Uninstall the Organizer

[MikeDCambs]

I think Elements is great and have used all 3 Versions. But I do not
like or use the Organizer at all, and some posts I have seen in these
forums show that others don't use it either.
I have managed to uninstall Organizer from my PSE3 set up, but
feel that an option NOT to install it at the outset would be useful.

[LazyPhoton]

Great, can you explain us how to unistall the organizer?!
I don't use it either and it just get in my way.

I am also interested in eliminating those ugly buttons in the Editor
which call the organizer when clicked.

Thanks.

[Mary]

Please let us know how to uninstall it!!!! Did you just manage to hide it or is it really gone? :?

[Wendy]

Mary,

This was posted a while back on another forum:

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I managed to completely kill Organizer (I never plan on using it). Here are the actions I took to (hopefully) completely disable it and its associated functions (Windows only):

1) Open 'services.msc' and go to the 'standard' tab.
2) Select 'disable' for 'Adobe Active File Monitor' and 'Photoshop Elements Device Connect'. You may now close the Services window.
3) Open Windows Explorer and locate where Elements has created default folders for its catalogs. This is normally C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe.
4) Delete the folders 'Catalogs' and 'Catalog Folders'.
5) Go to the folder where Elements is installed. Normally C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 3.0.
6) Create a folder somewhere outside of the Adobe folder and move the file 'PhotoshopElementsOrganizer.exe' to the new folder. This allows you to have the option to move the .exe file back to where it was created in the case you decide to use Organizer somewhere in the future.

Organizer should now be completely disabled.

Some notes. Step 4 disables the annoying checkbox when saving files that catalogs files by default. Steps 5 & 6 may not be necessary, but I decided to put the Organizer's .exe out of Elements reach, just in case that it might try and recreate the folders for the catalogs that were removed in step 4.

Some of this may sound drastic, but unfortunately the Devs for Elements didn't design the installation process very well to allow for custom installation of components. Nor did they provide enough functionality in Preferences to disable/enable these features.


-------------------

Several people seem to have used it Ok


Wendy

[Mary]

Thanks Wendy - I am pretty sure if anyone was using PSE 2 and Album 2, the integration of PSE 3 and Organizer has to be a disapointment.

It may just be my computer but I have had a terrible time with it. I also have a pretty workable file structure and archive routine of my own set up. When I used the backup feature in Organizer to 3 CD's and they all verified I was really impressed but one of the CD's turned out to be unreadable.

I hope MikeDCambs will also add his information on uninstalling and then I will go for it.

[MikeDCambs]

Mary: Wendy beat me to it! The method she has given is the one I
used to eliminate Organizer EXCEPT that I did not save the
'PhotoshopElementsOrganizer.exe' anywhere as I had no
intention of reinstalling it (if I did I could just reinstall
Elements anyway).
I was a little worried when I first did this because I thought
Elements would collapse if I then inadvertently tried to access the
Organizer, but it doesn't. It gives a message to the effect
that some key parts are missing, but that's all.
I have been using Elements for about 3 months since I did
this, and there have been no problems at all.
Regards - Mike

[Mary]

Thanks Mike - I will report back after I complete the instructions.

[Mary]

Thank you Wendy and Mike!!!!

I am now a very happy camper - the instructions were great and the results are what I had hoped for. It may be my imagination but I honestly think PSE3 is running a tad faster now.

I was already using PSE 2 on my old computer for doing print packages and attaching to email so I won't miss those features in Organizer in PSE3. I had also tried the slide show in PSE 3 and prefer another program so won't miss that either.

You both mentioned another forum where you have received good information - can you share that with us? (or PM's if it wouldn't be appropriate on this forum)

Thanks again!!

[MikeDCambs]

Mary: pleased you're happy with the results and I'm so glad I raised
this as a Wish List topic! Elements will run a little faster because it
doesn't have to carry out all the background processing that takes
place within Editor/Quick Fix if the Organizer is used.
Regards - Mike

[Wendy]

Mike,

Hopefully Adobe will take on board the number of people who don't want to use the Organiser and for future versions give an option to install or not to install.


Wendy