Moving photos to new drive... how best to that and still keep LR correct

[rebadurchee]

Here's the situation:

I have about 1.5TB of photos on two internal drives (E,M), each 1TB.
I also have an internal 2TB (G:) drive that I've been using for internal backup.
I would like to have all my photos on G: and use that as my main repository for editing photos.
Question: since I have all the photos backed up on G already, is there a way to point LR5 to that disk?
Or, should I format G: and then move, within LR, the photos that are currently on E+M?  (I have three other backups of the photos besides G:)?

I want to do the safest possible procedure, but wouldn't mind saving time if it is safe.

Thanks!

Stilson

[Jon Meddings]

Not sure that you will be able to do this the 'quick' way Stilson.  I'm assuming here that you have processing information about these images in the Lightroom library. To keep this intact and associated with the image I'd suggest the following:

1. Format g: and create a directory on it called Images (or something)
2. From within Lightroom (not using a disk utility) drag your 2 directories from the other drives over and put them into your Images directory. 

This will copy the images over to g: and keep intact the association of the image file with the image processing information

[rebadurchee]

Thanks, Joe.  I kind of figured that this would be the way to do it, but I couldn't resist the lure of quick.

[Glenn NK]

Seems to me that if you have the Catalog on the drive where the photos are, LR should be able to access it.

The command:  File/Open Catalog should work I think.  (Control O - Windows or Command O on Mac).

Someone else may confirm or correct my assumption.

Glenn

[rebadurchee]

Thanks, Glen, however catalog in on another disk entirely.

New, very bad situation.  I formatted the new disk.  Then, in LR5.3, I created a folder and then dragged another folder from the source disk, about 17,000 files, into the new folder on the destination disk; then I left.

When I came back a couple of hours later the operation was complete, LR said.  However, only 92 files showed up in the Library on the destination disk.  I decided to try again.

But first I dragged those 92 images on the destination disk back to the source disk and deleted the first created folder.  All this in LR.

I dragged the folder again from source to destination but LR said there was already a folder by that name on the disk. 

It turns out that almost 800 (not 92) images had been moved to the new disk.  I found this out in Explorer.  All those images on the destination disk do not show up in the Library so I can't move them back to the source within LR. 

So... I now have all those images not in the catalog.  Does this mean that I also lost all that editing info?  How do I get them back to the source?

Do I dare trust LR to move them to the destination?  If it didn't work this time why would it work next time?

Any suggestions?  (I have backups of all images and the catalog)

Thanks, Stilson

[Tony Jay]

There is no way, given what you have written, that anyone could completely figure out what is wrong.
I think you will have to post screenshots showing the Library module with the folder structures as well as screenshots of the folder structure on the drives concerned so that we can actually see for ourselves.

Just to let you know - all the develop settings are stored in the catalog itself - and so, as long as the images cane be restored to their correct locations nothing should be lost.

Tony Jay

[PhotoEcosse]

An alternative way of doing it (I think):

Create a new (empty) catalogue.

Then actually use Lightroom's "Import" and "Copy" options to copy your image files from the existing location to the formatted disc.

That should simultaneously import the images to the new catalogue and copy them to the new disc.

Don't format the old location discs until you know it has worked.

[rebadurchee]

Thanks, all.  I've tried something along what Tony was suggesting.

Here are the relevant screen shots as attachments (I could not figure out how to embed them in this message).

Using Tony's reference to all edits still being in the catalog if the images are in their proper locations, I moved all the transferred files back to the original locations.  Original source was E, destination was G, and all photos now back on E in the correct subfolders.

However, the photos are not showing up in the Library.  What do I do now?

There have been some mentions on some fora about LR5 having a bug in the moving of files.  I tried a quick pass at Adobe but found nothing (a very quick search)

I'm kind of freaked.  Thanks.

[Tony Jay]

If you moved those images using the OS then Lightroom, by definition, has lost track of where they are.

Also the screen grabs posted don't help me in any way work out what is going on.
If you open the appropriate catalog in Lightroom, where does Lightroom think the images are currently?
Post a screenshot showing us the 'Folders' subpanel from the Library module with detail for reference and then a screenshot from the hard drive in question showing us, hopefully, the same folder structure.

Tony Jay

[rebadurchee]

Thanks, Tony, but I am a bit confused and I think I've confused you.

Let me try to reiterate what happened:

1.  I tried to move the folder Master_P from E to G WITHIN Lightroom.
2.  LR only moved 770 photos out of the 17000+ photos in Master_P and then stopped.
3.  The Library only showed 92 out of those 770 photos in G.
4.  Hoping to try again I moved those 92 WITHIN LR back to E.
5.  Then I discovered the other photos in G in the subfolders as shown in the jpg in my last post, but they were not in the Library on G even though I had used LR for the move.
6.  Those 690 photos somehow disappeared from the catalog.  They were not in E and they were not in E in the Library.  They were also not in G in the Library.
7.  Hoping that their entries were still in the catalog I used the OS to move the 690 from G back to E to see if the catalog would pick them up.  They didn't

The attached jpgs show the current folder structures for E and G as well as the Library structure for the G drive.  I've attached another copy of the Library structure for the E drive.

Several hundred photos just disappeared from the catalog and over 16000 photos did not get moved as they should have.

