Windows Photo Gallery Losing Tags!

A

Ajila

New Member
I have probably several thousand graphics (that I use for digital scrapbooking) that I've collected and carefully indexed using Windows Photo Gallery. I run Vista Home Premium. Anyway, it just lost most of my tags, AGAIN! This time is the worst because I've put many hours into it. Everything seems to be running smoothly for a long time and then all the sudden it all crashes. What happens to the tags.

If you have an answer for me please explain as simply as possible. As I'm not at all a techie. Thanks in advance. Ajila:confused:
 

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Hi Ajila,

Welcome to the forums.

Have you lost the tags or have you simply lost the tags column in explorer? If the tags column is not displayed, right click on the columns header bar and choose 'tags' from the list.

Hopefully helpful.
Gary
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
    Memory
    Crucial Ballistix 4x2GB PC2 6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Creative SB X-Fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207 + HPvs15
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050 + 1024x768
    Hard Drives
    2-WD5000AAKS-500 GB WD 5000AAV-500 GB external
    Mouse
    MX Revolution
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve
    Other Info
    Wacom Intuos 2 Graphics Tablet Experience Index=5.5
Hi Gary, Thanks for your input. Oh, I wish it were the problem you suggested. But in this case, it is like the tags were deleted from my graphics. Interestingly, it kept a few of the tags randomly. Right now, I'm trying a new graphics organizer I downloaded last night. What a hassle. The new one will cost me if I decide to even keep it. I wish I didn't have the problems with Photo Gallery because when it was working. It worked perfectly for my needs.
 

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Ajila said:
Hi Gary, Thanks for your input. Oh, I wish it were the problem you suggested. But in this case, it is like the tags were deleted from my graphics. Interestingly, it kept a few of the tags randomly. Right now, I'm trying a new graphics organizer I downloaded last night. What a hassle. The new one will cost me if I decide to even keep it. I wish I didn't have the problems with Photo Gallery because when it was working. It worked perfectly for my needs.
Click to expand...

What you may want to check with Windows Photo Gallery (and Windows Live Photo Gallery) is after applying tags to several files is whether or not it's still updating. If, after you've adjusted tags, you see a blue icon in the lower-left corner (wher it shows you how many items are displayed and selected) of the WPG window, it indicates that there are pending updates. Hovering the mouse over that blue icon will show a popup tip saying what updates are in progress. Generally, what I do is wait for the icon to go away before I close WPG or WLPG.

WindowsPhotoGallery.jpg

If you want to totally reset the WPG database, close WPG then use Windows Explorer to navigate to the "C:\Users\<YOU_USER_NAME>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Photo Gallery", and then delete all file in that folder, including subfolders. The next time you open WLPG, it's database must be re-imported. Generally, it's best to wait for it to completely setup it's database (including thumbnails) before you start editing tags.

If have nearly 70,000 files in my WLPG database, and have never had the problem you mention.

WindowsPhotoGallery2.jpg
 

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What about adding the tags in windows explorer rather than in photo gallery? This is how I do them. Click save and it's done. No waiting. I seldom use photo gallery except for the occasional quickview of a photo.

Gary
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
    Memory
    Crucial Ballistix 4x2GB PC2 6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Creative SB X-Fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207 + HPvs15
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050 + 1024x768
    Hard Drives
    2-WD5000AAKS-500 GB WD 5000AAV-500 GB external
    Mouse
    MX Revolution
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve
    Other Info
    Wacom Intuos 2 Graphics Tablet Experience Index=5.5
I wanted to just say thanks to you two for trying to help me. I think when my computer crashes (a couple of times), the pictures are losing the tags. Not sure, just a guess. I'm still scratching my head :) Ajila
 

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This is odd, as I think that the tags are a part of the Pics properties and not something kept solely in the Photo Gallery data base. When I add a new folder to the database, the tags are already there. You could back up the data base to another folder so that you could easily replace when the problem occurs. The same path as Peter gave above. At least you won't have to show gallery where they all are, if your like me and don't have them all in the pictures folder. Unfortunately, I don't believe that thats going to save the tags.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
    Memory
    Crucial Ballistix 4x2GB PC2 6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Creative SB X-Fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207 + HPvs15
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050 + 1024x768
    Hard Drives
    2-WD5000AAKS-500 GB WD 5000AAV-500 GB external
    Mouse
    MX Revolution
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve
    Other Info
    Wacom Intuos 2 Graphics Tablet Experience Index=5.5
Hmmm, have to try that out. If so then backing up the database file, which is called 'Pictures.pd4 btw, should save them.

Gary

Edit:Just tried it out and that is exactly what is happening. Ahh, another file to make sure I backup :-)
Thank you Sid.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS420
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Quad Q6600
    Memory
    Crucial Ballistix 4x2GB PC2 6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256 MB
    Sound Card
    Creative SB X-Fi
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP w2207 + HPvs15
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050 + 1024x768
    Hard Drives
    2-WD5000AAKS-500 GB WD 5000AAV-500 GB external
    Mouse
    MX Revolution
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve
    Other Info
    Wacom Intuos 2 Graphics Tablet Experience Index=5.5
Just a tip if you do not know it in case of migration on another disk or system.
The pictures.db4 is owned by the partition where it stands.


So in case of migration you have to change the volume ID of your partition/HDD.
 

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System One

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