Transferring Photos & Software to a new computer. HELP Por Favor!!

[Dustman]

Hi just a few questions about transfering all my phototography data, files & software to a new compter.

First how do I transfer all my picture that are on my laptop & also backed up on a external hard drive to my new computer properly??

Second How reinstall my photoshop elements 7 or possibly even install the new elements 9 and retain all the editing information I did?? (When I open a RAW file now, it keeps the way I developed the file, Can I have it open that way on the new computer? If I keep elements 7 or upgrade to 9 when I get the new computer??

If anyone else has any input for me, as what you did excatly & specifically when you got a new computer with all your photos & Software it would be greatly appreciate, I need to upgrade my computer despreratly, but have been putting it off, because I am so uncertain on the transfer process.

Thanks to eveyrone in advance, Dustin

[tonylong]

Dustman,

I haven't used Elements for several years, but here's something to look for first of all:

When Photoshop processes a Raw file, it automatically saves the editing and keyword info into an xmp "sidecar" file in the same directory. So, prior to doing all your moving and reinstalling and whatnot, check your directories containing your processed Raws for the .xmp files with the same base name as the Raw files. Those xmp files should be readable if you move the images, re-install Elements, or even if you install Photoshop CSx or Lightroom (although various versions over the years will have some compatibility issues to work out in the specifics of the processing).

That all being said, the xmp file will not contain all the things you've done in the Organizer. If you use Collections, for example, a new installation of Elements in another place will not know about those.

So, yes you can move the images freely (along with those xmp files) -- I'd look into an external hard drive if I were you, although you cold use large camera/CF cards, or do it over a network if you have shares properly set up and recognized by your computers.

Then, re-installing Elements will be the qestion. If you have the disks, you should be able to do a fresh install on the new computer, although if you have an active copy on not just your one computer but say a laptop you may need to either uninstall one copy or deactivate it with Adobe prior to the new installation. Or, with just the one copy, you can reinstall on one other machine with no issues but if you decide to go with an extra machine like a laptop, you'll need to do the uninstall or deactivate like I said.

Now, if you don't have the original disks, well, if you bought Elements online they should have your info, but you may need to contact them unless you have the active access to your account with them. Also, you can upgrade your Elements likely with less hassle if you go online and buy the upgrade and supply your current serial number.

Help that helps some, keep posting if you need more info!

[PhotosGuy]

I'd look into an external hard drive if I were you, although you cold use large camera/CF cards, or do it over a network if you have shares properly set up and recognized by your computers. I agree, as another drive can be used for backup, too. For transferring files, free Karen's Replicator (http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptreplicator.asp)works well.

[Dustman]

Hey thanks you guys for your input............

So Tonylong, I guess you are saying the best thing for me to do as for transferrign the files is...........Get another Extrenal Hard Drive, cut or copy all my files to it, and then paste the files from the hard drive into the new computer??

I understand what you were sayign about the XMP files, but I guess I am screwed in that department. I actually disabled that feature a few years ago. I was getting all those xmp files in my picture folders, and didnt like and/want them there. I really didn't know what they were at the time. So I saw when I was proccessing my RAW files it had a check mark to unclick''create xmp files'' so unchecked it. Now 3 years later or so....Wish I hadn't done that.

I was thinking one day I might get Lightroom 3, and it proccesses RAW into 16 bit tiff, and my elements only does 8 -bit tiffs. I would prefer to have all my tiffs 16, instead of 8 bit, but since I dont have the xmp files, I would have to proccess all my RAW files again to get those 16 Bit tiffs, seems correct??

I know this is alot, Im kind of confused, I wish I could have someone sit with me & help at my computer. Thanks you all for your patience, Again I appreciate it. Dustin

[tonylong]

Well, first, when you say "another hard drive", does that mean you have one now that you are using for your images? If you do, well, OK, you could actually use the same one with your new system as well, but I'd definitely have your stuff backed up to a backup hard drive at some point soon, what with the stuff you are trying to do.

Then, you can tackle things a bit at a time. You want to get the new system up and running with your software. At the same time, you can approach the xmp files by say, re-checking that option in your old software and then opening a folder first in your old machine/software -- the edits should still be there and if you, say, were to just do some additional process then the xmp file would be generated. But the problem is that I don't know what that would be that would be quick and easy to do in Elements. In Lightroom you can do a Write Metadata to File operation, but I don't know if you can in Elements. In Lightroom and regular Photoshop ACR it's easy to select a bunch of files, do a little processing on one file and do a batch apply/synchronize on the other files, is that possible in Elements? As long as you only applied one little bit of processing without overwriting the other editing you'd done you could get a new xmp file with all the edits. At least that's the way it should work.

Anyway, if you could figure that out it would let you gradually move the editing over to the new system, right? You'd just need to do things carefully -- don't use the new software to mess with files/folders that have not been processed for the old edits until you have written the xmp files!

As far as 16 bit tiffs, well, they tend to be pretty useless in Elements, I know, but if you want them to archive sure you can, although I perssonally avoikd creating a file like that until I really need to do some real Photoshop work. Of course, once you are running on your new system you can do whatever you like, so knock yourself out, although when you have an 8 bit project file tiff with fancy edits done to it in Elements you probably won't be able convert it to 16 bits in Elements, right?

[Dustman]

Thanks again Tony, for taking the time to help me, and try explaining it to me.

I have all my data including my photography on my computers 1tb hard drive, and I have everything backed up on a 1tb encrypted western digital passport drive.

Im thinking now to move & have all my data on an external 2tb hard drive. Then when I purchase a new computer I can just plug the external hard drive into the new computer, and make the transition of data smoother. I would then always keep my original data on the new 2tb external drive, and not even store on the hard drive inside the computer, and still back up to another hard drive. I would then just have to worry about installing all my software whenever I get a new computer now & in the future??

I find myself to be very good behind a camera, just the digital/computer organization/workflow thing is my big problem, a real big problem.

And from this point on, I swqear to use XMP FILES!!

[tonylong]

Well, there is a reason why you would benefit by having some things on an internal drive, and that is simply speed. If you will do all your processing on your new computer, then I'd put the Lightroom catalog folder on an internal drive (but I'd make sure to have a separate "data" hard drive on the new computer). Also, what I do is load recent shoots onto my data drive using the Lightroom Import utility to create a drive and name images and copy them off of my card reader. Then, after initial processing, I move them into my external hard drive for long term use. This way, your main processing tasks can move more quickly.

As far as xmp files, they can be very useful when you are going in between one thing and another, but they do take time, so that may be something to experiment with.

But, for now, you want to get things moved and set up on the new machine, so do this carefully and neatly. The external drive will help there -- if there is any problem, you can always take it and plug it into your old machine with no big loss!