Duplicate Photo Files

[RobMW]

  I am running Photoshop Elements 15 on a PC.  I recently renamed my photo folders, from date based to event based.  I uninstalled Photoshop Elements 15 and reinstalled.  Now I have the old folders along with the renamed folders. How do I delete the old folders from the program?

[MichelBParis]

• How did you rename? From within the organizer?
• How did you uninstal/reinstal?
• What about your catalog?

[RobMW]

Hello Michel,

   I originally had my picture files by date taken, 2007 08 03 Glenwood Trip -  2011 12 26 Christmas Pictures. I changed to events, Glenwood Trip 2007 08 -  Christmas 2011. I did this in the photo folders on my hard drive, not in Elements.

   I deleted Elements 15 in the Windows System - Control Panel - Programs - Uninstall

   I have saved all of my new picture folders from my hard drive on a external hard drive.

   Catalog - ???

  Is there a way to totally erase Elements 15 and all attachments so I can totally start over ?  Could I take my desk top computer to a Microsoft store and have them totally remove Elements 15 and all attachments?

    Thanks for your help.

[MichelBParis]

I originally had my picture files by date taken, 2007 08 03 Glenwood Trip -  2011 12 26 Christmas Pictures. I changed to events, Glenwood Trip 2007 08 -  Christmas 2011. I did this in the photo folders on my hard drive, not in Elements.

Since you did not mention catalogs, it seems that you are not using the organizer.

The key fact to remember is that neither Elements editor nor Elements organizer do store photos. So, if you rename folders, that is an action managed by the explorer in Windows or the finder on Macs. That will never create duplicates. If you are seeing your old folder trees with the new one added, there must be an explanation, such as a copy of the new folder tree over the old one. I understand that the duplicates you are seeing now are on your drive, visible from the explorer or finder.

The problem could be different if you had used the organizer to manage your photos. The organizer only stores the location of your files in its database (drive and path), not a copy of the files. I could imagine scenarios where the organizer had 'imported' (= indexed') the new renamed folders beside the older ones. In that case, the old folders would show all files as missing.

So the first thing to find a solution is to find what has caused the duplication.