ACDSee questions

[alarmrx2]

Here I go again....
After reading the organization forum, & the speed tagging a bit, I am downloading my "stuff" into the ACDSee Program. Is this program supposed to open in "my pictures"? Should I move it?
I put them into catorgories such as Page Kits, Ploppers, Baby Page Kits, etc. I want to get started the right way, so is this a good way to catorgorize? What other suggestions do you have?
Oh- & i had a devil of a time finding my orders that I had not downloaded right away. In the future... how do I find them again??? :confused: LOL Cus I sure aint gonna get em all done tonight!!
I will be getting the magnifyers out to reread the Speed Tagging article again.:love3:
Thank You.
Robin in Bama

[Kathleen]

Hi, Robin! Organization can take a lot to get going, but I know you will be happy with the results.

I'm a little confused by your post. You should install the ACDSee program, but I am assuming that your "stuff" is already on your computer somewhere, so you don't need to install it or re-download it. I think when ACDSee starts, by default it browses the My Pictures folder, but you can set that to where ever you would like. For example, I have all my scrap supplies in a folder called Digiscrap, so I have ACDSee start there. To change to default start folder, go to (at least this is the navigation in Photo Manager 10) Tools > Options > Browser.

Further withing my Digiscrap folder, I have folders that I unzip everything into. They go something like:

Alphas
Brushes
Stamps
Date Stamps
Fonts
Groupies
Kits, elements, etc.
Overlays & Frames
Ploppers
Templates/Quick Clicks
Word Art

Within each of those folders I have individual kits. Some people organize by store or designer, but that didn't work for me.

That kind of explains my FILE STRUCTURE (where things are physically on my hard drive). The in ACDSee, I have my tagging. For me, I decided to go with tagging the things I always find myself looking for like

beaded elements
fasteners
flowers
frames
overlay
previews
ribbons
stamps
tags
word art

I also tag the designer and the store. Of course, I have a whole list of categories I would like to get to along the way, but I add things when I have time.

I think it is important to point out, that your tagging is referencing your supplies in their existing location. You don't need your supplies in multiple places, in fact that will confuse things. And once you start tagging, DO NOT move things outside of ACDSee. If you want to move a file or folder, do it in ACDSee, drag and drop just like you would in Windows Explorer.

You asked about how to find your store order history, go to My Account (tab under the black bar near the top of the page), and then click Show All Orders.

I hope this all helps, and doesn't confuse you more. Please let me know what questions you have!

[Meryl]

Kathleen, you are amazing at giving clear and detailed replies!

Just to add - to save you setting up your catagories, you will find several organizing styles which you can download here:

http://www.digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-resources/acdsee-photo-manager/organizing-styles

[alarmrx2]

OMG- I WISH I had seen that earlier Meryl!!!
And no Kathleen, at that time I had not downloaded anything because I wanted to start the right way. LOL And I dont think I did. I just kept making folders... not realizing til I saw the site Meryl sent that you could create a database. I could read the instructions... not me, I just jump in.
I don't understand the tag thing. I have seen it for years now & ignored it. How would i add the designers name to a kit? On a tag? Will it move it from the folder I have it in now? BTW- I also got ACDSee for Dummies, guess I should read it. It is just time is at a shortage right now, so I decided to jumpstart. Instead of breaking up the kits, which I dont think I would have the time or patience for, I tried to add the artist name in the folder name.
Well, I think I jumped before I should have, but I just HAD to see what I have. I have started adding some freebies also. It shouldnt be hard to go back & redo.
Wow- yall have given me a lot to think about.
Thank YOu so much!!!
Robin in Bama

[nafeesa]

wow Meryl!!! I just finally moved all my stuff to my EHD and now need to begin organizing in ACDSee, and I am so glad I found this. yay! I downloaded a style and I will give it a try.

[carti]

I am wondering I have so many scrapbook kits in ACDSee. In would like to put these on my external drive. How would that affect ACDSee since younare not suppose to move outside ACDSee?

[nafeesa]

I just changed the folder that ACDSee looks in to be the one that's on my EHD

[Kathleen]

Robin, ACDSee is a database program, essentially a digital filing system. You label all your items/individual files (or as many as you would like) with what they are, and then ACDsee will help you find it later. An individual file can have multiple tags, so a ribbon could be tagged as a ribbon and a specific designer. Whatever will help you find it in the future.

A tag is a reference to a digital file (digital image, either a scrap element, a photo, background, etc.) so that the ACDSee database knows where to find the file, and what YOU want to know about it.

Here is an outline of what you need to do ...

In ACDsee, you decide on an organizing style. You can create your own, or you can go with one that is out in the public domain like Meryl referenced. This can be as detailed as you want, only you know to what level you have the patience to organize (it does take time, but finding a system that works for you will make it easier to find things when you want them). I started my ACDSee organization about a year into scrapping (and collecting LOTS of stuff), and I knew the things I was always looking for, so that is what I started. You can always add categories to your ACDSee database, so don't fret if you feel like a change along the way. Once you have some categories set-up, then this is kind of the process you follow:

(1) download and unzip your files into a place on your hard drive. Some people are really good about doing their tagging the instant they download something, so they can download, unzip, and tag all in one place. Personally, I have a folder called downloads where I download and unzip all new stuff to. Periodically (4 or so times a year), I go through that folder and tag everything (using the speed tagging method). Then in ACDSee, I move the kits to the folder I really want them in (word art, kits, templates, etc.)
(2) tag the items - this basically means you select an item in ACDSee and you assign characteristics to it. Is it a frame? Ribbon? Flower?

Then when you are looking for frames, you click the frame category and all your frames are filtered into view.

It is really easy to spend a lot of time in ACDSee and really mess things up. PLEASE take a little time to read about the program and what it is capable of and how to use it. It will be time well spent. There is a series of videos on DigirScrapInfo.com - Taking a Tour of ACDSee Photo Manager by video (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/110-taking-a-tour-of-acdsee-photo-manager-by-video) - these give a great overview of the program!

Carti, do you want to move your entire scrap collection to an external drive? If you want to move the entire collection, that is pretty simple to do. You can use these instructions: Transfering organizing from one EHD to another EHD (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/common-questions/52-updating-or-transferring/245-transfering-organizing-from-one-ehd-to-another-ehd). The key is to keep your file structure the same! If you have all your stuff on c:\my documents\digital scrap\[sub folders], then move the entire digital scrap folder with the sub folder structure intact. As the instructions state, you will then change the binding - basically, telling ACDSee where to look for your files - and you should be good to go.

