Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive  (Read 35321 times)

travelenfree

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« on: May 17, 2008, 02:13:58 am »

I want to move my entire Lightroom library consisting of 5000+ images,  currently in different folders, to a much larger second hard drive within the same computer.  I also would like to transfer the files,  along with the LR edits that I have done to my images within each folder,  to that second drive so everything remains organized.  I don't want my files to be scattered around and I don't want to lose my LR edits to my images.   After the transfer of my entire Lightroom library, I will transfer Lightroom itself to the larger hard drive, thus giving me more room on my smaller hard drive....I would appreciate any suggestions on how to best transfer my entire LR library while keeping my edits intact and my files within each folder, as it is now....Thank You For Your Suggestions....Travelenfree
« Last Edit: May 17, 2008, 02:16:54 am by travelenfree »
Logged

MarkGoddard

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8
    • http://
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2008, 01:34:00 pm »

You can copy all the images and library to the new drive.  Lightroom usually finds all the images automatically, but if not you can manually reconnect them.
Logged

travelenfree

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2008, 03:47:52 am »

Mark,...Thank You for the reply.  Please tell me step by step how I can copy all the images and library to the new drive.... If Mark or anyone else can help out with this question, I would appreciate your suggestions.  Thank you, Travelenfree
Logged

The View

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1284
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2008, 04:37:47 am »

You can also make two libraries, one with older images for the external, and one for the recent images.

You just create a new library from the library menu, and import the images from the old library.

You can choose the "recent library" to automatically load on start-up, but if you want to access the other library, you either press "option" (I guess it's alt on windows}, and then you choose the library.

I personally prefer to have my recent library on my start-up drive.

And don't forget to have a copy of every library on a separate external hard drive.
Logged
The View of deserts, forests, mountains. Not the TV show that I have never watched.

travelenfree

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2008, 05:15:57 am »

To "The View"....Queston....Do I make a new all encompassing folder (called a catalogue?)  and include all of my folders within this all encompassing catalogue?   Thank you for the good information....Travelenfree
Logged

gunnar1

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 80
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2008, 10:59:34 pm »

Travelenfree- this is relatively easy, and here are the steps:

1) Move the files from one drive to the other.

2) The first time you start LR, your Folders tree in the left panel should show red file names; this is ok.

3) Start anywhere you'd like, and right click a red folder- you may need to drill down the arrows as you do this.

4) Choose "locate missing folder" from the pop-up menu.

5) You will probably need to point LR to the new drive to help it "locate" the folder.

6) As you click on successive folders, this *should* happen automatically. My experience has shown that it doesn't *always* happen and that you may need to manually point LR to each folder, but that is unlikely.

I hope this helps you,

Pat
Logged

DavidB

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 241
    • http://davidburren.com/
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2008, 01:14:59 am »

Pat's basically right, with a copy of refinements:

You can move the folders from one disk to another using Finder/Explorer and simply dragging the folder to the new location.  Be aware though that by default this will COPY the files, which will become relevant below.

You can also move the catalog folder (the one that contains the .lrcat file and the Preview database) to its new location at the same time.

When you fire up this copied catalog (if you just double-click the .lrcat file Lightroom will start up using that catalog) Lightroom will still be looking for the files in their previous location.
If they're not there, it will still be able to show you the images from its Previews database, but in the Folders view of the Library the folders will show up as red.  If you select "Locate Missing Folder" on the top-level folder and point it at the new location of the files, it will try to fix up all the sub-folders at the same time.  So it should be a simple process.

However, if it can find the files at their old location you won't get the "Locate Missing Folder" option, so you need to get rid of them.  If the disk is an external you could just unmount it, but otherwise you'll probably have to delete the old copy (again, outside Lightroom, using Finder/Explorer).  If you just move/rename it that won't necessarily work, as Lightroom does its best to automatically find where the file has been moved to (as long as it hasn't moved to a separate disk).
If you delete the old copy, be sure to empty the Trash/Recycle Bin (or Lightroom can end up finding the copy in the Trash!).

