Microsoft ODBC error in Photoshop Elements 4

[Barriemom]

Can someone PLEASE help me?? I just finished Photoshop files in preparation for doing a major backup. The reconnection process went smoothly, but then I discovered that I was unable to delete any files. Every time I try, I get an error message: "Microsoft ODBC (Microsoft Access Driver) Invalid Argument." I have tried doing File>Catalog>Recover, but it freezes up at 33% every time.

[Lance Warley]

I don't know about the error message for sure, but I'll take a guess - are you running on a network that uses a separate server for running your database?

If so, then you should contact your network administrator or IT Help Desk.

If not, and you're running stand-alone, as long as you have your jpg's, psd's and any other data files safely backed up, I'd suggest just doing an uninstall and then reinstall PSE.

I hope this helps.

[Ward Grant]

Can someone PLEASE help me?? I just finished Photoshop files in preparation for doing a major backup. The reconnection process went smoothly, but then I discovered that I was unable to delete any files. Every time I try, I get an error message: "Microsoft ODBC (Microsoft Access Driver) Invalid Argument." I have tried doing File>Catalog>Recover, but it freezes up at 33% every time.

Depending upon how many images you have and how long it has been since you did your last recovery, this message seems to "freeze" at two points-33% and 66%. If you look at Task Manager, it may say "Not Responding" which I've found is not the same as "Not Working".

What has worked for me is to start the process and then walk away. When you are absolutely sure the process has finished, wait another 30 minutes and then go check. If it is truly freezing, this won't hurt anything but I've found many times the process will eventually finish.

[Barriemom]

Thanks guys. I ended up talking with Adobe customer support, and they could suggest no better option than opening up a new catalog (on theory that the old one was corrupt), and transferring all the pictures into the new catalog from "My Pictures." So I've begun the long & laborious process (and then, of course, will have to go back and re-edit, re-tag, and re-caption everything *sigh*). Interestingly, all the pictures in my new catalog are connected, whereas many in my original catalog were not.

In fact, I have been wondering if the reconnection process was somehow related to the ODBC error I ran into in my old catalog. I say this because I had disovered someone -- Sheila -- who reported a problem very similar to mine back in March of this year (and to whom you, Ward, responded.) She mentioned that she (like I) had been in the process of reconnecting pictures when she got the ODBC error. She, though, was experiencing a problem that I was not, in that her pictures would not remain connected. I had no problems reconnecting my pictures (and having them remain connected). I just couldn't delete, back-up, or perform a catalog recovery.

I noted that Sheila ended up taking the same step I did -- i.e. creating a new catalog. I hope it continues to work for both of us! :)

[Ward Grant]

...So I've begun the long & laborious process (and then, of course, will have to go back and re-edit, re-tag, and re-caption everything *sigh*). Interestingly, all the pictures in my new catalog are connected, whereas many in my original catalog were not.

Sorry for all your troubles. If you have not recreated your new catalog yet (sounds like you might have), you can open the old catalog and do an Edit>Select All then Write Tags to Photos.
When you use Get Photos from Folders in the new catalog, you should get a pop up asking if you want to keep the tags. Answer yes. Might save some of the work.

If you have collections, you can pick a collection and assign it a new tag such as Col1, Col2 etc. When you import into the new catalog, you can filter on these tags and assign it to a collection.

Just curious-did you have any success with my suggestions to let the process run for a very long time period?