[Meryl]

Some great info - thanks Kathleen :)

I just want to add, since i keep reading words like "moving all my stuff to an EHD" - DON'T rely on all your precious stuff (especially photos and pages) being on one EHD - ONE accident and it could all be gone - the forums are never without one of these sad stories! Everything you have should be in at least two locations - another EHD (they get bigger and cheaper all the time) or onto DVD's.

I don't want to be a profit of doom but it is reality - chat to Mandy, Sands_Healey - two whose names quickly come to mind!

[Kathleen]

Great reminder, Meryl!

[nafeesa]

I keep one copy of stuff on my EHD and another on my online server. So far it is working out. I just back up my EHD every couple of days with all the new stuff I get.

[carti]

Robin, ACDSee is a database program, essentially a digital filing system. You label all your items/individual files (or as many as you would like) with what they are, and then ACDsee will help you find it later. An individual file can have multiple tags, so a ribbon could be tagged as a ribbon and a specific designer. Whatever will help you find it in the future.

A tag is a reference to a digital file (digital image, either a scrap element, a photo, background, etc.) so that the ACDSee database knows where to find the file, and what YOU want to know about it.

Here is an outline of what you need to do ...

In ACDsee, you decide on an organizing style. You can create your own, or you can go with one that is out in the public domain like Meryl referenced. This can be as detailed as you want, only you know to what level you have the patience to organize (it does take time, but finding a system that works for you will make it easier to find things when you want them). I started my ACDSee organization about a year into scrapping (and collecting LOTS of stuff), and I knew the things I was always looking for, so that is what I started. You can always add categories to your ACDSee database, so don't fret if you feel like a change along the way. Once you have some categories set-up, then this is kind of the process you follow:

(1) download and unzip your files into a place on your hard drive. Some people are really good about doing their tagging the instant they download something, so they can download, unzip, and tag all in one place. Personally, I have a folder called downloads where I download and unzip all new stuff to. Periodically (4 or so times a year), I go through that folder and tag everything (using the speed tagging method). Then in ACDSee, I move the kits to the folder I really want them in (word art, kits, templates, etc.)
(2) tag the items - this basically means you select an item in ACDSee and you assign characteristics to it. Is it a frame? Ribbon? Flower?

Then when you are looking for frames, you click the frame category and all your frames are filtered into view.

It is really easy to spend a lot of time in ACDSee and really mess things up. PLEASE take a little time to read about the program and what it is capable of and how to use it. It will be time well spent. There is a series of videos on DigirScrapInfo.com - Taking a Tour of ACDSee Photo Manager by video (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/110-taking-a-tour-of-acdsee-photo-manager-by-video) - these give a great overview of the program!

Carti, do you want to move your entire scrap collection to an external drive? If you want to move the entire collection, that is pretty simple to do. You can use these instructions: Transfering organizing from one EHD to another EHD (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/common-questions/52-updating-or-transferring/245-transfering-organizing-from-one-ehd-to-another-ehd). The key is to keep your file structure the same! If you have all your stuff on c:\my documents\digital scrap\[sub folders], then move the entire digital scrap folder with the sub folder structure intact. As the instructions state, you will then change the binding - basically, telling ACDSee where to look for your files - and you should be good to go.

<<Thanks for the help. I don't know if I want to move the entire scrap collection to an external drive I just know I have too much on my hard drive. I have in c:\my documents a folder named Scrapbook Collection and then sub folders with each kit in separate folder, backgrounds, ploppers, etc. I am going to San Jose laptop crop so will not attempt to do anything right now.>>

[nafeesa]

Oh Kathleen! question... you seem to the be go-to girl for info :) hehehe

I can figure out categories in ACDSee.. but where on earth do I tag? i can't find anywhere to set a list of tags to use. I like to search using multiple terms and with categories I can only display 1 category at a time. Unless I'm doing that wrong to?

[Kathleen]

<<Thanks for the help. I don't know if I want to move the entire scrap collection to an external drive I just know I have too much on my hard drive. I have in c:\my documents a folder named Scrapbook Collection and then sub folders with each kit in separate folder, backgrounds, ploppers, etc. I am going to San Jose laptop crop so will not attempt to do anything right now.>>

Carti, you could just drag and drop within ACDSee to clear a bit of room on your hard drive. Just give a shout when you are ready to tackle it, and I can try to help.

Oh Kathleen! question... you seem to the be go-to girl for info :) hehehe

I can figure out categories in ACDSee.. but where on earth do I tag? i can't find anywhere to set a list of tags to use. I like to search using multiple terms and with categories I can only display 1 category at a time. Unless I'm doing that wrong to?

Categories are your tags! If you select an image (or a bunch of images at one time), there are multiple ways to tag or assign categories. I like to use the Properties box (database tab) and check the categories to be associated with the image. Look at the videos referenced above - Taking a Tour of ACDSee Photo Manager by video (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/110-taking-a-tour-of-acdsee-photo-manager-by-video) - specifically Assigning Categories. But, really watching them ALL is a really good idea. And you can't miss Speed Tagging with Kristi (http://digiscrapinfo.com/wordpress/2008/01/22/speed-tagging-with-kristi/) - it really is speedy and the best way to get started, I think!

Does that make sense???

[nafeesa]

Categories are your tags! If you select an image (or a bunch of images at one time), there are multiple ways to tag or assign categories. I like to use the Properties box (database tab) and check the categories to be associated with the image. Look at the videos referenced above - Taking a Tour of ACDSee Photo Manager by video (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/110-taking-a-tour-of-acdsee-photo-manager-by-video) - specifically Assigning Categories. But, really watching them ALL is a really good idea. And you can't miss Speed Tagging with Kristi (http://digiscrapinfo.com/wordpress/2008/01/22/speed-tagging-with-kristi/) - it really is speedy and the best way to get started, I think!

Does that make sense???

Oh I know how to do the categories. I didn't realize those WERE the tags. sheesh LOL

So, is there a way to show more than one category? Like, say I have DSP as a category, but I only want to see QCs, for instance... any way to filter? I can't figure that out.

