Have a mess in PSE 11 !

[NancyMoranG]

I got PSE 11 a while ago and use it to download my photos from camera. I didn't realize it, but EVERY photo is being added to Every date folder?!
So in April 2014, there are photos from Oct 2014 and every photo I have ever taken. So each folder has 2000 photos in it!
What Happened?
The setting says 'date' , so I thoughtit would go in separate folders,but no...
Help is an understatement at this point. Yes I am at library listening to tutorials
Nancy

 

[Rick50]

At least you have backups.
I don't use PSE, I use Lightroom but even then I don't use it to get from Camera. I use Canon software and put all photo's in a folder called 'import' and then from there I import into Lightroom. Just my way.
As near as I can tell about everyone here has their own way of doing this. There are oodles of options. Always wise to test.

 

[NancyMoranG]

Boy, do I have back ups!
This is why you should RTFM when you get something, geez..
If I start deleting them from an April folder (but they should be in October folder,) will it delete it everywhere or just from April..?

 

[tirediron]

You should be able to delete from one folder without it affecting another, but sometimes those import programs have odd, hidden wierdities... I would suggest copying the whole friggin' mess to an external HDD and then going through and trying to clean it up, folder by folder. Sounds like fun. NOT!

 

[NancyMoranG]

Thanks Tirediron. If I do transfer them to a external, they are in RAW. ( at least I am doing that right.)
Then, just bring them back in as raw to 1 new folder and delete all,other folders?
I really need a techie..

 

[vintagesnaps]

I have an earlier version of photoshop but I remember having had something like that happen, where it downloaded EVERYTHING from the media card! I don't remember now what I did, if I deleted what it had just downloaded from my computer and went back and downloaded just what I wanted, or if I tried to sort thru the mess...

I check now to make sure just the boxes are checked just for the set(s) of photos I just took and want to download onto the computer. I check to make sure the boxes are unchecked for sets that were already downloaded.

edit - I suppose I'd do what John suggested, shove that mess onto an external hard drive, download just what I wanted, then once I was sure that had downloaded properly I'd later go to the hard drive and delete 'the mess'. (Or I'd decide I'd had enough of the computer for awhile and jjust go put film in a camera... lol)



I like these things on the computer that seem to have a mind of their own and do exactly the opposite of what makes sense or what you want to do! lol PITA

 

[NancyMoranG]

Thanks VintageSnaps. I thought each time it said 'found x new items' and I would hit import. I don't erase the card after each upload.
Nancy

 

[vintagesnaps]

I don't either... I don't go thru media cards that fast to need to clear it, so I keep that as (another) backup. Hope you get your mess sorted out.