Catalog Backup Failure

[SG865]

I'm using PSE 10 and am receiving the following message when trying to backup the catalog: "Your system is low on disk space and Elements Organizer cannot perform this operation. Try removing files to free up disk space." This message is inaccurate, since I have 1.42 TB of free space on the hard drive I am trying to use for the backup, and the backup itself will only need about 140 GB (based on how large it was a few months ago). I tried to backup to an external drive that has over 2 TB of free space, but I received the same message. Any suggestions?

[Barb O]

I suspect that the message of "system is low on disk space" is referring to space on your system drive - instead of space on the hard drive to which you are directing the Backup.

Many functions of the Elements Organizer need to use temporary file space during processing. So I suggest that you investigate - how much space do you have available on your system disk ? Also tell us - what OS are you running ?

[SG865]

Barb, thanks for helping with this. I'm running Windows 7 Professional. The C drive, which I assume is the sytem drive, has 1.37 TB of free space, which seems like it should be more than enough. Or is there something else I should check regarding "system drive"?

[Barb O]

For some people this type of problem has been as simple as insufficient disk space on the system drive: however, that does not seem to be the case for you. Therefore, I am expanding my suggestions of what to investigate - please comment on each of these for your system.

1 - My understanding is that Elements is getting the "workfiles" it needs for the Backup process from a category of storage known as Windows 7 Temporary Files. The Windows Disk Cleanup function can clean out obsolete temporary files. However, we could also investigate the size allocation for Temporary Files in Windows.

2 - Did you have exactly the same hard drives when you successfully did a previous Elements backup ?

3 - Perhaps Elements needs to Reconnect large numbers of photo files before Elements does the actual backup.
Did you move any of your photo (or other media) files (which are in this catalog) by using Windows Explorer ? If yes, we can discuss fixing that problem of "disconnected" files before starting the backup.

[SG865]

Barb, Here are more details on the points you mentioned:

1. I ran the Disk Cleanup function and removed all temporary files, which totalled a few gigabytes. I then tried the backup again, but received the same error message in Elements.

2. Yes, nothing has changed on my machine since I ran the last backup successfully.

3. I always reconnect all missing files prior to trying a backup. But I checked it again, and Elements says that nothing needs to be reconnected.

Hope this helps you narrow down the issue. Thanks much.

[Barb O]

first, the specifics-
Thanks for posting the additional information. Unfortunately your responses seem to eliminate the possibilities that I had identified.

The only additional idea I can offer is to do the Catalog > Repair and the Catalog >Optimize functions before you start the Backup proces.

If there is not a resolution to your problem I recommend that you contact Adobe Tech Support for assistance in solving this apparently erroneous message which prevents the backup process from executing.

And I ask a favor - please do post your experience resolving this problem back to this forum for the potential benefit to others participants here.

second, a more general discussion-
Talking about backup in general (rather than the specific backup function of the Elements Organizer), I wonder if you have any other backup process active (such as a backup of the entire disk drive or a backup of all your user files) which provides some type of additional copy of your photo files ?

third, a cut and paste from the PSE Organizer Help manual as an FYI

Make sure the Photoshop Elements Editor is closed.
Select File > Catalog.
In the Catalog Manager, select the catalog you want to repair.
Click Repair.

One of three dialog boxes will open. The first three of these allow you to select Re-index Visual Similarity Data.
Do one of the following:

If a dialog box reports No Errors Were Found In The Catalog, click OK or Repair Anyway.

If a dialog box reports that the catalog doesn’t have errors, but the thumbnail cache does, click Delete Thumbnail Cache if you want Photoshop Elements to delete and regenerate the cache.

If a dialog box reports that errors were found, click OK or Cancel. If errors were also found in the thumbnail cache, Photoshop Elements deletes the cache and regenerates it.

If a dialog box reports that the catalog is unrecoverable, consider loading a backup of the catalog.

[George Tyndall]

I'm using PSE 10 and am receiving the following message.... Any suggestions?

I don't know why the folks at Adobe insist on making the backing up of one's catalog so difficult, but I can guess: They don't want you bypass their welcome screen.

I don't usually use PSE10, but I did explore it with the course on lynda.com, and I did download the example (EX_) files when I took the courses.

PSE 10 Catalog and Files.JPG

As you can see, I have placed the catalog files including the database file, plus the EX_ files that it watches, all in one folder. If I double-click on that 10db icon, it will open the PSE10 catalog.

If I wish to back up that PSE10 catalog and the EX_files that it watches, all I need do is drag the folder that contains all the icons in the above image to another HDD, double-click on the 10db icon and--voila!--the backup catalog instantly opens.