Is there any way to restore version sets files?

Question

About six weeks ago my machine crashed, I reloaded all my software following a restore on my primary hard drive. I was able to recover my catalogue, but instead of Approx. 20,000 photographs, the program showed 41,000+. All the version sets had been separated into individual items. I find that I can stack the photos as cohesive groups, on a one-at-a-time basis. I haven't made much headway (I began last week), but it looks as if I might be at it until the cows come home (or maybe they will die of old age,first). Besides, stacking isn't a very good solution for me. Version seta are very much the way for me to go.
Any help will be gladly and gratefully received.
Thanks Larry
PS - I'm running Elements 4 on an XP operating system.

Answer 1

44lefty wrote:
There were two drives on my machine when this happened; The C: drive is a 160Gb Seagate, and I also installed a 750Gb seagate. Originally, my photos were on C: but I was running out of room real quick, so I put in the 750, and the machine named it H: I moved the files to the larger drive, and changed the default in PSE to read H: I kept my software on C:
When the machine crashed, it wouldn;t recognize H: although, when Staples plugged it into their machine, all the files were intact. I needed to get an enclosure, and a bigger drive, to transfer again, as my picture files took up 400+Gb; that's when I re-installed all my software, and tried to recover my catalogue. PSE did recover a catalogue, but without the version sets tag, it also lost my category tags, (not as bad a catastrophe s the version sets).
OK, if you were able to "recover" a catalog at all, >> without reimporting every file <<, then the .psa file was probably backed up by Windows, and you dodged a really big bullet.
You can discover the location of the catalog fie by opening PSE, then choosing "Help" > "System Info ". The complete file path will be shown, but as dj_paige has mentioned, you would have to "make hidden files and folders visible" in Windows itself to find it. I have attached a typical PSE system info window, to show you what I mean.
You 750GB drive was originally recognized by Windows as a "Volume". is that correct?
The issue of Windows "not recognizing the 750GB Seagate HDD", is a problem with Windows, not with PSE. Usually all additional HDDs are picked up immediately. In other words they are "plug and play" However, if they are not, it is either an issue of the computer's "BIOS" not being set to the correct "mode", or something a bit simpler, they have to be "added to the system" This is done by choosing the file path; "Control Panel" > "Performance and Maintainence" > "Administrative Tools" > "Computer Management" > "Storage" >"Disc Management". This is in XP, Vista and Win 7 differ slightly.
You did a very smart thing by taking all your photos off "C:/", but since you were forced to do this, you don't get the points. I never build a computer with a large boot (OS) drive. It takes away the temptation of wanting to store anything but transient data on it.
This issue of category tags not being present, is also a slight blunder on your part. Every photo should be given the "File" > "Write Tags and Properties Info to Photos" treatment. If you don't do this, and even a "minor disturbance in the force" occurs, you lose those tags. If you do do it, then you could delete a file from your catalog, and reimport it 6 months later, and the tag will still be attached.
Whatever happens, in the future you need to be aware of the current location of your current catalog (.psa) file, and back it up frequently (manually), to a safe place away from "C:/". Beyond that, if disaster strikes, you should have all you info about the photos, save for anything that was inported after the backup. I do not mean to suggest this a replacment for properly backing up with PSE, but rather an additional safety precaution.