Conversion errors in PSE 12

Question

I have PSE 6 for years and yesterday upgraded to PSE 12.  One of my catalogs converted easily, but the other, the main one, didn't.  I tried all the suggestions on the forum with no luck.  It finally occurred to me that maybe PSE 12 doesn't like to convert catalogs stored in a "Custom Location."  So I arranged to change my main catalog from Custom Location to Accessible to All Users, and it converted smoothly.  I was using PSE 6 and Windows Vista.  Your folder names may be slightly different but should be similar.  Here's what I did:
In both PSE 6.0 and 12, find the location of the current catalog by opening the program and clicking Help/System Info.  It appears that “Custom Location” catalogs are stored in C://Program Data/Adobe/Elements Organizer/Catalogs, and “Catalogs Accessible by All Users”  are stored either in that folder or in in C://Program Data/Adobe/Photoshop Elements/Catalogs.  In PE 6.0 the file that contains the catalog data has the extension .psedb and in PE 12 the extension is .pse12db. So the file name in PE 6.0 is probably Catalog.psedb or in PE 10 Catalog.pse10db, and so forth.  One of these files will be found in a folder inside the Catalogs folder.  The folder containing the file will be named with the name of the catalog.
PSE 12 does not like to convert a catalog that is stored in a custom location.  To change the file to Accessible  to All Users, go to File/Catalogs in PE 6.0, then New, then choose a name.  Once the new catalog is created, go its location (indicated above) and replace the .psedb file with a .psedb file copied from the Custom Location catalog folder.  The new catalog should contain the original data, and PSE 12 should convert it smoothly using Catalog Manager in the usual way described on other forums and in Adobe Help documents.

Answer 1

Rembert wrote:
It appears that “Custom Location” catalogs are stored in C://Program Data/Adobe/Elements Organizer/Catalogs,
As a matter of fact, 'custom location catalogs' can be stored everywhere on your computer, on any drive, internal or external, in any folder.
Just have a look at the default location you indicated. In the explorer, select a catalog folder ('MyCatalog' for instance) and copy it in the same drive : it will be renamed 'MyCatalog copy'. Move the new catalog elsewhere, even on an external drive. Then to open the organizer with the new catalog, double click on the catalog.pse12db file in the moved folder : you'll see exactly the same catalog as the original one. When you open the catalog manager, the new catalog named 'Mycatal copy' will only be seen if you choose 'custom location' and browse to the real location. Now, if in the catalog manager you click on the 'move' button, and choose 'accessible to all users', then the catalog copy folder will be moved to the default location, and will sit by its original version.
When you do a backup and restore to custom location, your media folder tree is restored to that location... and your catalog is also restored in that custom location. Let's say you restored on an external drive : the catalog will be on the external drive too. That's what you want if you have to share catalog and media between two computers by plugging in the external drive alternatively. But if you want the restored catalog only in your main drive, you should move the catalog back to the default location, either manually or via the catalog manager. The catalog is more responsive there, and it's easier to see all your catalogs at the same time rather than browsing to the default custom location.