[nafeesa]

oh, that sheesh was for me LOL not for you. You've been a doll!

[Kathleen]

In the ORGANIZE window, you select the categories you want to filter on. At the top of the window, you should see Match Any/All, so make sure the selection is right for what you are wanting. If you are wanting to see only DSP and QCs, then you make sure Match is set to All, and click the little white box to the left of each of those categories.

If you don't see the Organize window, click View and make sure Organize is checked. If it is checked and you still don't see it, it is probably nested in with the Properties window, so look at the bottom of that window and click the Organize box.

Do the trick?

[felynn]

I highly recommend the Speed tagging tut Kathleen linked. It's a great way to get all your stuff done quickly. That site has a ton of very helpful and practical information on using AcDsee.

Most important:
Sycronize (http://www.digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/119-synchronizing-with-acdsee-photo-manager-) and back up (http://www.digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/120-backing-up-your-acdsee-database) your files as often as posible.

[nafeesa]

yes! that fixed it. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

::happy dancing::::::

[nafeesa]

I was speed tagging long before I knew what it was called. It's fantastic to get it all done quickly. Since I just moved everything to my EHD I have to retag (which is fine I had barely started in ACDSee anyhow).

speed tagging is the only way to go!

[Kathleen]

Glad that worked, Rebekah! Two things ...

(1) When speed tagging, always remember to EXPAND your folder selections. If you have nested folders, highlight the top folder in the Folder window and press the * button. You might have to do this a couple times until you no longer see any + signs next to any folders in the list. Otherwise, if you select folders, you only get the top level folder contents, not the sub-folder contents.

(2) in the future, you can move your files and keep the tags intact by either changing the binding, using export/import or a back-up/restore method.

The biggest thing about ACDSee is don't make a change like that if you aren't sure about what you are doing! Ask for help, or read more documentation until you are sure.

[carti]

Originally Posted by carti View Post
<<Thanks for the help. I don't know if I want to move the entire scrap collection to an external drive I just know I have too much on my hard drive. I have in c:\my documents a folder named Scrapbook Collection and then sub folders with each kit in separate folder, backgrounds, ploppers, etc. I am going to San Jose laptop crop so will not attempt to do anything right now.>>
Carti, you could just drag and drop within ACDSee to clear a bit of room on your hard drive. Just give a shout when you are ready to tackle it, and I can try to help.
<<I wonder instead of putting on External Hard Drive could I not put all my kits on Flash Drive? Would ACDSee be able to locate it that way? >>thanks
Carti

[Kathleen]

ACDSee will not recognize on a flash drive - either needs to be an external or internal drive, or you could archive to CD. Personally, I don't like the CD option as CDs are too easy to get lost or misplaced. What concerns do you have about an EHD?

[carti]

ACDSee will not recognize on a flash drive - either needs to be an external or internal drive, or you could archive to CD. Personally, I don't like the CD option as CDs are too easy to get lost or misplaced. What concerns do you have about an EHD?

>>Oh, darn. I just don't like to put the external hard drive in and out everytime I need something. To me it's a pain. :) I do have some layouts on CDs and may go that way. Thanks for your help.

[Kathleen]

Carti, depending on your computer, you may be able to replace your hard drive with a larger one.

BUT, just remember you need to have your digital stash in AT LEAST two places, so you probably need the external drive for back-up at least.

[carti]

Carti, depending on your computer, you may be able to replace your hard drive with a larger one.

BUT, just remember you need to have your digital stash in AT LEAST two places, so you probably need the external drive for back-up at least.

<<I don't know what I will do. I don't want to replace my hard drive with a larger one I can't afford that right now. I will have to see if I have enough room on my hard drive to put scrapbook kits on it. Will see. Thank you for your help>>
:)

[faerywings]

carti- looks like everyone has answered your questions wonderfully!
One of the nice features of Photo Manager is that it can "remember" offline media. For example, if you want to make room on your hard drive, and want to pull some kits off to do that, you can create a Photo Disk which still keeps the organizing metadata in the database.

For ex. Say I have a lot of winter kits right now that I am not using. I will burn them to DVD (two copies - one is a backup) then delete them off my hard drive.

In PM, go to File>New> Photo Disk. Put the DVD into your drive, then PM will read the tags off of the files. These will then be found in your Folder Tree on the left side of the screen under offline media.

Then, when I am ready to scrap with something from one of these kits, I can search for --say, Winter Snowflake Paper and it will bring up everything tagged with these categories. If I click on something located on a Photo Disk, the program will tell me which disk it is located on. I pop that DVD in, and the files are there, ready to use in my editing program.
Very cool!

[carti]

carti- looks like everyone has answered your questions wonderfully!

One of the nice features of Photo Manager is that it can "remember" offline media. For example, if you want to make room on your hard drive, and want to pull some kits off to do that, you can create a Photo Disk which still keeps the organizing metadata in the database.

For ex. Say I have a lot of winter kits right now that I am not using. I will burn them to DVD (two copies - one is a backup) then delete them off my hard drive.

In PM, go to File>New> Photo Disk. Put the DVD into your drive, then PM will read the tags off of the files. These will then be found in your Folder Tree on the left side of the screen under offline media.

Then, when I am ready to scrap with something from one of these kits, I can search for --say, Winter Snowflake Paper and it will bring up everything tagged with these categories. If I click on something located on a Photo Disk, the program will tell me which disk it is located on. I pop that DVD in, and the files are there, ready to use in my editing program.
Very cool!
<<Wow, this is a great idea, I didn't think of doing this. Will do. Thank you very much!>>carti

[carti]

I did a big boo boo on trying to do the above! I had a cd that had some scrapbook kits on it so I thought I would try this PhotoDisc method. Well, dummy me I didn't realize I had zips on this cd. So I didn't realize it until I followed directions from help in ACDSee how to do it. So did a search and there was only one that I was able to see. I got a notice showing the others were not in correct format! I could find no way to delete this PhotoDisc. What do I do now? Thanks.

[Kathleen]

Carti, were the the things on the disc stuff you already had cataloged in ACDSee? Or were you trying to add new things to catalog from a CD?

[carti]

Carti, were the the things on the disc stuff you already had cataloged in ACDSee? Or were you trying to add new things to catalog from a CD?
<<I believe most of them are already cataloged in ACDSee. I was just trying to see if this worked. :)>>

[Kathleen]

SO is the problem now that ACDSee is giving results for this CD that you don't want it to?

