Are your PSE tags saved if you...?

[fairoaks]

I'm sort of a newbie, so don't laugh? Will your PSE tags stay intact if you upgrade PSE? How about if you get a new computer and copy the files? What if you are thinking about changing from Windows to a MAC? I guess my real question is how does PSE know what tags you put on what pictures? And can they be imported into a new computer? Thanks. I love the tags and use them extensively to organize and retrieve pictures, especially helpful for "through the years" layouts.

[hguenthe]

How exactly are you tagging them? using Bridge?

[dugarner]

Well, PSE Organizer has catalog files that it creates if you in fact organize through Organizer. When I upgraded from 5 to 6, I had no trouble converting the catalog for my new version of Elements. It's not retrograde, though, you can't convert from 6 to 5, or 7 to 6. Once you convert the catalog file, it's converted.

If you just copy the files, the tags won't necessarily go. The catalog file is what you will have to put on your new computer. You can literally copy and paste the file, you just have to find where it lives. I moved mine from the default location to my EHD so that I can access it and back it up whenever I need to.

HTH!

Sarah

[fairoaks]

Thanks! I used PSE 5 organizer to create the tags. Good to know I can copy the catalog file if I get a new computer and that conversion to 6 went well for you. I'm mulling over different upgrades and options and wanted to rule out anything that wouldn't handle that tag/catalog info.

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by fairoaks

Thanks! I used PSE 5 organizer to create the tags. Good to know I can copy the catalog file if I get a new computer and that conversion to 6 went well for you. I'm mulling over different upgrades and options and wanted to rule out anything that wouldn't handle that tag/catalog info.

Yep, it's easy to convert---there's a button in the catalog manager dialog box that even says "convert." Easy-peasy. I use 6 b/c it came free with my Bamboo tablet, I don't see a reason right now to go to 7. Money is tight.

I have, unfortunately (both times at a weekend retreat, it STUNK!), had my catalog get corrupted several times. Photos it's not so bad, but my digital scrapbook supplies---aargh!---it takes about 6 hours to re-tag all my stuff. So now, every Friday, I copy my catalog files and paste them to another location. They live on my EHD, so I usually paste them to My Document on my C drive.(I put them there and permanently mapped my catalog to my G drive so that anywhere I go, if the computer has Elements, I can see my supplies and they're organized.)

That way if I open a catalog and it's corrupt, I can throw it away and replace it with the one that's not messed up.

I think Adobe also recommends doing a catalog recover or repair every once in a while to get the bugs out, but I'm not sure. You'd need to read up about that.

HTH!

Sarah

[fairoaks]

Oh my, I've never backed up the catalog. What is the file called? Or is it by extension? I'll get right on that!

[dugarner]

I think PSE 5 saves catalog files as *.psa files. If you do a search on your computer for filenames *.psa, you should find them. Then you can just do a copy and paste to another location and have a copy of that file.

In Organizer, if you "backup the catalog," you are actually backing up your photos or whatever---which is good, but you want to backup the catalog FILE, as well, because that's where your tags live. There is some confusion with the terminology, at first I thought when I backed up all the pictures, I was backing up the tags, too.

The best way is just to copy the file periodically so you have a clean catalog file.

Hope this helps!

[fairoaks]

Perfect explanation. THANKS!

[esther_a]

I have also used PSE to insert the tags into the image properties (I've forgotten which menu option that was). Then I could import them into any organise (I imported into ACDSee).

[maureenreynolds]

Thank for the advice. I am slowly tagging my items in Bridge. It does seem the easiest way.

[fit2walk]

Thanks, Sarah, for the info. on backing up the catalog. I didn't know that, so with over 7000 SB items tagged, I'm off to back up my catalog right now!

[ejanie]

Sarah, thank you for the detailed info on backing up the catalog, copying etc. Once of the first things I'll do when I get home.

[faerywings]

Oh, always a good idea to backup often.
I use ACDSee Photo Manager and I back up at least once a week.
There is an option to have a reminder pop up. I don't know if that is available is Picasa or in PSE, but if you have it, I would suggest to use it. I have lost/corrupted databases and nope, it is *not* fun!