Can't import photos from hard drive to Elements 5

[RichW]

This is a problem that has gotten progressively worse recently. :sad: I can still download photos from my camera to the hard drive using Elements 5, but I can no longer import more than about 5 photos at a time from the hard drive to the Organizer. My computer is a Dell 8300 purchased in 2004, with a Pentium 4 processor, 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB RAM,Windows XP, and Norton AntiVirus. I have about 265 GB of photos on a 350 GB partition (G: drive) of the hard drive. The other partition (C: drive) has about 50 GB of free space.

I've tried many fixes, including using CCleaner and Microsoft Disk Cleaner to remove unnecessary files and fix Registry problems; turning off and repowering the entire system; using Nikon Transfer to download the photos, instead of Photoshop; using Startup Inspector to remove unnecessary startup programs, as well as turning off all other software.

I get two different messages, at different times, from Elements when the process freezes:

1. "The ODBC data source reported the following error: "Microsoft] [ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Invalid argument."

2. "The ODBC data source reported the following error: [Microsoft] [ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] The Microsoft Jet database engine stopped the process because you and another user are attempting to change the same data at the same time." (I'm not on a network.)

I also sometimes get another message from Norton: "High CPU usage by AOL", even when AOL is shut down.

Does anyone have an idea of what the problem is and how it can be fixed? :banghead:

Rich W

 

[Carrie56]

This sounds more like a computer problem then with the software. Have you tried calling a Dell support representative?

 

[Steve]

This sounds more like a computer problem then with the software. .........

Yeah I agree.
It sounds like you have a memory issue.

I assume you're current on your Windows updates and that your anti-virus is also up to date.

I like RegSeeker on my XP computers (not Vista) and Startup to "Really" see and manage your startup programs.

Startup will let you disable startup programs you didn't know existed and RegSeeker is similar to CCleaner.
I've been using both of these programs for years with no problems but you run them at your own risk, I'm only stating my experiences.

I would also run Chkdsk /F to check for disk errors.

 

[RichW]

Thanks, Carrie; I'll give it a try.

 

[RichW]

Thanks, Steve; I'll let you know if anything works.

 

[RichW]

Hi Steve and Carrie,
It turns out that my problem was Photoshop related, and not a computer problem. Eventually, I couldn’t import anything into the Organizer catalog or delete anything. I had been importing all my photos into one catalog. The data in that one catalog now amounts to approximately 2.1 GB (the index for approximately 77,500 photos). The Catalog must have somehow become corrupted, possibly from 3 recent power outages. I ran File > Catalog > Recover and the problem was solved! Also, it turns out that this Recover function is run automatically when you run File > Backup Catalog, which I had never done. Finally, I found out that I could create more than one catalog in the Elements 5.0 Organizer, which might reduce the problem of any one catalog becoming corrupted, since there would be less data in each catalog.
Rich W

 

[Steve]

Glad you worked it out Rich, thanks for letting us know.