[carti]

SO is the problem now that ACDSee is giving results for this CD that you don't want it to?
<<It is not showing anything cause I got the message not in proper format since these are all zip files. I want to delete the Photodisc since it is not working, however, I couldn't find how to do it.>>

[Kathleen]

I have not had this problem, so still looking for more info. When you open ACDSee, is there something that indicates it sees the photo disc? And the disc is not in your drive?

[carti]

I have not had this problem, so still looking for more info. When you open ACDSee, is there something that indicates it sees the photo disc? And the disc is not in your drive?
<<I was able to delete the disc. Don't remember what I did :) but I did it. Thanks

[carti]

I finally put all my scrapbook kits on WD External Hard Drive. Now, my question is when I go to my hard drive and use ACDSee I know I will see them but I had organized most of my scrapbook kits say Christmas freebies, and then made catagories for instance Flowers when these were on my hard drive, so how will I be able to see these when I do a search? I hope I am explaining what I mean.carti

[Meryl]

When you moved them, you did do through ACDSee I hope? If you did, you will simply click on that same category as you did before, say Christmas Freebies and you will see them exactly the same, but it will be looking at your external rather than your hard drive.

Please, too, DON'T have them only in one place - externals are notorious for suddenly malfunctioning - you DON'T want to loose all that stuff!!! Burn them onto DVD's at least!

[Kathleen]

Carti, a couple questions ... have you MOVED or COPIED all your kits to the EHD? If you moved them, then they are only on the EHD, if you copied them, then they are on the EHD and the internal.

Did you follow any instructions/tutorial for moving your database (I referenced one in post #8 earlier in this thread)? If so, what tutorial and/or what exactly did you do?

Is your file structure EXACTLY the same for your kits? For example, if you had them in My Documents\Kits\individual folders, in the new location are they just on a new drive, but still My Documents\Kits\Individual folders?

Before you moved/copied everything did you back-up and/or export your ACDSee database?

[carti]

I am totally confused now more than ever! I am very new at using External Hard Drives so I guess I goofed. Cause I put the Scrabook kits that I had transferred them all the External Hard drive but not using ACDSee! I just plugged in the External Hard Drive and then found in my documents Scrapbook Kits from Digital Scrapbook place selected them all and transferred to External Hard Drive! I have them also on CD's so most of them tho that looses what few I did take the time to categorize. ACDSee no matter how much I read help is very confusing and difficult at least for me to understand! :( I guess it is just me. What gets me is one has to backup the backup!. No way, am I going to redo. too much time and effort. I already spend so much time doing it.
I'll just have to open a kit and look to find what I want. Thanks.

[Kathleen]

Carti, can you answer my questions from above? All may not be lost, just need to know more. Posting again ...

Have you MOVED or COPIED all your kits to the EHD? If you moved them, then they are only on the EHD, if you copied them, then they are on the EHD and the internal (and subsequently your organization should still be in place and ACDSee would find your kits on your internal drive).

Is your file structure EXACTLY the same for your kits? For example, if you had them in My Documents\Kits\individual folders, in the new location are they just on a new drive, but still My Documents\Kits\Individual folders?

Before you moved/copied everything did you back-up and/or export your ACDSee database?

[Meryl]

Carti, take heart, all of us have got into ACDSee problems before, you are NOT alone, it is not easy to get to grips with, but really IS worth it once you get it right.

[carti]

In Windows Explorer I went to My Documents where I had Scrapbook Kits Collection where there were lots of individual folders stating names of kits and some had subfolders say Ploppers and there were individual folders in there with names, etc. I just clicked on the main Folder Scrapbooks Kits Collection right clicked and said send to Passport External Hard Drive.
"Before you moved/copied everything did you back-up and/or export your ACDSee database?" No, I did not.
So, I think they are only on External Hard Drive right?
I had so many on the internal hard drive that is why I put them on external hard drive and have deleted most of them.
Thanks for trying to help me. This have given me such a headache I am going to take some Tylenol and go to bed. :)
__________________

[carti]

Carti, take heart, all of us have got into ACDSee problems before, you are NOT alone, it is not easy to get to grips with, but really IS worth it once you get it right.
<<Thanks Meryl>>

[Kathleen]

Carti, it sounds like you have moved everything in the same structure to the EHD. You need to follow the instructions Did you move folders outside of ACDSee? How to fix it? (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/component/content/article/51-errors/219-did-you-move-folders-outside-of-acdsee-how-to-fix-it) . You have to be very patient when following the steps outlined. There are several points where it takes quite a bit of time (15+ minutes, depending on the size of the database).

If at any point you are not certain about the next step, DON'T MAKE A CHANGE. If you want, I should be able to find a way to do a screen sharing session next week and I can kind of look over your shoulder if you want more help.

[Meryl]

You are a star Kathleen - wouldn't we all like you looking over our shoulders?

Please carti - don't give up on ACDSee - somehow, together, we WILL get you right!

[carti]

Carti, it sounds like you have moved everything in the same structure to the EHD. You need to follow the instructions Did you move folders outside of ACDSee? How to fix it? (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/component/content/article/51-errors/219-did-you-move-folders-outside-of-acdsee-how-to-fix-it) . You have to be very patient when following the steps outlined. There are several points where it takes quite a bit of time (15+ minutes, depending on the size of the database).

If at any point you are not certain about the next step, DON'T MAKE A CHANGE. If you want, I should be able to find a way to do a screen sharing session next week and I can kind of look over your shoulder if you want more help.
<<I read "Did you move folders outside of ACDSee" and the part below is confusing:
"If you have moved many of your folders around this is slow process -- sometimes it might be easier to move them back (outside of ACDSee) to their original location and then open ACDSee Photo Manager and move them again where you want them"
I might have moved many of the folders around and at this point don't remember what I did! Does this mean I go in my EHD then put them back in Windows Explorer and start all over again?
I have had ACDSee 5.02 and that one was much easier than ACDSee 9.

I really do appreciate your offer to help me. At this point right now I am so frustrated have to take some time off and see if I even want to continue to use ACDSee 9. Thanks.>>

[Kathleen]

Carti, if you have not only moved your kits/digital stash to your EHD, but you also reorganized the folder structure a lot, I'm not sure how to help.

