What OS, Charlie? On Mac, I usually keep my folder preference set to "Show all readable." Can you do that on a Win machine?
And I apologize because this might offend you, but have you navigated to the right spot – where the images are stored?! I have been known to forget this simple little detail, expecting that the computer just knew intuitively what folder I wanted to look in!
Charlie,
Just throwing out a few ideas, not knowing what OS you have or what created your jpgs… For Windows:
* check for jpg vs jpeg discrepancies
* can associate jpg to PSE by locating one in browser, right click, choose ‘open with’, select PSE (but this means all your email attachments will open with PSE too)
* when image’s origin is a CD, they will be ‘read only’…I create a new folder on harddrive and copy from CD to new folder. Right click on this image, choose properties, UNcheck ‘read only’
Come back if this is not relevant
Nancy
When I had Windows 98 and then Windows 2000, I copied all the images that I had on to zip disk. This disk contained over 200 images split up into category folders. I bought a new computer with Windows XP and chose not to add a zip drive to the system configuration. Before I disconnected the old computer, I used a program by Ahead Software called Nero to create a data cd. In that interface, I simply clicked and dragged each folder from the zip disk onto the cd layout view. I then burned the cd with the images. On the computer that had windows 98 and 2000 installed, every image that was on the zip disk was a valid image–in other words there were no corrupted images. On my new computer, which is running Windows XP, Out of the four category folders, only one folder containing jpg, jpeg, bmp. and gif files would open in Photoshop Elements as well as the other graphics programs that came on my computer. If I browse the cd in file manager, the images in the other folders have no preview and I receive the following error message if I try to open the file: "could not open [filename] because a JPEG marker segment is too short (file may be truncated or incomplete)" Out of all the images I have, I would guess that only about 50 or so will open. The others will not open with any other program that I have on my computer. I still have the zip disk with the images on it. What does this error message mean and why are the images that were working just fine on 98 and 2000 suddenly not working with XP?
Charlie, are you viewing these from the CD or have they been moved to your hard drive? If they’re still on the CD, first copy a few of the "bad" ones over to your hard drive. Then download a copy of Irfanview, which is, I think, a shareware program. There should be a demo period. Sometimes it can open files that other applications can’t manage. If it doesn’t work, you’re not out anything besides a little time.
There are several problems associated with running photographs saved to File or on a CD which were produced under a different Browser or system.
1. Most computers equipped with Microsoft come from the factory with built in software. One of these is Adaptec for burning CD’s. Frankly, it is a rather feeble system and never tells you what its doing. To replay photo CD’s including digital photo CD’s on a DVD, the CD must have been processed to ISO standards There is one selection in the Adaptec Wizard that is apparently ISO but it never tells you this…you must find out by trial and error. There is no such option in their normal burn system. The best solution to this side of the problem is to go to the Nero Burning Web Site and download their free trial software. It is very explicit in its format selection including ISO. If it works, free up some hard disc space by retiring Adaptec.
2. There is more than one JPEG format. They will not all play on all Browsers or DVD’s. When you first scan a "hard" photo to File through PE2 for touch-up, etc., you may wish to file it as JPEG. The system seems to Default to the Progressive scan, but not all the time. This is when you find only certain photos will reproduce and the rest won’t. PE2 has a deficiency in that you cannot open a JPEG photo which it processed and have it tell you whether it was processed to Progressive, which is superior for detaij, or Baseline or Standard which is more adaptable, format. You must take the JPEG photo, return it to PDF, file it, re-open it and then refile it under JPEG Baseline. The photos as displayed on a DVD this way are really not too good as neither the JPEG format or Baseline do much to protect detail. However, if you want to be sure of being able to use the CD on any computer or DVD those are the things that must be done.
Perhaps Adobe will see their way clear to make an addition to PE2 that will permit you to interrogate a photo to determine its JPEG options before going through all of the above.
Robert Durbin
Robert,
Thank you for your post, it was very informative and I enjoyed the read.
Nancy
