Reconnecting Missing Files

[fstiggers@insightbb.com]

When I open my photo browser there is an icon at the bottom of each picture (it is a red square torn in half) When I click on any pic a window comes up and starts to search for "missing file" after several minutes another window comes up saying"reconnect missing files" on the left side it shows all the pics that are missing files from catalogue with a pic at the bottom. On the right side the window says locate the missing files (browse /close matches) and a pane with a ? mark in it . It also has a reconnect command but it is not highlighted. I have gone to the help menu and tried to fix this matter but to no avail. What have I done or what am I not doing?
Thanks:confused:

[NickLewis]

Organiser's catalog is a database which records where your photo files are on disc. When Organiser loses track of a photo file (normally because it's been renamed, moved or deleted from outside Organiser), then it is flagged as "disconnected". An automatic routine tries to reconnect it, but if it can't do that, you can reconnect the files manually, using the dialog box you describe. You click on Browse, navigate to where your photo files are, and select the appropriate one. The Reconnect button will then be highlighted.

By I'm rather concerned as to why all your photos are disconnected. That implies all your photos have been moved , renamed or deleted. Have you done anything major in that regard?

(I'm hoping you haven't deleted all your photo files, thinking that they had now been copied inside your catalog as well.)

Nick

[dj_paige]

I would use Windows search tools to find all .jpg files on your hard drive(s). Then switch in Windows to Thumbnail mode and see if your photos are still on your hard drive.

If your photos are still on your hard drive, then they either got renamed or moved accidentally. If they were moved accidentally, it should be relatively easy to move them back to the folders that Elements is expecting them to be in. You can find out what folder Elements expects them to be in by right-clicking on an image, selecting Show Properties, and then you can see what folder Elements thinks they were in. Simply move the files back to that folder. If you renamed the files, then I know of no easy way to un-rename the files, I think you would have to un-rename them one by one, or reconnect them in Photoshop Elements, one by one.

If they are not on your hard drive(s), I hope you made backups, because you have accidentally deleted these photos.