To try to clarify ... if you had folder ABC, with sub-folders 123, 456, 789 in it, and you moved the entire ABC folder to the EHD, but also created a new folder called DEF and put the sub-folders 456 and 789 in that sub-folder, ACDSee will no longer know where to find 456 and 789, and this is difficult to fix (if at all possible).

If you moved the entire ABC folder and left all the subfolders as they were on the original drive, then that is pretty easy to fix.

[carti]

Carti, if you have not only moved your kits/digital stash to your EHD, but you also reorganized the folder structure a lot, I'm not sure how to help.

To try to clarify ... if you had folder ABC, with sub-folders 123, 456, 789 in it, and you moved the entire ABC folder to the EHD, but also created a new folder called DEF and put the sub-folders 456 and 789 in that sub-folder, ACDSee will no longer know where to find 456 and 789, and this is difficult to fix (if at all possible).

If you moved the entire ABC folder and left all the subfolders as they were on the original drive, then that is pretty easy to fix.
<<Kathleen, I have been working on this so long, I am dizzy and don't remember now what I did. How can I tell? no way I guess. I don't think I reorganized the folder structure that much, I think I just added a folder or two. What a mess! HUH?>>:confused:

[Kathleen]

Carti I am sorry for all your troubles! I am kind of at a loss as to what to tell you to do. I am afraid that if you try the tutorial Did you move folders outside of ACDSee? How to fix it? (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/component/content/article/51-errors/219-did-you-move-folders-outside-of-acdsee-how-to-fix-it) that you could make a bigger mess of any organizing that you might have, but it may also be the only chance you have to salvage any of the organizing you have done in the past.

I think you need to weigh a few things ... how much do you use ACDSee, how much time do you have invested in the tagging you have done? Is there any organizing that still "works"?

Let me know if you want to start over, or if you want to try to salvage something of what you have done. But I really can't promise positive results.

[kaylaugh]

I, Kristi (formerly the Queen of Speed Tagging) do dub thee, Kathleen, the new Queen of Speed Tagging. Take your scepter and your robe, you are now the 'go-to' girl for all who seek ACDSee wisdom.

Enjoy! :D
Kristi

[Kathleen]

Uh, oh!!! Kristi, can't we just leave that scepter and robe kind of hovering between the both of us?!?!?!

[kaylaugh]

:rofl:

Kristi

[Scrapping4Him]

Okay I'm going to step in the middle of Carti's issues with a question of my own. I'm going to be helping Debbie (chanmansmom) with the transfer of her ACDSee (version 10) database from her desktop (XP) to her new laptop (Vista) via an EHD as they don't have a network setup.

This is NOT my area of expertise so I want to make sure my understanding of the tutorials over on DigiScrapInfo's website is correct. So here are the steps I think we have to take:

1) From the desktop, first move within ACDSee the kit files to a location on the EHD so that the ACDSee database will reflect that her kits reside on her EHD and no longer on her desktop hard drive.
2) Install ACDSee on her laptop
3) Follow DigiScrapInfo's tutorial Using Export or Import Feature to transfer Databases to other computers (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-resources/acdsee-photo-manager/common-questions/52-updating-or-transferring/189-using-exportimport-feature-to-transfer-databases-to-other-computers) to export the database from the desktop/EHD and then import it onto the laptop.

Gosh I hope I'm understanding this right because I would die if this got screwed up for Debbie.

Has anyone done a transfer from an XP to Vista and used this Export/Import tutorial? I'd feel so much better if someone else has used this and gives a thumbs up that it works seamlessly if followed to the letter :pray:

[Kathleen]

Mandy, I have done EXACTLY what you are wanting to do. Let me get Delaney through the bath and off to bed, and I will be back in a bit with what worked for me.

[carti]

Kathleen Re: ACDSee, I went to read up on several tutorials in ACDSee like Backing up your ACDSee database, Did you move folders outside of ACDSee (which you did make me aware of) and How to fix it. This is all as clear as mud to me.

I do have quite a bit of Scrapbook kits still on my hard drive which I have not deleted these probably have been moved them to External hard drive and wonder if I could still figure out how to move them while in ACDSee to External Hard Drive. So what tutorial do I follow to do that and will all my organized files, including the categories be included?

This is really a mess and getting more confused than ever.
I can't see starting all over again.
I looked at properties and I have:
8.84 GB
12,648 files 1,445 Folders!

[Scrapping4Him]

Mandy, I have done EXACTLY what you are wanting to do. Let me get Delaney through the bath and off to bed, and I will be back in a bit with what worked for me.

Kathleen - you are GOLD!!!!!

[Kathleen]

For Mandy ...

First, the big benefit is that you are copying things and essentially creating a duplicate, and not really messing with the original (the XP desktop), so it is hard to mess it up!

Here is what has worked for me.

(1) Create a back-up of the ACDSee database. Create an Export of the database. Optimize the database. Back-up again, and export again. This isn't documented anywhere, but here is why I do it that way ... creating a back-up and an export is just one more assurance that you can restore what is needed (and neither of them take very long). You should optimize every once in a while, but it is documented that on occasion the optimize tool doesn't complete successfully, so you want to back-up and export first. I repeat those after optimizing, just because maybe I have a "cleaner" back-up/export. Tutorials to reference:

Using Export or Import Feature to transfer Databases to other computers (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-resources/acdsee-photo-manager/common-questions/52-updating-or-transferring/189-using-exportimport-feature-to-transfer-databases-to-other-computers)
Backing up your ACDSee database (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/acdsee-photo-manager/tutorials/120-backing-up-your-acdsee-database)
Optimize your ACDSee Database (http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/component/content/article/53-using-features/198-optimize-your-acdsee-database)

(2) In Windows Explorer drag and drop the stash of digital supplies to COPY from the desktop to the EHD. I usually close everything, open two Windows Explorer windows, one for the source files, one for the destination, and just drag the whole folder from source to destination. You want to keep the file structure intact at the top most level. For example, I have my stash in My Documents > DigiScrap and then a bunch of sub folders from there. When I do this process, I create a My Documents folder on the EHD, and copy the entire DigiScrap folder to the My Documents folder on the EHD. And I do this in Windows Explorer because (a) I have tried it in ACDSee and it is incredibly SLOW, and (b) also when I have tried to do it through ACDSee, I have too much stuff and it doesn't keep up with recognizing a bulk move. Just my experience. Also, as a side note when I do this, I am copying all my scrap supplies, all my photos, and all my LOs (PSD layered files and flattened image), so it takes a long time. I usually start it before I go to bed, and it is done in the morning. You can do the copy first if it will help make the most of the time you have together. In Debbie's case, will the EHD be the final destination, or will another move to the internal drive of the new laptop also happen? And don't forget to copy the back-up and export over the EHD, too.

