File Problems with PSE6

[LinusF]

I have recently melded together, folder by folder, two catalogs. The resulting catalog in PSE6 has been "repaired" and "optimized" and then even backed up and then installed on a second computer. BUT, there are a number of issues (in both versions).
One of the most perplexing is that I can do a search on a family (the first under PEOPLE) and get not only images with the correct tags but also a fairly large number of of totally unrelated images from the now melded catalog. The TAG for that family is NOT attached. The images are in, and only in, their correct MS Explorer folders, and I cannot left or right click on these images and get any response. What's happening?:confused:

[dj_paige]

I have recently melded together, folder by folder, two catalogs.

This is obviously a technique that you invented, as "melded" is not a built in function. Unless we know the itsy bitsy (that's a technical term) details of this process, its would be very difficult to diagnose the problem.

[LinusF]

I took the folders/files from the now gone catalog and "got" (using the PSE6 technical term) them from the folders on the hard drive. It was that simple and straight forward. As I "Copied" and "Pasted" and then verified & deleted them (using MS Windows XP terminolgy), the process emptied (my term) the folder structure of the old catalog. With no files left, I deleted it (after making a "copy" not a back-up of the newly larger second catalog's image data structure. Please be aware that we are talking about a catalog of 8 GB having its data deleted as that same data (with metadata) added to the data structure of the other catalog (22 GB ) folder by folder (MS-speak) and then also "Gotten" so they would be "Managed" (PSE6 term) by PSE6.

[MazG]

I'm not sure I totally understand the problem, but if you are saying the tagging is wrong then that may be because Elements can't read the tags from files (even those previously assigned and managed in the Organizer) unless you have done the Edit, Write Info and Tags to Files command.

Once you do that the current Organizer tags become embedded in the file so when you import the files into another catalog they are read correctly.

If you failed to do this before you imported the files, it would explain why the tags on those files do not match what you had previously in the other catalog and why you might see strange things going on regarding tags.

[Karin Sue]

Did you copy and paste in Windows? That is not clear to me.

You do know that Organizer does not copy images, only document their location in a database (and make a small low res thumbnail for reference)?

My approach to making two catalogs into one would be to open the catalog I had done the least work in and do a file>write info to files. Then open the catalog I had done the most work in and "Get from files and folders" and pointed to the folders that held the images from the other catalog and said "yes" when asked if I wanted to import tags with the images. Then I would have moved the files from within Organizer using file>move or drag n drop in folder view if I didn't want to leave them where they were.

I am not familiar with v6. Do you still have the Best, Close, and Not matches in the Find bar? They can effect what shows during a search.

When you are left/right clicking on the images with no response are you talking about the thumbnails in the photowell in Organizer?

Have you tried deleting the preferences? That often helps when things go wonky. (hold down control,alt, shift while opening the program)

[LinusF]

I did write metadata *(tags, etc) to the files before doing anything with them.
As far as the receiving catalog is concerned, it was pointed at folders with files and was told to GET the files.
All MOVEing etc of files was done beyond and before any PSE6 operations.

[LinusF]

Let's get this thread to the real question. I now have, for whatever reason, thumbnails which appear in the well from time to time which do not react at all to left or right mouse actions. It is not possible to apply any action to them because they cannot be selected. Has anybody ever run across this situation before?

[Karin Sue]

You said you tried the File>Catalog>Repair/Optimize.

Have you tried deleting the preferences?

Those are the two troublshooting steps I am familiar with.


I found this in the adobe forum:

To re-create the Photoshop Elements preferences file:

Quit Photoshop Elements.

Locate the Adobe Photoshop Elements preferences files. In Photoshop Elements 6.0, there are two preferences files, one for Organizer and one for Editor:

Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Organizer\psa.prf

Documents and Settings\[username]\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\6.0\Editor\Photoshop Elements 6 Prefs.psp

Rename the extension for the files (for example, to psa.old). Or simply delete it.

Start Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements creates a new preferences file.

[LinusF]

Repair & optimize have been used. Often.
Preferences is moot. The prefs seems to have been fine when the backup was made and that horse is out of the barn. The new computer's prefs were brand new.

[LinusF]

I have gotten closure on these 'ghost' images. ("Ghost" being a word used by Adobe Tech Support.) Several steps.
A) I had to go through the back-up procedures again to a hard drive on the first machine (where the original PSE6 file was/is) in order to make sure that the problem is not in the networking process.
B) I had to make sure that the original drive letter (G:) was matched by the target drive letter. (It had been D: but is now G:)
C) I copied the full backup to a USB external drive attached to the first machine.
D) I then turned off the orginal machine and the NAS and another machine on the network. (There was evidence that the original RESTORE process found some files on the new root drive and, maybe, the original (!) drive and brought them into the Organizer.)
E) I still had some issues.
F) I had to assign one processor affinity to the Organizer in order to correctly handle RAW images.
G) I had to re-install PSE6, clearing out two caches I'd never heard of before but which were close to full --- one at .9GB with VCD files.
H) I used IRFANVIEW to convert a handful of RAW (CR2) files to TIF and the deleted the orginals and imported the replacements.
I) A few other housekeeping steps.
J) I have another problem --- but I'll start a new thread for that.