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PSE10 Crashes when searching for duplicate photos

Aug 5, 2012 7:49 AM

Hello,

 

I recently upgraded to PSE10 and imported my catalog from a different machine (which had been running XP).  Unfortunately, I ended up with a bunch of duplicate entries in the catalog, one with the path c:\users\... the other with c:\my documents\...  These paths both point to the same image on the hard drive.

 

When I try to Search for Duplicate Photos (from Find>By Visual Searches), PSE invariably crashes.  I am running PSE10 under Windows 7 (full system info at the end of this message).

 

Any idea why this might be happening, and is there a different way I can remove the duplicate entries in the catalog?

 

Thanks,

 

Chris

 

 

-----

Full system info:

 

Elements Organizer 10.0.0.0

Core Version: 10.0 (20110914.m.17521)

Language Version: 10.0 (20110914.m.17521)

 

Current Catalog:

Catalog Name: My Photos

Catalog Location: C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Elements Organizer\Catalogs\My Photos\

Catalog Size: 52.3MB

Catalog Cache Size: 391.7MB

 

System:

Operating System Name: Windows 7

Operating System Version: 6.1

System Architecture: Intel CPU Family:6 Model:5 Stepping:2 with MMX, SSE Integer, SSE FP

Built-in Memory: 3.8GB

Free Memory: 705.3MB

 

Important Drivers / Plug-ins / Libraries:

Microsoft DirectX Version: 9.0

Apple QuickTime Version: Not installed

Adobe Reader Version: 10.1

Adobe Acrobat Version: Not installed

 

CD and DVD drives:

F: (hp DVDRAM BUS: 1 ID: 1 Firmware: GT20L)

1086 Views   17 Replies   Latest reply: photodrawken, Aug 7, 2012 12:27 PM
 
Replies
  • 99jon
    10,084 posts
    Jan 6, 2010
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    1. 99jon,
    Aug 5, 2012 8:36 AM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    Try using Folder Location View (click the display button near top right in organizer to switch from thumbnail view) and expand the folder tree in the left hand pane.

     

     

     
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  • MichelBParis
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    2. MichelBParis,
    Aug 5, 2012 8:49 AM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    Did you try to 'reconnect missing files' ?

    Could you describe in more detail how you 'imported' your catalog from another computer ?

    Was it a backup/restore from the organizer, which is the normal and safe way to transfer catalog and data to another computer ?

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    3. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 5, 2012 10:01 AM   in reply to MichelBParis
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    The import process was a bit of a mess, so is difficult to explain.  The bulk of it was copying data over (pictures, catalog, etc.), and then reconnecting.  Then lots of manual futzing around with backups and copying folders and other stuff that is probably irrelevant.  I think that most of the photos in question were the result of the copying and reconnection process.

     

    I did not do a backup/restore because I was moving the catalog as the result of system failure on the original machine.

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    4. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 5, 2012 1:04 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    Replying to myself here, I think what I need to do is figure out why PSE is crashing on me.  Any suggestions on troubleshooting?

     

    Thanks!

     
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  • photodrawken
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    5. photodrawken,
    Aug 5, 2012 1:32 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    It would appear that the crashing is due to the import process being "a bit of a mess".  Have you tried doing a Repair, then an Optimize on your catalog?

     

    Ken

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    6. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 5, 2012 2:30 PM   in reply to photodrawken
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    Ok, done.  No errors were found during the Repair process (did not elect to "repair anyway").  Then ran Optimize without incident.  So the catalog looks like it does not contain any errors, which is consistent with everything else I can see.  Unfortunately, despite this, the Search for Duplicate Photos function still crashes.

     

    Also, just as a clarification, when I do a Reconnect, there is only one picture PSE cannot locate, and that one is also missing from my backup drive.  PSE can display and manipulate them fine.  It appears that the problem is isolated to find duplicates function.

     
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  • 99jon
    10,084 posts
    Jan 6, 2010
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    7. 99jon,
    Aug 5, 2012 2:41 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    Where are all of your photos. In My Pictures? My Documents or on an external drive?

