now got MY Catalog into C:\Users\user\My Pictures and now backed up using Windows normal backup system. Found the catalog Move command a bit confusing; still all well now.
May have to ask about catalog tags later; still investigating those.
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Sue
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Learn something new every day
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Post by Sue on Feb 17, 2016 12:15:30 GMT
Another way to move the catalog, without PSE open, is to drag and drop. You want to move the entire contents of the catalog folder, not just the catalog as the folder contains your thumbnail cached and other critical info. Make sure all that was moved. I have never used the move catalog command in PSE.
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 17, 2016 20:45:48 GMT
Checking that all moved was my first priority; yes they did.
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Post by Andy on Feb 18, 2016 4:00:58 GMT
Doesn't the PSE backup also backup the images? If I have backed these up using Windows backup I will have duplicate backups? Yes, the PSE backup will backup everything. However, it will ensure the catalog stays connected to the images. If you make sure that the location of the photos on the old machine (say c:\users\{username}\documents is exactly the same on the new machine, you should be ok. The thumbnail cache can be rebuilt, so moving that is not critical. |
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 19, 2016 15:03:36 GMT
It would be nice to be able to just backup the catalog without the images. I cannot be the only one who stores their data in C:\Users and backs up with Windows backup. Ok I now have moved my friends catalog folder to Users, but someone else would be very confused if they found that catalog backup was enormous.
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Post by michelb on Feb 19, 2016 16:55:34 GMT
It would be nice to be able to just backup the catalog without the images. I cannot be the only one who stores their data in C:\Users and backs up with Windows backup. Ok I now have moved my friends catalog folder to Users, but someone else would be very confused if they found that catalog backup was enormous. There's nothing easier to copy or backup a catalog. A catalog is a folder with the main database and other accessory files. If you move or copy a catalog folder, its content is not changed. You simply do this from your Explorer or Finder. The location of the catalog is shown in the menu Help >> System Information. That's good if you are not going to change the location of the media files. That's a mess if you want to use the catalog copy to manage the files you have copied or restored via Windows or other to another computer. Obviously, those files are not in the same location (the drive indentification, the letter AND the internal serial number are different). You'll have to reconnect all your files. Not impossible, but just try it once... psekb.blogspot.fr/2013/03/how-do-i-reconnect-missing-files-in.htmlThat's why you should use the organizer backup. When it restores, it updates the location of the media files in the catalog. Creating simple copies of your catalog folders is fast, but it does not solve the reconnecting problem. Moving catalogs is ok. Moving files outside of the organizer is not. |
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athegn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 136
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Post by athegn on Feb 19, 2016 17:21:10 GMT
I do understand databases; I wrote/managed multi million record databases for 8 years. However an explanation of what is backed up and what the various backed up files are, would not go amiss.
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Post by michelb on Feb 19, 2016 18:07:17 GMT
I do understand databases; I wrote/managed multi million record databases for 8 years. However an explanation of what is backed up and what the various backed up files are, would not go amiss. From a long experience in Elements forums, I can tell you that understanding databases is not the problem, it's realizing that the organizer is based on a catalog (like Lightroom). That alone gives the explanation about backups. I kind of agree that a better explanation about the basics of the organizer is needed. But I don't believe the same explanation will be fit for database experts and novices as well. For instance, there is an excellent introduction to Lightroom by Victoria Brampton. The online help file has some merits, as well as the pdf manual version, but they are based on the asumption that the average user is too dumb to understand catalogs and the difference between backing up the media library and the catalogs. helpx.adobe.com/elements-organizer/using/topics.htmlLightroom users are supposed to understand the necessity of backups (LR only backups catalogs), Elements users are supposed not to be able to understand the 'connection' problem, which has nothing to do with understanding databases. That's also why the help files insist on 'albums', which users don't understand at all.  If you want more technical data about the organizer, the best source is John R Ellis (who dropped Elements to use Lightroom). www.johnrellis.com/psedbtool/photoshop-elements-faq.htmwww.johnrellis.com/psedbtool/#_Writing_File_MetadataSince the databases are sqlite ones, I would advise you to have a look at the structure of the catalog.pse14db file with an adequate sqlite manager. |
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