LR can't find files after moving them to new drive

[tom power]

I realize this is pretty lame but I have spent an hour or more trying to do this. Help. Please.

Just started using Lightroom 2.2 and so far love it compared to the Sony IDC but I am pretty illiterate computerwise.

I imported my first card full of images into Lighhtroom but did not move the raw files off the card just left it in the card reader. Everything fine but then today I moved the filoes to a folder on my C:drive/pictures and now Lightroom cannot find them. I know there is a way to tell Lightroom where they are but I have now spent over an hour trying to figure this out.

it would be much appreciated if soemone could point the way.

Thanks

[walter.sk]

I realize this is pretty lame but I have spent an hour or more trying to do this. Help. Please.

Just started using Lightroom 2.2 and so far love it compared to the Sony IDC but I am pretty illiterate computerwise.

I imported my first card full of images into Lighhtroom but did not move the raw files off the card just left it in the card reader. Everything fine but then today I moved the filoes to a folder on my C:drive/pictures and now Lightroom cannot find them. I know there is a way to tell Lightroom where they are but I have now spent over an hour trying to figure this out.

it would be much appreciated if soemone could point the way.

Thanks

In the Library module, go to File>Import Files From Disk, and you will get an import dialogue box.  Alternately, if Lightroom knows about C:\Pictures you can right click on that folder and choose Synchronize Folder.  If not, right click on C: and Synchronize Folder.  Either way, all of your folders with picture files will be imported into the LR library.

[howardm]

select teh folder in the left panel in the Library module, then right click and 'update folder location'.

you should really try to do file moves and the like from inside LR so it updates automatically.

whether you 'update folder location' or 'synchronize' depends on if you modified the hierarchy or just moved the whole bucket.

[tom power]

select teh folder in the left panel in the Library module, then right click and 'update folder location'.

you should really try to do file moves and the like from inside LR so it updates automatically.

whether you 'update folder location' or 'synchronize' depends on if you modified the hierarchy or just moved the whole bucket.

Thanks for your and Walters response. I think something funny going on with my computer as I definately tried those things numerous times. I even tried to load a new card of raw images and now Lightroom won't even recognize that any thing is in the built in card reader. At this point I don't think it is Adobe fault but my new computer that I have been having a LOT of trouble with. I mean a LOT of trouble.

Wiped Lightroom from my hard drive, was the downloaded version, and will reload with the disc when it arrives (ordered last tuesday). Got a funny feeling though that it is my computer as when I first loaded Lightroom it worked great.

Similar problem loading CD's on this computer a few days ago when it would only load the first song on the list even though all were checked. Thought it might be a problem with the software that came with the computer and got tired fighting it so bought Roxio software. After installing the Roxio for kicks I tried the original program again and it worked fine. Strange deal.

Death to microsoft and Vista 64 bit! Should have got a Macintosh.

[howardm]

Can't argue w/ the 'death to microsoft' sentiment  

Should'a bit the bullet and gone Mac

[jjj]

select teh folder in the left panel in the Library module, then right click and 'update folder location'.

you should really try to do file moves and the like from inside LR so it updates automatically.

Not always possible. I just rejjigged all my hard drives and added new ones and mirrored them all in pairs.
So file mangement is only possible with a File browser for such tasks really.
LR should be able to relocate files after this, but seems to be struggling and now thinks all my hard drives reside within my Mac HD - very annoying.

[jjj]

Death to microsoft and Vista 64 bit! Should have got a Macintosh.

Can't argue w/ the 'death to microsoft' sentiment  

Should'a bit the bullet and gone Mac

And gotten a whole heap of new problems.  I find it very tiresome when people peddle the mac just works myth. They don't necessarily, they have technical issues such as the recent iffy touchpads and an awful lot of buggy software. They should be much much better than PCs, but actually in reality there is bugger all difference.
OSX10.5 has had 5 sets of major bug fixes so far and the current version 10.5.6 has introduced new problems. My Mac now locks up randomly and can only be shut down by using power switch, when this occurs and LR on my Mac is now also broken when it comes to finding moved files . 10.5.5 worked fairly well and I may try and roll it back, though Time machine is not quite as good as Windows for such things.
I use both systems and they are both annoying, just in different ways, both good in different ways too.
And many if not most problems on either system are user generated anyway.

