?Catalog in Photoshop Elements

Question

I am having trouble understanding how the catalog works in Photoshop Elements 9.  Specifically where is it located and how does it back it up? I tried to back up my catalog to a cd and it told me I needed 108 cds to do this.  This doesn't seem to make sense to me since I understood that the catalog is just a database of the locations of the photos, why would it be so large?  Also I had previously backed it up to my hard drive and it didn't seem to take that much room.  Finally why is the main (original) catalog stored in a hidden folder at the root level on the hard drive?  Maybe not that many people use the catalog or have so many photos in it but conversely because I have cataloged so many pictures, it is critical for me to understand how it works.  Any and all comments gratefully appreciated.  Eilish

Answer 1

The help files explain catalogs in detail.  This page will get you started:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/elementsorganizer/using/WSae2ea3b149d0c3591ae939f103860b3d59-7 f82_WIN.html
Quoting from one of the help files (emphasis added):
function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
The Backup Catalog command copies catalogs, media files (original and edited versions), PDFs, and projects onto a CD, DVD, or local network hard drive. You can have a backup of your catalog and media files on your hard drive (if your computer has space).
The default catalog is accessible for all users, and is therefore stored under the \ProgramData directory which is accessible to all users' programs and a Windows system directory -- hidden so users won't screw it up.
Ken