PICASA - BE WARNED (Page 10): So true, I found hundreds of images there that I wasn't even aware of, it can be a pain.

wlgoode Loc: Globe, AZ

MIKE GALLAGHER wrote:

28 April 2012
Reading that PICASA is a great Photo Editing Programme I finally downloaded it today. The first hint that all was not right was that it went through my whole computer including 2 External Hard Drives and made an "Index" of every picture there is. That includes not only my photos but ANY PICTURE! I immediately tried to stop it and couldn't.

The download said that no photo would be moved from my files and that they were all safe

I looked up "Help" and found only marketing stuff that decided me to take it in the first place. No Manual. I went online to find myself floundering around up to the waist in marshmellow. Meanwhile my files were teeming into the programme until it had them all (there is a point to this!) so I decided to try PICASA out. I got stuck - back online for help - none. I tried to get into the PICASA forum but the words I had to copy were too hard to read, and the spoken words were so distorted I kept getting them wrong and kept getting rejected.
As I couldn't find a way to get my photo off the workspace (guess how every other programme I've ever used does that?) I turned the computer off.

I went back into PICASA determined to delete its index. I started by deleting advertisement photos - r/click>delete - and it worked. No way in the world to select the whole lot and delete them all in one fell swoop though so I was ready to spend hours deleting one file or folder at a time. GOOD THING I DIDN'T!

I decided to find an unimportant photo in my collection on an external hard drive, then found it via PICASA, brought it up and deleted it. GOOD THING I DID! Because the photo had GONE from my album on the external drive and I found it, later, in the Recycle Bin.

I disconnected the external drives and uninstalled Picasa. At least the uninstallation worked, which made a change from anything else it would do.

Not to be beaten I reinstalled a new copy (externals disconnected) thinking I'd be more selective in the options I downloaded and all would be ok. But no! IT DID IT AGAIN. And wouldn't stop. So I hit "uninstall" in my Control Panel while it was running and got quite unceremonious, and vocal, while I waited. The good thing about it all is that I'll never have to do that to PICASA again.

Work out the ramifications of all that for yourself. But remember the word PICASA and be warned. And don't recommend it to others unless you know something I don't.

Mike Gallagher

28 April 2012 br Reading that PICASA is a great Ph... (show quote)

So true, I found hundreds of images there that I wasn't even aware of, it can be a pain.

mjbrock2012 Loc: Grants Pass,Oregon

I too have used Picasa for years now, without a single problem. I love it, and always recommend it to others I know who do photography.

dupe4050 Loc: Seattle, WA

I need to place my vote for Picasa. I have used it for years and no problem. Also use PSE10, LR, Nikon Capture, etc. Never a problem. Picasa is only searching for the location of your photos so it can help you find and edit them. The files themselves are not uploaded. Do not want to repeat others, but I think Picasa is being trashed unfairly.

Aagaard Loc: Sahuarita, AZ

Bob.J wrote:

Just if any of you want to actually read the instr... (show quote)

I, too, have been using Picasa for a very, very long time. I have NEVER had a problem with it.

As many have stated, it is an INDEXing program. It does NOT move any files. You can set which folders and file types you want it to locate.

It's facial recognition function is extremely accurate and useful.

If you want to edit a photo file outside of Picasa, right click on the file and select "open with..." where you can select from any of the photo editing software on your computer.

If you want to delete a photo from the hard drive, you can hit Control-Delete from the thumbnail view or just Delete from the View/Edit window.

You can locate the original photo on the hard drive by hitting Control-Enter when the photo is selected.

You can even use Picasa to upload photos to a free web album!

What's not to like?

jjadeco25 Loc: Alma, AR

2 thumbs up

EmmonM

Thanks so much for the refference. I use Light Room 3 (will be up grading to 4 soon) and PS 5. BUT if I were starting out new I would sure use Picasa. The price is right and it dose most of the things I do in LR. :thumbup:

rpostss Loc: Bethesda, MD

MIKE GALLAGHER wrote:

oldmalky wrote:

I am quite sure if i deleted Picasa i would not lose all my pics,we would have heard if that was the case.

Not necessarily. Not everyone's yapping their heads off on UHH. And it's amazing how many people get dealt with badly without even complaining. So if you hear of one that's probably representative of a thousand.

There seems to be a basic misunderstanding to some here as to how Picasa works. I use Picasa (latest 3.9 vers) and enjoy it, don't have any issues or problems. I read in detail how it works, what it does and doesn't do, all in the Google help pages. I also use it for simple editing - I am not an advanced editor using Photoshop et.al. - and to create albums within Picasa.
When you download Picasa, yes it searches your entire drive(s) for photos and images - it essentially mirrors your computer, but you can control what file types it will display and what folders it will search in or you can let it do all of them. I suggest one go to their "Getting started" page...

http://support.google.com/picasa/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=156338&topic=23911&ctx=topic

and then proceed through the help pages in their entirety. Everything is very well explained. And right off the bat they state....
----------
"Two things to know
The Picasa software provides a simple way to view, edit, and organize the photos on your computer. As you get started, there are two things you should always remember:

