> So, if I understand you correctly, the thumbsplus database I've maintained for the past 15 years can not be used by another computer in my home?
No. I only explained the problem, I didn't say there are no solutions.
> I thought the .tpdb8 file on David's computer (which accesses and views the photos on a USB drive conntected to David's computer) would work for anyone who could access the .tpdb8 file on the same home network. I don't understand why it wouldn't work (assuming other users can only "read").
If my explanation was not clear enough: in its database, ThumbsPlus holds a record for each image file cataloged. When you double-click on a thumbnail to view and edit the original file, ThumbsPlus has to find the correct matching file; it has to match-up the thumbnail records to the corresponding files. It does so, basically, by looking at the files' full path and name: .
So, if an image was originally cataloged as "\Photos\Hello.jpg" on a local (non-networked) drive named "Data", and you then take the database to another computer and open it there, ThumbsPlus will expect to find the file locally on THAT computer on a drive named Data in a folder named Photos. It has no way of knowing that the database was created elsewhere on a different system, and that the and were only valid on that other computer.
To avoid this, you have to make sure that all users catalog and browse the image files through the same path, which means they have to access them through the network. David too, even if the files are local to his computer.
Now, as for work-arounds, here are some options:
NOTE: Be sure to keep a backup of your database (and of your image files, for solution No.2)
1. If you can open and edit the database in MS-Access:
- Create a new test database (Database | New). Thumbnail a few images through their network path. Then open this test database from another computer and verify that you can see, browse and open those image files.
- In Access, compare the relevant field values between your original database and this test database to see how the 'local' records differ from the 'networked' records. Then use Search and Replace in your original database to update those field values to make them point to the files' network paths.
OR (easier)
2) In ThumbsPlus, use Drag and Drop to move all your image files to a temporary different location that has enough free space (this may take a while if you have lots of images and have to move them to a different drive). Then, from there new location, drag and drop them back to the original location, but this time access that original location through Network Places. Any keywords and annotations will automatically be moved along with the image files. (note: if you don't see Network Places in the three, the "Do not show Network Neighborhood" option in Options | Preferences | Disks & Folders is likely On (but should be off)).
OR (easier and faster)
3) On the 2nd computer, be sure that Automatically Remove Orphans and Automatically Create Thumbnails (Options | Preferences | Thumbnails) are both off. Open the database, lookup the USB-drive, and note that its folders are greyed-out because the corresponding images don't exist on this 2nd computer (which in fact is your problem). Now, in the tree, open Network Places too (a.k.a. Network Neighborhood on some Windows versions) and navigate to that same USB drive. Note that it doesn't show any thumbnails there yet.
And now for the Big Trick: drag and drop the greyed-out folders, which hold the orphaned thumbnails, onto their corresponding folders in Network Places. So, if a greyed-out folder is named 'Summer2011', drag and drop it onto 'Summer2011' under Network Places. This will magically match-up the orphaned thumbnail records with the corresponding files found in the USB drive's folders, but this time properly addressed through the network. Note: You will need Write access to the database to make these changes stick!
When you are done, you may want to go into Options | Preferences | Disks&Folders and in the "Exclude these drive letters" box, enter the letters of all local drives, e.g. CDE or CDEFG. Do this on both computers to make sure that nobody will ever scan his/her 'local' files into that common database again.
(If you'd prefer to perform this whole operation on the 1st computer instead, so you don't have to fiddle with permissions to the database, you have to 'orphanize' your images first, e.g. by exiting ThumbsPlus and then using Explorer to rename their folder, so that ThumbsPlus won't be able to find them when you next launch it).
I hope this helps!
-Daan-
ps: I have never tried any of these solutions with v8, but they used to work with v7 and I'd expect them to work in v8 too. Still, you should really back-up everything before trying any of them.