Photo in Catalog but not Visible

[larrymcg]

Some kind of error happened today which had the immediate effect that I could not save the edited version of a photo in a version set. The save from the editor would take a long time and then the organizer would import the edited file. That is, the edited file was saved as a separate file, not in the version set.

So I did a Catalog Recover operation which fixed the problem with saving files in a version set.

But then I happened to noticed that a version set (with 2 files) I had created earlier in the day was not visible in the organizer. Neither file was visible. And they were not hidden either. The files existed and were visible via Windows Explorer. I tried to Add Unmanaged Files to the Catalog but it claimed there were no new files to add. This indicated that the organizer catalog had the names of the files even though it was not willing to display the photos. So I renamed the two files via Windows Explorer and the organizer imported them as separate files. When I tried to rename the files to their original names via the organizer, it complained that a file with that name existed already.

So, it is clear that the catalog has entries for two files but it is not willing to display them. My BIG CONCERN is that there are other such cases. It's hard to know since I have over 2600 photos in the organizer.

?? Is there a way to correct the catalog? Or find out why the organizer won't display the photos? Or to find out if there are other such errors in the catalog?

--Larry

[NickLewis]

I'm afraid the only way to correct the catalog is to run a Catalog Recover. Have you done one, or checked for disconnected files since the original Recover?

Beyond that, you'd be into editing the underlying database with Access, an activity which I emphatically would not recommend unless you were completely positive that you knew what you are doing. I'm not aware of the catalog structure being documented anywhere in the public domain.

Less dramatically, are you absolutely sure that you don't have some filter set that is preventing the photos displaying? Check in the Find menu.

Failing that, can you reconcile the number of photos in Organiser with the files on your hard drive? Messy, I know - I wouldn't like to try it!

Nick

[Barb O]

Larry,

It is not clear to me if you did a Find > By File Name using the specific file name of the original for the file that will not display. If not, I suggest trying that. (It would require setting the file names back to what they were using Windows Explorer I think to be an effective test now.)

Also be sure that you don't have any date range limitations on your displayed thumbnails (either with the tabs on the timeline above the thumbnails or with the Find command). Now you probably do not since it seems that you could display the renamed files with the same photo - but still worth checking.

[larrymcg]

Nick,
Yes I did a catalog recover - that fixed my issue with saving edited files in a version set. I have also looked for disconnected files - none found. There is no filter preventing these 2 files from displaying. The two are sequentially named right in the middle of a bunch of photos taken the same day, imported at the same time, in the same windows folder, with the same organizer tags. One is the original photo and the other is an edited version of that original and they were in a version set. I think it would be difficult to have a filter pick just these two files out unless the filter specified their explicit file names.

I was able to reconcile the number of photos in the relatively large folder containing these two "invisible" photos. I verified that these two are the only ones in that folder that are not showing up. It is fairly difficult to do because of stacks and version sets. I can easily unstack the stacks but the version sets (which are supposed to be a kind of stack) do not unstack so easily. Thus the number of photos reported by the organizer is always less that reported by Windows. It seems to me that unstacking all stacks should also unstack the version sets - but that's a different issue.

Barb O,

A Find By Filename of the specific "invisible" file finds nothing. I've tried evey kind of Find I can without success. The only way I can tell that the catalog knows the file name of interest is that an rename (done via the organizer) will fail claiming that the name is already in use in the catalog.

Also there are no date limits. It would be hard to set one up anyway because the photos were all taken on the same day as a bunch that do show up properly.

I guess I'll just proceed hoping that now other photos of importance disappeared from the organizer. At least the photos exist on the disk.

Thanks for all your replies,
Larry

[NickLewis]

Ah well - as you say, you haven't lost anything. Odd though.

Nick

[troush]

I wonder if rebuilding the thumbnail cache or resetting preferences would fix this?

-Trish

[larrymcg]

I see that the thumbnails can be updated but only for the selected photos.

Is there a way to rebuild the entire thumbnail cache? I don't see any commands to do that but with some apps if you delete the cache file it will be rebuilt automatically. If that's true with PSE5 then I'd have to know where the cache file is located.
--Larry

[jlwilm]

How about trying to open the pictures directly from editor and do a save. The Include in organizer is always and always a pest, but in this case, it might let you get it back in by the back door.

If it is jpeg, you will have the usual, theoretical degradation in a save, but if you are concerned about it, I would make a copy, do the edit save, then copy the saved back over - or rename. I just tried it and it worked for me, including the rename option, so no loss.

Nasty, but works to get it back in the organizer

[troush]

Somewhere under Documents and Settings there is either a tn.5.cache or a thumbs.5.cache - you can close Elements, delete the file, and then restart elements. It may take a while, so have something else to do in the meantime.

-Trish

[epaul6]

Some kind of error happened today which had the immediate effect that I could not save the edited version of a photo in a version set. The save from the editor would take a long time and then the organizer would import the edited file. That is, the edited file was saved as a separate file, not in the version set.

So I did a Catalog Recover operation which fixed the problem with saving files in a version set.

But then I happened to noticed that a version set (with 2 files) I had created earlier in the day was not visible in the organizer. Neither file was visible. And they were not hidden either. The files existed and were visible via Windows Explorer. I tried to Add Unmanaged Files to the Catalog but it claimed there were no new files to add. This indicated that the organizer catalog had the names of the files even though it was not willing to display the photos. So I renamed the two files via Windows Explorer and the organizer imported them as separate files. When I tried to rename the files to their original names via the organizer, it complained that a file with that name existed already.

So, it is clear that the catalog has entries for two files but it is not willing to display them. My BIG CONCERN is that there are other such cases. It's hard to know since I have over 2600 photos in the organizer.

?? Is there a way to correct the catalog? Or find out why the organizer won't display the photos? Or to find out if there are other such errors in the catalog?

--Larry
By any chance were you moving pictures with different dates in your edit? Or adding a frame from a 3rd part vendor like Jodi's frames? I found that when I used a jodi frame the saved document was added into the organizer based on the date of the frame (Aug 2006) not the date of the image. It took me forever to find the image in the organizer the first time that happened.

[larrymcg]

John,
I just tried the open/save via the editor. "Include in Organizer" was checked. Although the editor did save the file (I can tell by the last mod date) it does not show up in the Organizer. Oh well, seemed like a good thing to try!
Epaul6,
No I wasn't doing any of those things.

--Larry

[craftysnapper]

Have you tried looking at your files in import veiw and seeing if they are showing there?

[larrymcg]

craftysnapper,

I checked the import view and they do not show up there either.

[DanO]

Just so you don't feel alone, I have 1 picture in the same situation. I've tried the stuff you have, also to no avail. If I come across anything that works, I'll let you know.