(3) With ACDSee installed on the new laptop, import the exported database (reference above tutorial). Once this is done, you should see all her categories, and if you click one of them, you will probably even see results, but if it is like my experience, if you double click on an image and/or right click and try to 'Go To File', ACDSee won't be able to find the file. That is OK, and it is what I expect! If you are able to do a search and double click on a file and ACDSee goes to the file, you're done! If not...

(4) ACDSee not only looks at file path and file location, but it also looks at the drive serial number to see where it is going. If any of these things aren't EXACTLY as expected, it won't be able to find the file. For whatever reason, when I do the export, I can never get the expected drive to map correctly to the new drive. I have a reason in my case that I think throws ACDSee for an extra loop, but I won't go into that. Since you have the database in the new location, and you have kept the file structure EXACTLY intact, you now need to change the binding of the database to the correct top level folder of the files in the new location. Use this tutorial to change the binding (it can take 15 - 20+ minutes for ACDSee to complete the summarize step, just be patient): Did you move folders outside of ACDSee? How to fix it?
(http://digiscrapinfo.com/joomla/component/content/article/51-errors/219-did-you-move-folders-outside-of-acdsee-how-to-fix-it)

(5) That should be it. Do a handful of tests, searching for different tags, double clicking different elements, try 'Go To File' from different files. If everything works, do a back-up!

Let me know if you need any clarification!

[Kathleen]

Kathleen Re: ACDSee, I went to read up on several tutorials in ACDSee like Backing up your ACDSee database, Did you move folders outside of ACDSee (which you did make me aware of) and How to fix it. This is all as clear as mud to me.

I do have quite a bit of Scrapbook kits still on my hard drive which I have not deleted these probably have been moved them to External hard drive and wonder if I could still figure out how to move them while in ACDSee to External Hard Drive. So what tutorial do I follow to do that and will all my organized files, including the categories be included?

This is really a mess and getting more confused than ever.
I can't see starting all over again.
I looked at properties and I have:
8.84 GB
12,648 files 1,445 Folders!

Carti, the problem I have in giving you advice, is that you aren't sure what has been moved and what hasn't been moved.

You say you still have quite a few kits on your hard drive which you have not deleted. So are your original files still intact on your laptop? What happens when you do searches in ACDSee for things (by searches I mean, clicking on one of the categories/tags? Can ACDSee find them? If so, what happens when you double click on an image? What happens when you right click and then click 'Go To File'?

[Scrapping4Him]

Thanks Kathleen!!!

[alarmrx2]

Wow- I am learning a lot just following this thread...
I am learning that I don't know a lot of tech terms!!!! LOL
Thanks Carli- I would be in over my head, & very frustrated also. I am glad that i have started out DSB using ACDSee, so hopefully I will be able to figure it out as I go.
I do have a passport, but I have only used it as a bu for my entire computer. I do like the CD/ DVD idea, but until I am more comfy with this program, I am not doing a thing!!! :)

[alarmrx2]

Oops- Carti... sorry

[Kathleen]

Robin, I am glad you are picking up a few things in this thread.

I just created this thread in the ACDsee (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=490) forum: Golden Rules of ACDSee Photo Manager (http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39962) - it is a good read for anyone just getting started with ACDSee, or even those who have been using it for a while.

[carti]

Carti, the problem I have in giving you advice, is that you aren't sure what has been moved and what hasn't been moved.

You say you still have quite a few kits on your hard drive which you have not deleted. So are your original files still intact on your laptop? What happens when you do searches in ACDSee for things (by searches I mean, clicking on one of the categories/tags? Can ACDSee find them? If so, what happens when you double click on an image? What happens when you right click and then click 'Go To File'?

<<Yes, my original files are still intact on my desktop computer. When I do a search in ACDSee I clicked on one of the categories example flowers and ACDSee found it.
I double clicked on one image and it showed up then I right clicked and it showed several options however, I did not see Go to File? unless you meant open File?
List of things when I right clicked I won't list everything but I thought with File it would show go to file it did not say that? So don't know what you meant.

This version of ACDSee is the most confusing program I have encountered so far, I guess it just must be me. Thanks. >>

[carti]

A friend of mine sent me this: So now one can supposedly use anykind of storage device including Flash drives? I think there is a special section explaining how to do this will go see if I can find it.
Carti

ACDSee 9 Photo Manager Publisher's
Description
ACDSee 9 makes organizing your photos quick and easy, so
you can play with and share the great photos you've got.
Get Photos fast from any storage device, and ACDSee 9
automatically categorizes your shots based on metadata
information (e.g., keywords, size, date taken). You don't
even have to lift a finger. You can also use new password
protected Private Folders to store confidential information.

[carti]

I tried to get the link for this but couldn't get it so copied and pasted.Supposedly can use flash drive? Now this added information makes this all the more difficult to understand!


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Answer ID
204
Products
ACDSee Photo Manager
version 2009
version 10
version 9
ACDSee Pro Photo Manager
version 2.5
version 2
version 8 (1st Release)
ACDSee for Pentax
version 3
Last Updated
06/02/2009 11:59 AM

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Why are the drives of some removable devices excluded (grayed out) in ACDSee and can I include them?
Question
Why are the drives of some removable devices excluded (grayed out) in ACDSee and can I include them?
Answer


Some cameras and other removable devices (External Hard Disk) appear as Hard Disk in Windows, but have a serial number that is a string of zeros. ACDSee does not identify this as a number so, although you can see the photos on the drive, ACDSee does not add their thumbnails to the database, nor will you be able to add metadata, comments or other database information to the photos. (Excluded drives in ACDSee have a small, red, No-entry icon.) For ACDSee to "see" the drive as Hard Disk, it has to have a serial number that contains numbers rather than zeros, and also displayed as Hard Disk in Windows.

