is it safe to delete libraries folders in LR?

[msongs]

this program has created folders in libraries -> my pictures and I think they are from lightroom as it does not actually say and I did not create them. each folder is a different year as the folder name. so is it safe to delete these folders or will it erase all my hard drive files if I do? there is a separate folder with the lightroom icon and it has a bunch of files that are empty.

[Jeremy Roussak]

this program has created folders in libraries -> my pictures and I think they are from lightroom as it does not actually say and I did not create them. each folder is a different year as the folder name. so is it safe to delete these folders or will it erase all my hard drive files if I do? there is a separate folder with the lightroom icon and it has a bunch of files that are empty.

What's in 'em?

Jeremy

[eliedinur]

What do the folders contain? If there are subfolders titled "Imported on dd-mm-yy" and inside those are duplicates of your imported photo files, then it seems you have the "make second copy" box ticked in the Import dialog. Or are they   your originals?

In principle, there are only two things that should not be deleted. The LR catalog file, LR Catalog.lrcat (by default in My Pictures/Lightroom and your original photo files. Anything else LR can create as and when needed.

[Jimbo57]

Anything else LR can create as and when needed.

.......but some, like previews, can take many hours.

[Ken Bennett]

This depends entirely on how you have set up your Import dialog in Lightroom.

It is quite possible that these folders contain your original raw image files and that Lightroom is referencing these files. If that's the case, then you really ought not delete them.

One easy way to check is to open Lightroom, find a photo, right click it and choose "Show in Finder" (on a Mac). You will see what folder Lightroom is pointing to for your raw files.

[pegelli]

I'm with Ken, if you use the default import straight from your memory cards (or camera) these folders contain your original raw images so it's very dangerous to delete them.

The lightroom icon folder your catalog file (plus any backup catalogs the program created) and should also not be deleted.

Do you make backups of your raw files? I think it's quite risky to only have them in one place on your hard drive, if that crashes all your pictures will be gone.

[msongs]

these pictures are also found in their original folders on my data storage hard drive. so the lightroom related images appear to be duplicates. and I do have backup hard drive. lightroom does not seem to be very well designed if it causes all this chaos

[pegelli]

Do you have "make a second copy to ...." in the import dialog checked?.
That might cause these duplicate files.

[john beardsworth]

these pictures are also found in their original folders on my data storage hard drive. so the lightroom related images appear to be duplicates. and I do have backup hard drive. lightroom does not seem to be very well designed if it causes all this chaos

Lightroom tells you what it is doing. You probably haven't read a dialog box or understood it before you clicked OK.

Rename those folders in Explorer/Finder and see if it causes you any problem in Lightroom. After a while, then back them up and delete them.

[Tim Lookingbill]

Lightroom tells you what it is doing.

How is LR telling you what it is doing with regard to the OP's duplicate folder issue. Where in LR's user interface does it tell the OP this?

I still haven't figured out what the real issue is about and whether the OP got his question answered. I just found out after some time getting to know LR4's PV2012 processing that I've never imported any images (only "Synced" folders I've added new images to)

But I finally figured out what that import dialog box looks like when I dragged and dropped a png image onto LR's Library module where I panicked upon seeing the entire interface change with a Mac HD icon on the left and "My Catalog" on the right. I just canceled out because LR wouldn't tell me anything about what was happening except to offer a myriad of options scattered about the bounding box of what I wanted to do with the file.

GEE! All I wanted to do is open the file in LR so I could do a little editing. Why does the catalog have to get into the middle of this simple task? End of rant! Maybe.

[john beardsworth]

How is LR telling you what it is doing with regard to the OP's duplicate folder issue. Where in LR's user interface does it tell the OP this?

The word "Copy" is in big letters in the Import dialog box.

Yes, without knowing the user's steps, I'm also unsure what the underlying issue may be. But from my experience of Lightroom, I'd be placing my bets on him having chosen Copy - or something else completely unrelated to Lightroom.

[Tim Lookingbill]

The word "Copy" is in big letters in the Import dialog box.

Yes, without knowing the user's steps, I'm also unsure what the underlying issue may be. But from my experience of Lightroom, I'd be placing my bets on him having chosen Copy - or something else completely unrelated to Lightroom.

Yeah, and you REALLY do need to click on each of the options listed top dead center in LR's UI (see LR4 screengrab) some with specific instructions and some with "To/From" interface changes you have to pay attention to. And if you're viewing on a large 27" screen it's best to take your time taking note just exactly what's going on.

It's LR's level of specificity on something as simple as opening an image/images that brings up more questions than answers on what else is going on under the hood.

Not sure why when I drag/drop a file from my desktop onto LR's Library I can't get the "Import" button to become clickable choosing any of the options listed. It being grayed out didn't make it easy to find either upon first seeing this dialog box (and really not a dialog box since it's huge taking up the entire LR bounding box frame). Dialog boxes are usually small pop up or tabbed panels that hover over the larger frame interface.

[Some Guy]

....

GEE! All I wanted to do is open the file in LR so I could do a little editing. Why does the catalog have to get into the middle of this simple task? End of rant! Maybe.

Ha! Ha! 

That's what I'm trying to do also in LR6 and all I get is a bunch of panes (pains?) for my effort.

Okay.  I really do HATE Lightroom's Catalog, Collections, Library, and inane image Browser system since I run between 9-10 external plug-in USB drives and the cached Catalog/Collections/Whatever is a total mess to deal with as it constantly pulls up images it cannot find as they are off on the externals (I keep no images on the editing computer.).  Gawd, could they make it any more complex?

