Alternative Methods for Backing Up/Restoring One’s Organizer

[George Tyndall]

Alternative Methods for Backing Up/Restoring One’s Organizer

PSE7

For PSE7, the method that I used for backing up and restoring my Catalog was simple:
--I placed all the media that would be in my Catalog on one external HDD
--using File>Catalog>New, I would create my Catalog in a Custom Location, namely, that same external HDD; the result was that I would have both my catalog and al the media that it kept track of on the same HDD
--using SmartSyncPro, I would back the first external HDD to a second identical external HDD on a very regular basis (in my case about every 5 minutes–note that because the incremental backup would be very small, the incremental backup process would be very quick–1-3 seconds at the most)
--whenever I wished to open PSE7, I would click on the file <catalog.pse7db> on the primary of my two external HDDs
--in the event my primary external HDD crashed, I would have opened PSE7 by clicking on the <catalog.pse7db> file on the second HDD–and used a third external HDD to backup my new primary drive ASAP

Note: I use only the Copy Source to Destination operation in SmartSyncPro, including Delete Obsolete Files from Destination. This assures that I always have two identical HDDs albeit each with a different Drive letter.

PSE8

For PSE8, Adobe removed the ability to open the PSE program by clicking on the catalog file. Further, right-clicking on the file and selecting Open With also does not work, as the PSE Organizer is not on the list of usable programs. HOWEVER, I am using only the Trial Version of PRE and PSE8, and I do not know whether this would also be the case with the paid version.

If the paid version of 8 would turn out to have the same deficiency as the trial version, here is the method that I would use to backup my first external HDD in the event I ever decided to transition from PSE7 to PSE8:
--under File>Catalog>New in PSE8, I would create a New Catalog in a Custom Location, which for me would be on an external HDD (as with PSE7, I would be sure that all the media that will be in the Catalog are on that same HDD)
--I would repeat the process on a second external HDD
--I would “Get” a few identical photos into each of the New Catalogs
--I would run SmartSyncPro to synchronize the two HDDs
--whenever I would a) add any new media b) start a new project c) complete a project on the first HDD, I would immediately run my synchronization software, keeping in mind the following GUIDING PRINCIPLE: the longer I wait to synchronize, the more of my hard work I will have lost in the event the first HDD crashes
--if ever my primary external HDD would crash, I would go to File>Catalog in PSE8 and open the file on the backup HDD so I could continue my work AND I would back that second HDD up to a third external HDD ASAP, if not immediately then that very same night

The thought of needing to repeat work TERRIFIES me, so here is my regular practice:
--when I am working on a project, I save the project at least twice a minute, right after, for example, adding 1 or 2 transitions (I turn Auto Save off)
--keeping in mind the above GUIDING PRINCIPLE, at least once every 5 minutes, I synchronize the two drives

Yes, it is true that my external HDDs typically last only about a year–but at today’s prices of $150 or less for a 1TB drive, I do not see the short life of my HDDs as an impediment.

[Barb O]

--in the event my primary external HDD crashed, I would have opened PSE7 by clicking on the <catalog.pse7db> file on the second HDD–and used a third external HDD to backup my new primary drive ASAP

I understand about placing the catalog on the same hard drive (not the system drive) as the photos and videos: I have done that for the reason that it does make Backup with general purpose (rather than the Adobe backup command) easier to manage.

I do have a question about your PSE 7 step that I referenced above:
After the point at which you bring the second external hard drive in to actual use with PSE 7,
-- does it have the same serial number (as known by windows) as the previously used external hard drive that crashed ?
-- is it assigned the same Windows drive letter as the previous drive was assigned? (I know that as of PSE 6 the driver letter is not as significant as it was in earlier versions, but that does not mean that it is never a factor.)

For PSE8, Adobe removed the ability to open the PSE program by clicking on the catalog file. Further, right-clicking on the file and selecting Open With also does not work, as the PSE Organizer is not on the list of usable programs.

Although I am not certain what will work in all situations for v8, I think that there may be ways to do it - so I do not yet agree with your conclusion.

First, as a minor point in v8 the program name is the "Elements 8.0 Organizer". Second, the Open With function does have a browse button for you to locate a specific program. Either browsing for the program or raising your level of reference to the folder containing the pse8db file are both possibilities that might have worked for you.

Now I am not suggesting that you should purchase version 8. My current objective is to understand your v7 process so that I can do more investigation on v8 for my own benefit and the benefit of others.

[George Tyndall]

I do have a question about your PSE 7 step that I referenced above:
After the point at which you bring the second external hard drive in to actual use with PSE 7,
-- does it have the same serial number (as known by windows) as the previously used external hard drive that crashed ?
-- is it assigned the same Windows drive letter as the previous drive was assigned? (I know that as of PSE 6 the driver letter is not as significant as it was in earlier versions, but that does not mean that it is never a factor.)

For PSE8, Adobe removed the ability to open the PSE program by clicking on the catalog file. Further, right-clicking on the file and selecting Open With also does not work, as the PSE Organizer is not on the list of usable programs.

Although I am not certain what will work in all situations for v8, I think that there may be ways to do it - so I do not yet agree with your conclusion.

First, as a minor point in v8 the program name is the "Elements 8.0 Organizer". Second, the Open With function does have a browse button for you to locate a specific program. Either browsing for the program or raising your level of reference to the folder containing the pse8db file are both possibilities that might have worked for you.

Now I am not suggesting that you should purchase version 8. My current objective is to understand your v7 process so that I can do more investigation on v8 for my own benefit and the benefit of others.

BarbO, the answer to both questions is "no." Clicking on the file would open the program that created it (PSE7)just as clocking on a a MSW document that is located on any drive will also open MSW, regardless of the drive's letter or serial number.

Thank you for your decision to put yourself in the driver's seat with regard to performing additional research on Version 8 for the benefit of the membership.




In my case, I've already decided to stick with Version 7, whose Organizer I have invested dozens of hours in, so I won't be having any more to say with regard to Version 8.

[Bob D]

You both bring up some good points. As I am still on PSE v6 with all my stills and videos clips cataloged, I am always interested in how to be sure the catalog continues to work in the future. I am pretty much vested with a lot of time in it as you are George. I just wonder what we will be using 20 years from now! I would like to be able to leave a well cataloged set of still/videos for my kids. For my parents it was easy. There was a shoe box full of pictures!

Bob D

[George Tyndall]

I am pretty much vested with a lot of time in it as you are George.

Bob D, here is how I avoided problems with my 15,000-image PSE4 Organizer when I made the transition to the Version 7 bundle: I rejected PSE'7's attempt to "convert" the contents of my PSE4 Organizer into PSE7 format, which would mean that I could no longer access those 15,000 images via PSE4.

Instead, I bought three new 1Tb HDDs for about $150 each and then started a completely new catalog, with PSE7, on one of the new HDDs (the other 2 are for keeping backups at 2 different locations). From that point onward, any new media that I acquired went on the primary of those three external HDDs. I've been using Version 7 ever since--and I am a very happy camper. (Version 7 has some awesome capabilities that I decided that I "couldn't live without").

Now, if I want to access any of the 15,000 media that I acquired before Jan. 1, 2009, I open PSE4's catalog, and for any after that date, I open PSE7's.

Bonus: I've limited my PSE4 catalog to a manageable size.

Possibility: If ever I decide that I can't live without 8, probably after the first of Jan 2010, that will be the time I ask my wife for 3 more HDDs as a Xmas present, and you already know what I would do with them.