Photoshop Elements 5: Transfering catalog and photos to external drive in

[DebT]

Hi,
While I would love a dedicated PC just for photos & Photoshop, $$ prevent so
I was thinking I could transfer all my photos to a dedicated external hard drive and retain the programs on my notebook - simply connecting usb when I want to access and work with photos ..
but I want to retain all the catalog links established in Elements 5 .

My intent is to free up laptop memory for other things "including digital scrapbooking via PSE5".As an extension to this task I am starting to shoot RAW and plan to store them on a separate external also?
Am I thinking in the right direction ?? and if so what is the best way to transfer securely?


(PS I do back up photos and catalog on a regular basis as a separate exercise)
Assistance appreciated
Rgds DebT

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by DebT

Hi,
While I would love a dedicated PC just for photos & Photoshop, $$ prevent so
I was thinking I could transfer all my photos to a dedicated external hard drive and retain the programs on my notebook - simply connecting usb when I want to access and work with photos ..
but I want to retain all the catalog links established in Elements 5 .

My intent is to free up laptop memory for other things "including digital scrapbooking via PSE5".As an extension to this task I am starting to shoot RAW and plan to store them on a separate external also?
Am I thinking in the right direction ?? and if so what is the best way to transfer securely?


(PS I do back up photos and catalog on a regular basis as a separate exercise)

Assistance appreciated

Rgds DebT

Conceptually this looks like a good idea to me.

re: Moving the Elements catalog to the external HD

Try Googling: photoshop elements move catalog

...Looks like there are articles that describe the process of moving the catalog to a new computer. The steps can probably be modified for what you want to do.

[DebT]

Thanks Danny ,
appreciate the refernces - I must admit I am a bit cautious of blindly following advice when I am unsure of their reputation so advice appreciated.

I need to make the leap of faith but still balancing on the edge - was hoping to find someone that had actually done it and some indication of performance difference..
Might do a couple of backups (OK I'm paranoid) and give a sample file or two a try.
Where do most pepole keep the volume of photos ? would moving to CS make file management easier ?

PS I get the feel this is a CS forum for advanced users - am I being a pest ??

Rgds Deb

[DannyRaphael]

Originally Posted by DebT

I must admit I am a bit cautious of blindly following advice when I am unsure of their reputation so advice appreciated.

When it comes to putting your entire catalog/portfolio of images at risk, caution is not a bad instinct to have.

Might do a couple of backups (OK I'm paranoid) and give a sample file or two a try.

This would be prudent thing to do. I fully agree with doing backups, trying on duplicates of a few files, etc.

I was hoping to find someone that had actually done it and some indication of performance difference.

I understand why "not being the first" would be a more secure feeling. It's seldom these days that anyone is the first to perform a given technical procedure or experience a specific problem. With the vastness of the Internet, language differences and "how" one logs a problem or an issue, "finding" the information you're looking for, especially for more obscure issues, can be a challenge.

Where do most pepole keep the volume of photos?

I don't think there is a universal, "most people..." answer. Keep in mind there are often gaps in "file management theory [methods]" and how one actually practices it, in other words just about everyone wants their files well organized, easy to find and totally protected from disaster. My bet is few people do all of these well.

would moving to CS make file management easier ?

Not in my opinion. Same issues.

I get the feel this is a CS forum for advanced users

No data is collected on the primary editing program members use, so I cannot say for certain, but based on my experience in this forum it's fair to say most people who start threads and post replies use Photoshop. (I'm using PS 7.0 at the moment; not CS.) That said there a few regular participants I can think of off hand who use other programs, e.g., Elements, Paint Shop Pro and The Gimp. Since the percentage of members who "look" [lurk] but don't participate in threads is huge compared to those who do (no problem with this... just a fact) there are literally hundreds of non-Photoshop members who monitor these forums.

am I being a pest ??

Not at all. Questions from all members, regardless of editing program of choice or experience level, are welcome.

Something to consider (if you are not doing this already) would be to get plugged into 2-3 different forums besides this one. When looking for technical questions it's like having multiple fishing poles: it multiplies the likelihood of catching fish. Here are some good ones:
* http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/
* the Elements forum at Adobe.com
* DPReview: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1006
(some Elements' questions; many interesting forums)

Note: The purpose of the previous suggestion is not to get rid of you.