LR3 catalog import from a LR2.7 export

[Jonathan Cross]

Hi - can anyone help?

I have purchased the LR3 upgrade disc as I have LR2.7 on my machine with about 5500 images.  I have also purchased the LuLa LR3 tutorial.  In the upgrade tutorial, number 3, it is strongly suggested that it is best to not automatically upgrade the LR2 catalog when first running LR3.  I followed the suggested procedure in the tutorial, i.e. used export as catalog to save the LR2 catalog in a separate folder.  I then went, as suggested in the tutorial to Import from Catalog in LR3 and chose the saved LR2 catalog file that I had saved.  I clicked discard catalog after upgrade and add photos without moving, then import.  The import starts but after some 30 seconds a message box comes up with 'Cannot complete owing to an unexpected error.'  I do not have the opportunity any more of automatically updating the LR2 catalog, even after unistalling LR3 and reinstalling.  My machine is a quad processor with 4GB RAM and 1TB HD, running Vista.  How do I get the LR2 catalog into LR3?  Help!! 

Jonathan Cross

[tommm]

Did you move the catalog in explorer after creating it? Not sure why but I have found this can cause an error, if so try moving it back to where it was when created and trying again. Also rather than importing from catalog try opening from catalog, i.e. open lightroom, go to the file menu and choose open catalog and then point lightroom to your exported 2.7 catalog, it will prompt to convert to Lr3 catalog. Hope this solves the problem.

Tom

[Jonathan Cross]

Bingo Tom - success!  I had not moved the catalog after exporting it from 2.7.  Your suggestion to open the catalog worked as you wrote, so I am happy now.  Many thanks.

Jonathan