Organizer in sync with laptop/desktop

[kabbie]

I am setting up a laptop to use when my desktop isn't available. I am trying to figure out what my options are to have the Organizer on my desktop and laptop in sync. I don't really want to back up my entire "My Catalog" on the laptop. What I would really like to do is create a partial backup of My Catalog using only select catagories. Any way of doing this?

[Ward Grant]

Hello Kabbie and welcome to the forum

Elements does not really provide an easy way to move the catalog data between PCs. Yes, you could Backup part of the catalog, but when you restore the data, it will likely overwrite the existing catalog.

Here is one way that can be used. You will need a portable USB device. Some people call these thumb drives. I'm talking those small, pocket sized devices you can find everywhere now.

Open Organizer on DeskPC and use Elements Move command to put the pictures on the thumbdrive.
Close Organizer and remove the thumbdrive.
When working with your laptop, insert the thumbdrive into your USB port and do your editing/tagging.
When you get home, turn on DeskPC and use Elements Move command to bring the pictures back from the thumbdrive to your hard drive.

The key is Organizer data is written to a MS Access database. The Elements Move command will write the changes to this database.

Now if you only need to do editing, no tagging, collections, special creations, you can easily copy the pictures between your laptop and the desktop. The editing changes (colors, shapes, text, etc.) are written directly to the file and you have no effect on the Organizer.