[john beardsworth]

Not always possible, but I'm sure you'll agree it's good advice. Only moving files in LR would be one of my 5 rules of Lightroom, along with thou shalt use AutoSync, though shalt treat the filter panel as a temporary transgression and remain faithful to smart collections, thou shalt learn thy keyboard shortcuts, and replacing Adobe's 5th rule (enjoy!) with thou shalt work with a pint of real ale (unless it's before 9am).

John

[PeterAit]

I realize this is pretty lame but I have spent an hour or more trying to do this. Help. Please.

Just started using Lightroom 2.2 and so far love it compared to the Sony IDC but I am pretty illiterate computerwise.

I imported my first card full of images into Lighhtroom but did not move the raw files off the card just left it in the card reader. Everything fine but then today I moved the filoes to a folder on my C:drive/pictures and now Lightroom cannot find them. I know there is a way to tell Lightroom where they are but I have now spent over an hour trying to figure this out.

it would be much appreciated if soemone could point the way.

Thanks

WHen you are importing from your card, you need to tell LR to copy the files to a new location on your hard disk. This is an option in the Import from Device dialog. If you don;t, LR will assume you will keep the photos in the original location - the card. If you copy the files to your hard disk using Explorer, LR will not know about the new location and you have to tell it as others have explained.

Peter

[howardm]

I think this is one of the unfortunate current state of affairs WRT workflow & file formats and whatever software you use to move and/or import files.  It can all get confusing & overwhelming.

for me, it's something like....
copy files off card onto laptop.
maybe use photo mechanic or something to do initial culling.
if RAW, decide if I'm going to use Nikon NX to convert or let Lightroom/ACR do it and then do it.
then let LR import, backup, rename, restructure hierarchy as I wish (which copies the files to a NAS storage array).
Now start working in LR.
verify all the pix are there and clear out card & local laptop.

One thing I'm not clear on is how to deal w/ simultaneous NEF & TIFF or JPG although LR supposedly can treat NEF/JPG combo's individually

[tom power]

WHen you are importing from your card, you need to tell LR to copy the files to a new location on your hard disk. This is an option in the Import from Device dialog. If you don;t, LR will assume you will keep the photos in the original location - the card. If you copy the files to your hard disk using Explorer, LR will not know about the new location and you have to tell it as others have explained.

Peter

Actually finally called Adobe and after a few minutes kind of figured out how to import - I think - did get another folder of 423 images imported with no problem this time. Importing working but certainly seems to be more complicated than it needs to be.

Some of this was definately computer related though as I had to f11 my computer 3 times (back about a week) but now all my other problems also seem cured.

Thanks to everyone for there suggestions. I am going skiing for a few hours now - one of the benefits of being laid off but still having a season pass.

Tom

[jjj]

Not always possible, but I'm sure you'll agree it's good advice. Only moving files in LR would be one of my 5 rules of Lightroom, along with thou shalt use AutoSync, though shalt treat the filter panel as a temporary transgression and remain faithful to smart collections, thou shalt learn thy keyboard shortcuts, and replacing Adobe's 5th rule (enjoy!) with thou shalt work with a pint of real ale (unless it's before 9am).

It's always before 9am, unless it's actually 9am.    So no beer for you!
Real Ale, Ennactments, I'm wondering are you inspired to behave like your name suggests?
And do you resemble Jeff Schewe?

Using LR for File Management is not exactly my firtst thought it has to be said.
But imaging trying it with Aperture. You would move files from God knows where to nowhere in particular!

[walter.sk]

...maybe use photo mechanic or something to do initial culling.

Wow!  One of the best features of LR is the ease of "culling."  As soon as LR has imported my images and generated the previews in the new folder, I go to Slide Show with manual slide advance.  With full screen previews, I view each image and use the numbers 1-5 to rate the likelihood of using the image, and numbers 6-9 to put color tabs on the images.  The color tabs could be used to separate Uncle Charlie's pix from Aunt Mae's; I use them for reinforcement of the numbers, so that the 5's I think are better than others get Red.  Those that I want to consider printing get Green, the Must Print get Yellow, and The Best I've Ever Seen get Blue.

It is easy to filter on the ratings, and it takes no more time to do than the time involved in viewing each preview.