First you need to establish if the drive has a serial number or only a zero string.
To determine if the removable device has a serial number:

1. In ACDSee, or My Computer, note the drive letter assigned to the removable device, for example, E:.
2. Click Start | Run and type CMD in the Open box to launch a Windows Command console.
3. In the Windows Command console, type DIR drive_letter: to see the volume information for that drive. For example, to see the information about removable Drive E, type: DIR E:
4. If the Volume Serial Number for the drive is 0000-0000, then you need to assign a real number to the drive.
There are two options that you can use to assign a non-zero serial number to a drive:
* You can reformat the device using the Windows operating system. Windows automatically assigns a serial number after re-formatting the device This may not be a good solution because all of the data on the device will be lost. Also, because it is an automatic process, you have no choice about what serial number is assigned. For instructions on using Windows to assign a serial number, please refer to the Windows Help file on formatting a device.
* There is a free utility by Sysinternals that allows you to change the serial number of a device from 0000-0000 to a non-zero serial number. Using this utility is a better solution as the contents of the removable device will not be lost. For instruction on how to use this utility, you need to go to here.


Once you have assigned a real serial number to the device, ACDSee will detect it and be able to manage its files just like any other hard disks on your system.

[Kathleen]

<<Yes, my original files are still intact on my desktop computer. When I do a search in ACDSee I clicked on one of the categories example flowers and ACDSee found it.
I double clicked on one image and it showed up then I right clicked and it showed several options however, I did not see Go to File? unless you meant open File?
List of things when I right clicked I won't list everything but I thought with File it would show go to file it did not say that? So don't know what you meant.

This version of ACDSee is the most confusing program I have encountered so far, I guess it just must be me. Thanks. >>

Carti, if your original files are intact, and your organizing is working ... are you comfortable deleting the files on the external hard drive (this is where you also moved things around, which is the trouble spot) and then doing the transfer in a way that will keep your organizing intact? If you feel you moved files around using Windows Explorer on your internal hard drive, then we are back at square one.

I can think of one way to check for orphaned folders (this would mean you originally told ACDSee about some files, tagged them, and then moved them so it no longer knows where to find them). Go to Database > Database Maintenance. You will need to wait a bit of time (10 - 15 minutes probably) while it gathers all the information. You will see a message in the dialog box, something like "please wait while we gather information". Once that message disappears, in the database content window (where it has the entire list of folders), find the top level folder where all your supplies are and then expand (click the little plus sign) all the folders until you don't see anymore plus signs. Look for any little blue question marks - they indicate orphaned folders, or folders/kits that ACDSee no longer knows where to find them. If you see a lot of these, then that means you have moved a lot of things around outside of ACDSee, and your organization/tagging is not intact. If you don't see any or just a few, that means you are in good shape and we can get your files moved in a orderly fashion.

I moved one of my folders and then went to database maintenance so I could show you what the little blue question mark would look like:

http://cdn-2-service.phanfare.com/images/external/1466784_1419796_79870153_Web_3/0_0_b1dfce891c0e29d04efc1c7bb3907d09_1

I tried to get the link for this but couldn't get it so copied and pasted.Supposedly can use flash drive? Now this added information makes this all the more difficult to understand!


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Answer ID
204
Products
ACDSee Photo Manager
version 2009
version 10
version 9
ACDSee Pro Photo Manager
version 2.5
version 2
version 8 (1st Release)
ACDSee for Pentax
version 3
Last Updated
06/02/2009 11:59 AM

Printer Friendly Version of This Answer Print Answer

Email This Answer Email Answer
Why are the drives of some removable devices excluded (grayed out) in ACDSee and can I include them?
Question
Why are the drives of some removable devices excluded (grayed out) in ACDSee and can I include them?
Answer


Some cameras and other removable devices (External Hard Disk) appear as Hard Disk in Windows, but have a serial number that is a string of zeros. ACDSee does not identify this as a number so, although you can see the photos on the drive, ACDSee does not add their thumbnails to the database, nor will you be able to add metadata, comments or other database information to the photos. (Excluded drives in ACDSee have a small, red, No-entry icon.) For ACDSee to "see" the drive as Hard Disk, it has to have a serial number that contains numbers rather than zeros, and also displayed as Hard Disk in Windows.

First you need to establish if the drive has a serial number or only a zero string.
To determine if the removable device has a serial number:

1. In ACDSee, or My Computer, note the drive letter assigned to the removable device, for example, E:.
2. Click Start | Run and type CMD in the Open box to launch a Windows Command console.
3. In the Windows Command console, type DIR drive_letter: to see the volume information for that drive. For example, to see the information about removable Drive E, type: DIR E:
4. If the Volume Serial Number for the drive is 0000-0000, then you need to assign a real number to the drive.
There are two options that you can use to assign a non-zero serial number to a drive:
* You can reformat the device using the Windows operating system. Windows automatically assigns a serial number after re-formatting the device This may not be a good solution because all of the data on the device will be lost. Also, because it is an automatic process, you have no choice about what serial number is assigned. For instructions on using Windows to assign a serial number, please refer to the Windows Help file on formatting a device.
* There is a free utility by Sysinternals that allows you to change the serial number of a device from 0000-0000 to a non-zero serial number. Using this utility is a better solution as the contents of the removable device will not be lost. For instruction on how to use this utility, you need to go to here.


Once you have assigned a real serial number to the device, ACDSee will detect it and be able to manage its files just like any other hard disks on your system.

This is new information to me. According to this information, if you format a flash or a thumb drive, and it then has a serial number, you can use it to organize your files, and be a permanent location for your files. Personally, I would not feel comfortable with this for a couple reasons (1) I have too much stuff, and a flash or thumb drive would not be sufficient, (2) a large flash or thumb drive is not any where near a solid piece of media storage. They are flimsy, easily susceptible to damage.

You would have to follow the steps that you provided above to determine if the removable device has a serial number, and/or format the device so that it does have a serial number other than 0000-0000. If you want to do this, I would suggest you do some testing first to make sure it works - you could put some kits on a thumb/flash drive, tag them, and see if you can then go back and find them. I can't offer any more help on this subject as I have not done it and have no interest in doing it.

[Kathleen]

And just one more reminder for anyone reading this ... you should have your photos, digital scrapbook supplies, and other data that you would be heartbroken to loose in MORE THAN ONE PLACE!

