Problems backing up the Catalog

[webmom24]

Hello,

I have not been able to successfully back up my catalog/photos using the backup feature in PSE 5. I am using DVDs to back up to so perhaps that's my problem (although I have successfully backed up to DVDs in the past). I get to the 3rd disk of 6 that are required and I get a message that says there's something wrong with the disk and that I should contact the drive manufacturer. At first I thought it was just the disk, which was an erased DVD+RW, but just now after trying a brand new one it didn't work either. I'm very frustrated at this point. I do have an external hard drive that I could back up to in theory but that is also where the original photos are stored. Since we are talking 26 gig of photos at this point, I'd rather not have all my photos and backups in one place - sort of defeats the purpose of a backup if you know what i mean. Would it be possible to back up to the external and then copy that to DVD somehow? Since it will take more than 1 DVD does anyone have any recommendations on how I could do this? I've had some bad luck counting on hard drives so I really want a secondary backup of my files. Thanks in advance for any help.

Maureen

[Juergen D]

Maureen,
You could back up (copy) your photos and the catalog to DVDs using Windows' Copy and Paste functionality.

Juergen

[jojo99]

I'm not sure if you want to take this route but I bought a mini 160GB EHD to back up my stuff, all my stuff is on a 350GB EHD and the mini is to back up only and is stored in a different part of the house, just in case :eek:
Backing up to DVD's didn't work for me either.
Jo

[webmom24]

I might have to break down and buy another EHD to back up to. It just may be awhile before I can do that and I'm nervous since it's been at least 3 or 4 months since I did a backup. I've lost the better part of a year's pictures before due to an unexpected hard drive failure so I know only too well how vulnerable storage media is. Where is the catalog info stored if I were to try and backup everything manually?

Maureen

[Juergen D]

The catalog is stored in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Catalogs. That is a hidden folder. In Windows Explorer go to >Tools >Folder Options >View tab and click on >Show hidden files and folders.

Juergen

[webmom24]

Thanks... I'll have to work on this - it's going to be quite a project backing it all up. It would be SO much easier if Elements did it. I guess the other way I could do it would be to back it up onto the external and then back that up to DVD.

Maureen