Pictures Folder Inconsistencies

The file format are those pictures in the "unspecified" category? Also do they have tags embedded in the images? You get this "unspecified" directory because Windows Explorer doesn't know how to read the tags within the file to put it into a more specific category. Or those files are not in a location which is index by Windows Search.

What file format are those images in the "unspecified" category? Are they JPEGs? Or something else?

If you right click on one of the problem images, go to properties then details tab. What does it show you?

I have experienced weird problems caused by corrupt jpg headers.
The pictures usually display correctly, but any modifications to the meta data can't be saved.

As an experiment:

• Load one of the problem pictures into Photoshop
• Save it in a different format with an altered name file extension (e.g. bmp, png or tif)
• Close Photoshop
• Load your modified picture back into Photoshop
• Save it as a jpg

Does the problem still occur?

It would certainly be extremely painful.

I suggest you test one file first to see if your issue is related to corrupt headers.
If the meta data for images isn't important, you could batch convert them (using Photoshop or IrfanView).

I experienced a similar issue when WMP 12 butchered the meta data (and some filenames) of ~900 of my mp3s (back in 2009).

In my Windows 7 Library I have a folder Pictures. Within this Pictures folder there is a subfolder that in turn contains many subfolders with names that agree with how I tagged the photos with Photoshop Elements. This is great! I also have another subfolder in Pictures called Unspecified and it contains many photos arranged by shooting date which is how I download all my photos into the computer. Is there a way to make these photos also correspond to how I have them tagged in Photoshop. I have no idea why some of my photos are organized in one way and others are arranged in a different way. I think that I processed all the photos the same way when I brought them into the computer from my camera.

I searched for the meaning of the word ‘unspecified’ and the explanation did not satisfy me. What can I do to eliminate the ‘unspecified’ label that some photos have? What can I do so that all my photos appear in folders according to the way they were tagged in Photoshop?
Bob S