Once the old copy can't be found by Lightroom, it's a simple step to use "Locate Missing Folder" to point it at the new copy, and you'll have preserved the folder structure along with all the catalog details.
Logged

BruceHouston

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 308
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2008, 04:52:50 am »

What are the pro's and con's of the method discussed versus creating a new Catalog and then using the File---->"Import from Catalog" (with File Copy to New Location) function to populate the new catalog from the old catalog?

Another possibility would be to do the copy (or move) outside of LR, as discussed, and then do a File----->Import from Disk to populate the new catalog.

I would appreciate any comments on the relative merits of these various methods.

Thanks,
Bruce
Logged

DavidB

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 241
    • http://davidburren.com/
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2008, 05:18:39 am »

Quote
What are the pro's and con's of the method discussed versus creating a new Catalog and then using the File---->"Import from Catalog" (with File Copy to New Location) function to populate the new catalog from the old catalog?[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=199214\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Probably the only difference would seem to be that creating an intermediate catalog is more work.  Why not import directly from the original catalog?
Otherwise, you should end up with the same thing (as long as you use "with original folders" when doing the Copy to New Location in order to maintain your folder structure).

Quote
Another possibility would be to do the copy (or move) outside of LR, as discussed, and then do a File----->Import from Disk to populate the new catalog.
Import from Disk won't bring across virtual copies or collections, and will only bring the rest of your edits over if you've synced the metadata back to the files.
Logged

BruceHouston

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 308
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2008, 06:34:41 am »

Thanks David.

I have been learning the wisdom of your advice the hard way tonight by trying all three methods.  Ugh!  
Logged

BruceHouston

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 308
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #10 on: June 01, 2008, 06:39:33 am »

I am a bit frustrated that LR Help does not appear to document this.  In fact, the process that you describe should be automated via an entry on the file menu, rather than having to mess around with the lrcat files outside of LR.

Grrr...
Logged

tandlh

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 50
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #11 on: June 02, 2008, 03:57:45 pm »

For what it's worth, this past weekend I added a new backup drive and rearranged my hard drives.  I copied the photos and lightroom folders to a different internal drive, as well as moving the originals to the desktop temporarily, and then launched lightroom from the new lrcat file.  Once I helped it find the new directory it was all done.

I complicated it myself by moving some folders before I did that to try to free up space, but aside from that pain it worked perfectly.  It would be nice if Lightroom had a simple File Management menu, but with the help of this forum it was straightforward.  

Thank goodness for this and other forums, and the people kind enough to post their experiences with what works and doesn't.  Without that I think most of us would be in a world of frustration (moreso than usual

Ted
Logged

ostonica

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #12 on: June 02, 2008, 04:58:27 pm »

Quote
I want to move my entire Lightroom library consisting of 5000+ images,  currently in different folders, to a much larger second hard drive within the same computer.

I just did that using the Export as Catalog menu option. I just added a 500 GB drive and wanted to move the entire set of folders and catalog to that drive. I first used the command to write all metadata to the files then selected all files before exporting everything as a catalog.

I have not yet deleted the files and catalog from the original drive. I want to wait until I have double checked that everything came over OK because I am using the Beta of Lightroom 2, But the Export as Catalog is also in version 1.4.

Jim
Logged

laughfta

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 89
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #13 on: June 03, 2008, 08:29:03 am »

Quote
I have not yet deleted the files and catalog from the original drive. I want to wait until I have double checked that everything came over OK because I am using the Beta of Lightroom 2, But the Export as Catalog is also in version 1.4.

Jim
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=199414\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I'm not sure from your post if you are intending to use the LR Beta exclusively, but it wouldn't hurt to mention again that the Beta was released to be a testing ground.

Adobe: "The beta version is intended to provide an opportunity to give feedback and as such, does not read, upgrade or import catalogs from previous versions of Lightroom.  Please continue to use Lightroom 1.3.1 for your primary workflow needs."

Gloria
Logged

ostonica

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 18
Moving Lightroom Library to Another Hard Drive
« Reply #14 on: June 03, 2008, 10:50:15 am »

Quote
I'm not sure from your post if you are intending to use the LR Beta exclusively, but it wouldn't hurt to mention again that the Beta was released to be a testing ground.

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=199527\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

No, not exclusively, I am using V2 beta on a duplicate set of images. Having been around computers since the early 70's, I am used to handling beta, and occasionally alpha,  software.

Jim
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up