Temp storage images to be worked on are in a C: "Photo 1" folder.  Lightroom 6 doesn't show all folders on C: drive unless Imported, and still that folder isn't showing up at times too.  Should be there in the left pane by default as well as all folders on C: drive, but LR6 seems choosey on which to show.  Opens up Browser > Select Folder and no images are shown (Seems they should, but oh well, it's Adobe LR6 after all.).

Once selected, it opens the images but all are dark and say "Already Imported" but I cannot open them in LR editor into the Develop module.  Sometimes "Not Found" even though they are there too.  Close it down and I get the "Back Up Catalog" box, select "Backup" and the program closes down.  Great!

Reopening and back into this circle of mess....and the Photo 1 folder is still not shown after the above mess and back up.

I'd like to know if there is any way to make LR6 behave as a normal "File Explorer/Manager" without opening a bunch of extra windows and a wild goose chase for images to show up in Develop (edit) or whatever they want to call it module?  I shouldn't have to spend hours opening and closing panes, cataloging, collections, backup, deleting cached catalogs, etc. to edit one image moved onto the C: drive - or try find it again in their elusive browser and multiple panes to sort through.

Seems worse if one uses a lot of external USB drive too, and if one doesn't want to use Library, Collections, or Cataloging since some get moved in Photoshop and copied over or moved independent of LR.  Never can find images since they lie in a LR cache locally.  Wish they'd make the software's image browser work without a plethora of extra windows opening and closing and searching.  Drag and drop anyone?  How about a simple "File Manager" without the need for Imports, Collections, Libraries, Exports, Save as... , etc.

Anyone know a good source (Preferably a book that I can mark up and sit nearby for LR6.) that explains this OVERLY COMPLEX "Open an image" system of theirs?  I think it's getting a lot worse with each edition too.  Some sick programming person in the Library/Catalog/Collections is getting carried away making it too complex to get to an image.  LR7 will probably have another 4-5 obscure image imports as well.

Tia, and bit of a rant too!  Shouldn't be this hard.

SG

[Tim Lookingbill]

Geez, your workflow setup makes LR function like network server software. High volume wedding and event photographers must have a heck of time keeping all that straight in their head.

I just noticed something odd with my screenshot. The top Import options are designed as words without a bounding box to suggest they're clickable compared to the long established & familiar "Cancel" & "Import" buttons.

That was another thing that first confused me upon first seeing "Add","Move", etc. in the "Import" interface in that only one was highlighted "Add" as if LR has sensed what the user is doing and not made the others clickable. I had to just risk it and click on the others in hopes it didn't change the interface into something I couldn't back out of.

[john beardsworth]

I'd like to know if there is any way to make LR6 behave as a normal "File Explorer/Manager"

Start your own thread, but be prepared for the answer - No, that's not the idea.

Seems worse... if one doesn't want to use Library, Collections, or Cataloging since some get moved in Photoshop and copied over or moved independent of LR.  Never can find images since they lie in a LR cache locally.

No, the image remain where they are in Explorer (right click any image or folder to "Show in Explorer"). Lr simply catalogues where the files are actually located.

To be frank,  you probably need to read this or other starter guides.

[eliedinur]

Is this funny or is it sad? Whinges and whines today, "LR is too complex and confusing, too many choices not easily understood , it takes too long," and two weeks ago (or was it three?) the 'net was inundated with screams, "Simplify LR import? No, no, we demand the old complexity back!" Theatre of the Absurd.

[pegelli]

Is this funny or is it sad? Whinges and whines today, "LR is too complex and confusing, too many choices not easily understood , it takes too long," and two weeks ago (or was it three?) the 'net was inundated with screams, "Simplify LR import? No, no, we demand the old complexity back!" Theatre of the Absurd.

Well, I don't think it's the same people, but I agree, it's very hard to please every user.

[john beardsworth]

Is this funny or is it sad? Whinges and whines today, "LR is too complex and confusing, too many choices not easily understood , it takes too long," and two weeks ago (or was it three?) the 'net was inundated with screams, "Simplify LR import? No, no, we demand the old complexity back!" Theatre of the Absurd.

I had the same thought. So are these guys merely the "selfie crowd" that Adobe were supposed to be "dumbing down" Lightroom for? Or are they fellow photographers whose "motivations share the same motivations as people who already love Lightroom"?

[Ken Bennett]

I'd like to know if there is any way to make LR6 behave as a normal "File Explorer/Manager" without opening a bunch of extra windows and a wild goose chase for images to show up in Develop (edit) or whatever they want to call it module?

No, that's not what Lightroom is for. You should be using Adobe Camera Raw and (maybe) Bridge. ACR has the same processing engine and a similar user interface, but none of the database features that so annoy you. For anyone who wants to forgo the Lightroom catalog/import/export/database, and who wants to keep their photos in all sorts of places, and *remember for themselves* where everything is, use ACR. It works.

[Simon Garrett]

I'd like to know if there is any way to make LR6 behave as a normal "File Explorer/Manager" without opening a bunch of extra windows and a wild goose chase for images to show up in Develop (edit) or whatever they want to call it module?  I shouldn't have to spend hours opening and closing panes, cataloging, collections, backup, deleting cached catalogs, etc. to edit one image moved onto the C: drive - or try find it again in their elusive browser and multiple panes to sort through.

For most users, the Lightroom view of files is identical to the Explorer / File manager view.  See a couple of screen scrapes for my LR catalogue from a couple of years ago:



The only difference is that the LR view contains only folders and images you've chosen to import. 

As others have suggested, your comments suggest that you don't really understand the function of the Lightroom catalogue.  If you don't want to understand it, then just use something else.