organizer isn't showing some of my files

[tlccreates]

I am using pce4 organizer to catalog my scrapbooking files.
I have folders that are not showing up in the thumbnail area of organizer though the folder name is visible on the left when I have the view set to "folders" The little folder icon is plain, not like the ones that have a tinybox overlaid on the folder (clear as mud?)

I have set the preferences to show all folders and all files. When I right click on the folder I can choose to "reveal in explorer" and it shows the files, jpgs and pngs. When I try to bring them in using the "add unmanaged files" option it tells me there is nothing new to add. If I try to bring them in using the "get photos>from folders" It tells me that the files are already in the catalog. If I copy one of the files and give it a new name it will bring in that one file only.

I have done a search for files that have the tag "hidden" and no files show up. I have tried the catalog>recover thing with no difference. This is happening to many folders without any apparent rhyme or reason. I'd say about 90% of the folders are fine but it is the other 10% that I can't seem to get worked out. I have, so far, invested about 30+ hours tagging and have a lot more to do but I REALLY want to know what is going on here.

I have just switched from psp album to pce 4 strictly for the organizer - I already use pscs, but really need the ablilty to tag my graphic collection and wanted to use software that will be around for a while, which is why I chose to leave pspalbum.

I have done a lot of searching on this topic and haven't found the help I need so please forgive me if I am asking something that has already been answered.

thank you for your time and talents/experiences

[Norm F]

Is it possible that you have "stacked" some of your photos and forgotten about it?

[tlccreates]

nope, haven't stacked anything

it now appears that these files may have duplicates in other folders - I wish I could see the files so that I could be sure. It would be nice if the software told me where they are located instead of just saying that the files are already in the catalog. What help is that??? or it will tell me that the following files were not imported. why????? what are my options????? grrrrrrr

[Norm F]

This might be extreme but if you haven't done much work in the Organizer yet, you could remove everything and start over. It might be easier then sorting out what you got going there now.

Good luck.

[MikeH]

Hi...

Have you been doing anything with the files or folders outside of PSE?

Mike

[tlccreates]

thanks to all
no, I haven't been doing anything to the files outside of pse and after all of these hours I do not want to start over

It looks like this was just files that I had duplicates elsewhere so I guess pse saw the duplication, even though they were in different subfolders, and considered them done. I don't like it but that seems to be the way it is. The files show up in one of the folders and not the other. Its funny because I have other files that are duplicates in different subfolders and they show up.

I guess I will just have to live with this as it is. Too much work invested to redo, especially since there is no way for me to know that it wouldn't be the same thing happening.

thanks for your help
I would still love to hear from others who have seen this happen and what a workaround might be.........

[troush]

I noticed that my Organizer shows two sets of my folders in the "Folders view". One from "My Computer" on down, and then one from "My Pictures" on down (which is where all my pictures are). I just close the "My Computer" view and work from the "My Pictures" view. Is this what you are seeing?

-Trish

[Barb O]

I have found the following info helpful when someone is analyzing why a photo file was not imported because it was a duplicate

Organize Your Photos with Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 by Michael Slater - Chapter 2 Managing Your Files

"If you try to import a photo that has the same name, size, date, and time as one that's already in the catalog, Elements assumes its a duplicate and does not import it. This is true even if the photo is in a different folder.

If Elements rejects as a duplicate a file that you want to import, just make a small change to its name and try the import again."

Additionally, if you want to find the duplicate, I suggest doing an Organizer Find > By Filename to locate potential duplicates.

General comment is that I highly recommend that entire book for learning the Elements 4 Organizer (even though the book was originally written for Elements 3).

Barb O