[carti]

Carti, if your original files are intact, and your organizing is working ... are you comfortable deleting the files on the external hard drive (this is where you also moved things around, which is the trouble spot) and then doing the transfer in a way that will keep your organizing intact? If you feel you moved files around using Windows Explorer on your internal hard drive, then we are back at square one.

I can think of one way to check for orphaned folders (this would mean you originally told ACDSee about some files, tagged them, and then moved them so it no longer knows where to find them). Go to Database > Database Maintenance. You will need to wait a bit of time (10 - 15 minutes probably) while it gathers all the information. You will see a message in the dialog box, something like "please wait while we gather information". Once that message disappears, in the database content window (where it has the entire list of folders), find the top level folder where all your supplies are and then expand (click the little plus sign) all the folders until you don't see anymore plus signs. Look for any little blue question marks - they indicate orphaned folders, or folders/kits that ACDSee no longer knows where to find them. If you see a lot of these, then that means you have moved a lot of things around outside of ACDSee, and your organization/tagging is not intact. If you don't see any or just a few, that means you are in good shape and we can get your files moved in a orderly fashion.

I moved one of my folders and then went to database maintenance so I could show you what the little blue question mark would look like:

http://cdn-2-service.phanfare.com/images/external/1466784_1419796_79870153_Web_3/0_0_b1dfce891c0e29d04efc1c7bb3907d09_1



This is new information to me. According to this information, if you format a flash or a thumb drive, and it then has a serial number, you can use it to organize your files, and be a permanent location for your files. Personally, I would not feel comfortable with this for a couple reasons (1) I have too much stuff, and a flash or thumb drive would not be sufficient, (2) a large flash or thumb drive is not any where near a solid piece of media storage. They are flimsy, easily susceptible to damage.

You would have to follow the steps that you provided above to determine if the removable device has a serial number, and/or format the device so that it does have a serial number other than 0000-0000. If you want to do this, I would suggest you do some testing first to make sure it works - you could put some kits on a thumb/flash drive, tag them, and see if you can then go back and find them. I can't offer any more help on this subject as I have not done it and have no interest in doing it.

<<First Kathleen I want to thank you for all the trouble you have gone through to trying to help me I do appreciate it.
I did do the DataBase Maintenance thing and expanded all the little plus signs and considering the amount of stuff I have suprisingly I thought I would find a lot more orphans. I started counting and at least 100 orphans. There is just too many I guess and I wondered what if one gets rid of the orphans? Lose everything I imagine.
I do have a lot of these scrapbook kits on USB flash and some on CD's so I consider those as backups tho they won't be catagorized in ACDSee. I think I am going to leave everything as is.
When I want to use a kit I will just have to go to each individual one without depending on ACDSee 9. Seems to me ACDSee dominates everything.
In a way I am very disappointed that I got ACDSee 9, I had no problem using ACDSee 5. This is just way too complicated for me. I really tried and read many tutorials on ACDSee 9 still think there is too much at least for me.
Thanks again.>>

[Kathleen]

Carti, I am so sorry this has been so troubling! I started with ACDSee 9, so I don't have perspective on how it has changed from 5. If you get rid of the orphans, you are doing just that. You are basically telling ACDSee to forget about the things it can no longer find. For the things that are still in the "right" place, that information will still be intact.

I know all this started because you wanted to free up space on your hard drive and move all your kits to an EHD. If you want to do that and keep the organizing you do have in place, I will help you. But if you feel better just staying where you are, I understand.

[landofoz]

Kathleen,I just want to say i read your threads and posts,you have great patience ! I have just purchased 9..........although i tried 6
and had many crashes.Soo i am still in the organzing stage and wished i had of found these threads before. keeping fingers crossed .
Im back to my pc

[Kathleen]

Glad they were helpful! It can be quite a task to start get organized and tagging, but I think it pays off in the long run!

Have you found the speed tagging link? I think it is the most helpful way to get started!

[Wanda]

Has anyone here upgraded to ACDSee 2009? I have ACDSee 10 and am basically OK with it except lately it crashes when I try to open gi-normous .psd files (>300MB). Has anyone else run into this? If you have upgraded, how do you find the new product? Does it have new features over the older version that are especially useful? Were there any problems with the new version seeing tags, etc. from the older version? One reason I'm thinking of upgrading is that I've ordered a new computer that should be here in the next few days so it would be a good time to upgrade.

[Kathleen]

I think Meryl did, and her initial reactions were positive. Maybe she will pop in with more commentary.

I've been on the fence about upgrading, so will be curios to know about any feedback.

I don't use ACDSee to open Photoshop files, so can't say I have had the problem you mention. I did help chanmansmom do an export from one computer to the other, and she changed platforms (XP to Vista) and upgraded from ACDSee 10 to 2009 and it worked, so that should not be an issue.

[Meryl]

Sorry been away so a bit slow with this reply!

Yes, I downloaded, installed the free trial but sort of never got round to paying for it lol! I guess if I was really impressed I would have done so. The truth is that I am getting a tad irritable with ACDSee's instability - I was going through a particularly rough time with it and wondered if spending more was a great idea? I also know they usually bring out new versions later in the year so wondered about waiting? I don't think I found any really new features

I have never had the crashing with large files issue and I often open .psd files via ACDSee. I have though a folder full of large layered tiff files and clicking on this folder causes a dreadful slowdown of my laptop :( - seems it does NOT like these!

[carti]

Sorry been away so a bit slow with this reply!

Yes, I downloaded, installed the free trial but sort of never got round to paying for it lol! I guess if I was really impressed I would have done so. The truth is that I am getting a tad irritable with ACDSee's instability - I was going through a particularly rough time with it and wondered if spending more was a great idea? I also know they usually bring out new versions later in the year so wondered about waiting? I don't think I found any really new features

I have never had the crashing with large files issue and I often open .psd files via ACDSee. I have though a folder full of large layered tiff files and clicking on this folder causes a dreadful slowdown of my laptop :( - seems it does NOT like these!
<< I agree with what Meryl had to say about this. I find the ACDSEE is very apt to be unstable. I am using my ACDSEE 5 and still like it it may be not able to do all the things the newer ACDSEE does but it suits my purposes. I also can't not afford to be upgrading every year and especially if it does not offer newer features.>>