Picasa does not store the photos on your computer.
When you open Picasa, it simply looks at the folders on your computer and displays the photos it finds. It displays the file types that you tell it to find, in the folders that you tell it to search.
Your original photos are always preserved.
When using editing tools in Picasa, your original files are never touched. The photo edits you make are only viewable in Picasa until you decide to save your changes. Even then, Picasa creates a new version of the photo with your edits applied, leaving the original file totally preserved."
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While viewing a photo in Picasa (in the Library or in the Edit mode) if you right-click on it, in the subsequent menu block it gives you an option to "delete from disk" and if you then left-click that option it will give you a clear warning "Are you sure you want to send the selected file to the Recycle Bin?" There is also an option in that menu block to "Locate on Disk" so if you view a photo or image displayed in Picasa that it has found, but you have no memory of that particular photo (file), you can locate it. Picasa found some photos for me that I had long forgotten about, such as when someone sends me an email with an attached photo, or when I download an interesting photo on the web, and I had forgotten about storing it somewhere.

And if you don't like using Picasa, you don't have to do anything, just don't open the program up. Or if you want, you can completely deinstall the program just like any other program. It does not keep or lose anything from your computer drives unless you tell it to. HTH.

rpostss Loc: Bethesda, MD

jjadeco25 wrote:

2 thumbs up

Well, while writing my post to offer some info on understanding how Picasa works, I see that many others have also written some good info. I love Picasa and like Bob.J said...
"Then again I read the instructions for most things".
From intense computer use for over 15 years, being a self taught auto mechanic, builder and remodeling contractor, and an overall DIYer for just about anything and everything... I find that is paramount to making anything work properly and to one's satisfaction.

DANthephotoMAN

MIKE GALLAGHER wrote:

28 April 2012
Reading that PICASA is a great Photo Editing Programme I finally downloaded it today. The first hint that all was not right was that it went through my whole computer including 2 External Hard Drives and made an "Index" of every picture there is. That includes not only my photos but ANY PICTURE! I immediately tried to stop it and couldn't.

The download said that no photo would be moved from my files and that they were all safe

I looked up "Help" and found only marketing stuff that decided me to take it in the first place. No Manual. I went online to find myself floundering around up to the waist in marshmellow. Meanwhile my files were teeming into the programme until it had them all (there is a point to this!) so I decided to try PICASA out. I got stuck - back online for help - none. I tried to get into the PICASA forum but the words I had to copy were too hard to read, and the spoken words were so distorted I kept getting them wrong and kept getting rejected.
As I couldn't find a way to get my photo off the workspace (guess how every other programme I've ever used does that?) I turned the computer off.

I went back into PICASA determined to delete its index. I started by deleting advertisement photos - r/click>delete - and it worked. No way in the world to select the whole lot and delete them all in one fell swoop though so I was ready to spend hours deleting one file or folder at a time. GOOD THING I DIDN'T!

I decided to find an unimportant photo in my collection on an external hard drive, then found it via PICASA, brought it up and deleted it. GOOD THING I DID! Because the photo had GONE from my album on the external drive and I found it, later, in the Recycle Bin.

I disconnected the external drives and uninstalled Picasa. At least the uninstallation worked, which made a change from anything else it would do.

Not to be beaten I reinstalled a new copy (externals disconnected) thinking I'd be more selective in the options I downloaded and all would be ok. But no! IT DID IT AGAIN. And wouldn't stop. So I hit "uninstall" in my Control Panel while it was running and got quite unceremonious, and vocal, while I waited. The good thing about it all is that I'll never have to do that to PICASA again.

Work out the ramifications of all that for yourself. But remember the word PICASA and be warned. And don't recommend it to others unless you know something I don't.

Mike Gallagher

28 April 2012 br Reading that PICASA is a great Ph... (show quote)

Tough you feel that way. Me and thousands others appreciate all our photos in one place. It's a very powerful piece of editing software.

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

Bob.J wrote:

Thank you

Just spotted your new Avatar! How appropriate. Bravo!

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

thegrover wrote:

As I said I have LR4, but find Picasa as an easy way to find photo's, upload to the web and share with friends. I do not use it for any other purpose or editing. I use LR4 and Photoshop Element 10 for that.

Great picture

texaseve Loc: TX, NC and NH

Thanks for the link to the instructions....I did not read them well. I believe a computer "guru" I hired came over and put Picassa on because he liked it and when he left I had no idea how to use it. It did seem to start loading everything and I had no idea how to stop the loading and could not seem to find the correct answer at the time. A lot of folks like it so I need a second look.

jjadeco25 Loc: Alma, AR

Thank you. I took it while shooting a wedding in CO.

Jackinthebox Loc: travel the world

dupe4050 wrote:

I need to place my vote for Picasa. I have used it for years and no problem. Also use PSE10, LR, Nikon Capture, etc. Never a problem. Picasa is only searching for the location of your photos so it can help you find and edit them. The files themselves are not uploaded. Do not want to repeat others, but I think Picasa is being trashed unfairly.

I also have used Picasa for years and still use it every day. Initialy it listst every photo on every drive but it is easy to control. I have found it to be an easy to use as long is one is willing to spend a little time to set it up to your own liking. Trashing a great program because one is unwilling to learn the simple steps to learn to use it is not helping anyone.

texaseve Loc: TX, NC and NH

I think "trashed" is a strong word. I haven't seen anyone trash it yet.