     

     

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    8. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 5, 2012 2:56 PM   in reply to 99jon
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    They are all in c:\users\...\pictures, though some of the duplicate items in the catalog still refer to c:\my documents\... My machine contains a shortcut that allows both paths to refer to the same file (I am not sure if all Win 7 machines have this shortcut, or just mine).  PSE can read and manipulate files using either path.

     
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  • 99jon
    10,084 posts
    Jan 6, 2010
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    9. 99jon,
    Aug 5, 2012 3:04 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    I would normally recommend you use Backup & Restore from your old catalog. But as you have already added images from independent sources, I would personally suggest you start over.

     

    1. Select the first thumbnail in Organizer thumbnail view and press Ctrl+A to select them all, then hit the delete button. Make sure you don’t choose Also Delete From Hard Drive”

    2. Get all your folders into the Pictures directory and get rid of the shortcut.

    3. In the empty catalog click File >> Get Photos & Videos >> From Files & Folders

    4. Navigate to Pictures and ensure the check box to include all sub-folders is maked. Then click Open or Get Media.

    5. Wait whilst elements generates thumbnails and accept all keyword suggestions.

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    10. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 5, 2012 3:10 PM   in reply to 99jon
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    This would, however, kill all my tags and albums and such, would it not?  That's an awfully steep price to pay to get rid of some duplicate photos!

     
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  • 99jon
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    Jan 6, 2010
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    11. 99jon,
    Aug 5, 2012 3:28 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    Yes, but deleting all the duplicates manually to get a more efficient catalog is the other price to pay.

     
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  • photodrawken
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    12. photodrawken,
    Aug 5, 2012 3:48 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    You can first use the Organizer's File...Write Keywords to File function to write the keywords into the image files.  Then, when importing, you can also import the keyword tags.  You will still lose the album info, however.

     

    Ken

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    13. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 5, 2012 4:40 PM   in reply to photodrawken
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    That would ease the pain a little.  To add a bit more info, I have since discovered that all of the functions under Find>By Visual Searches cause a crash, despite there being little obvious similarity between finding an object in a photo and finding a duplicate photo (which is not an inherently visual process).  Also, as a test, I tried removing the shortcut to the My Documents folder (thus "losing" all the photos that have that as part of their path), and the crashes still occur.  That would suggest the problem is not with my folder structure, but something more fundamental that PSE is choking on.

     
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  • photodrawken
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    14. photodrawken,
    Aug 5, 2012 4:58 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    _c_h_r_i_s_ wrote:

     

    That would suggest the problem is not with my folder structure, but something more fundamental that PSE is choking on.

    Agreed.

     

    The Visual Similarity data is in the "WaldoData" subdirectory of your catalog directory.

    1. Rename the "WaldoData" directory to "OldWaldoData".
    2. Launch the Organizer.
    3. Use File...Catalog to open the Catalog Manager.\
    4. Select your catalog and hit the "Repair" button.
    5. Use the option to re-index the VS data.

     

    Ken

     
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  • MichelBParis
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    15. MichelBParis,
    Aug 6, 2012 12:53 AM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    If I understand well, what you are calling 'duplicates' are duplicate entries in the catalog, the same media being called either by its original path+filename or shortcut path+filename.

    The organizer will try open two different files to compare them, but when trying to open the second 'shortcut', the file will be already blocked (in use). That could explain the failure of the comparison for similarity.

     

    Try creating a new catalog with similar images, for instance jpegs and png copies. Does the visual search work ?

     

    About backup and restore : If my supposition is right, that should work if you try to restore to a new custom location with keeping the file structure : the backup should create real file duplicates on different paths. If it works, finding visual duplicate should work, although this process may take a very long time.

     
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  • _c_h_r_i_s_
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    16. _c_h_r_i_s_,
    Aug 7, 2012 5:24 AM   in reply to photodrawken
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    The WaldoData suggestion fixed the crashing.  Thanks!!

     
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  • photodrawken
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    17. photodrawken,
    Aug 7, 2012 12:27 PM   in reply to _c_h_r_i_s_
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    Glad to help.  Please mark the answer as "Correct" so future users can quickly find the solution.

     

    Ken

     
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