If I missed something in this process, please let me know.  I might be too close to it to see what you need.

Thanks,
Stilson

[jrsforums]

Here's the situation:

I have about 1.5TB of photos on two internal drives (E,M), each 1TB.
I also have an internal 2TB (G:) drive that I've been using for internal backup.
I would like to have all my photos on G: and use that as my main repository for editing photos.
Question: since I have all the photos backed up on G already, is there a way to point LR5 to that disk?
Or, should I format G: and then move, within LR, the photos that are currently on E+M?  (I have three other backups of the photos besides G:)?

I want to do the safest possible procedure, but wouldn't mind saving time if it is safe.

Thanks!

Stilson

Assuming the E and M drives were backed up to G with the same folder structure, I would think that all you would need to do is disconnect those drives, or rename the parent directory....open LR, then "find" the parent folders, which LR will not find until you point to them on the G drive.

[Jagatai]

I'm not sure if it would work the same way in windows, but in the past I have moved files using the OS and then when Lightroom cannot find the moved files, I just right click on the top level folder in the left panel in grid mode and I believe there is a context menu that will let you point that to a new folder.  (It may be necessary to do this on a folder by folder basis depending on how the images were first imported)

Once you do that, Lightroom should be able to reconnect all your files again.  I would recommend doing a test by copying one folder of material to the new drive and change the name of the original folder they are in so Lightroom can't find  it.  Start up Lightroom.  When it doesn't find the files in that folder, right click on Lightroom's folder in the panel and it should provide a way to navigate to the new location.  (I'm sorry I'm not at my photo computer right now and can't check out the exact steps.  I'll reply later if i have further information once I've had a chance to look at Lightroom.)

Good luck,

Lars

[Jagatai]

Update:  I tested this out, copying a folder to a different drive and then renaming the old folder.  When I started up Lightroom, the thumbnails images were visible, but attempting to work with them brought up a message saying the original was missing.  But right  clicking on the folder on the left panel brought up a context menu that allowed me to locate the missing folder.  I navigated to the new drive and folder, clicked on it and the original files were immediately available.

This was done on OSx but I assume the same is possible in windows.

Lars

[rebadurchee]

Thanks, Jagatai and jrsforums.  Unfortunately, the problems seems to go further than that.  When the transfer unexpectedly stopped in the early part of the process it seems as if LR not only stopped the file transfer but also at the time of interruption also corrupted the catalog.  About 690 or so photos are not in the catalog anymore.  There are no thumbnails and even if I filter by text the name of the file in 'All photos' nothing comes up.

I'm thinking I will have to copy my backup catalog back and see if that works.  Given my recent experience I am nervous about that.  Then there's the whole thing about trusting LR to move those files, again.  I've seen mention on some fora that a number of people have experienced similar fates, though not with catalog corruption.

[jrsforums]

Thanks, Jagatai and jrsforums.  Unfortunately, the problems seems to go further than that.  When the transfer unexpectedly stopped in the early part of the process it seems as if LR not only stopped the file transfer but also at the time of interruption also corrupted the catalog.  About 690 or so photos are not in the catalog anymore.  There are no thumbnails and even if I filter by text the name of the file in 'All photos' nothing comes up.

I'm thinking I will have to copy my backup catalog back and see if that works.  Given my recent experience I am nervous about that.  Then there's the whole thing about trusting LR to move those files, again.  I've seen mention on some fora that a number of people have experienced similar fates, though not with catalog corruption.

I never make big moves of files in LR just because of that problem.  I find it safer to do a move with the OS or with something like Goodsync.  Then, after all files are moved, rename old parent or remove disk and then point to the new area.  If, for any reason, the folder/files did not all move properly, you still have the originals.

I am guessing, but assume the catalog corruption is the result of partial updating when the moves stopped/crashed.

[BrianWJH]

I am guessing, but assume the catalog corruption is the result of partial updating when the moves stopped/crashed.

It may be that the SQLite database has index corruption and needs re-indexing this tool might help although you need to purchase the 'Professional' version to get the re-indexing/repair capability.

Using a backup if you have it might be easier.

Brian.

[john beardsworth]

I would never recommend hacking away at the SQLite database. It is a last resort, and you shouldn't even think of trying it unless you have rock solid backups and are confident (and rightly so) of what you are doing.

John

[BrianWJH]

Agreed that this tool is aimed at database administrators but 'hacking' to me is where someone with limited or no SQL DDL skills tries to cobble together some script to repair the DB, this is not the case with this tool.

Applications sometimes provide the capability to re-index the DB as a user level function, this is not (yet) the case with Lightroom.

As I already said using a backup might be easier.

Brian.

[Alistair]

Here's the situation:

I have about 1.5TB of photos on two internal drives (E,M), each 1TB.
I also have an internal 2TB (G:) drive that I've been using for internal backup.
I would like to have all my photos on G: and use that as my main repository for editing photos.
Question: since I have all the photos backed up on G already, is there a way to point LR5 to that disk?
Or, should I format G: and then move, within LR, the photos that are currently on E+M?  (I have three other backups of the photos besides G:)?

I want to do the safest possible procedure, but wouldn't mind saving time if it is safe.

Thanks!

Stilson

It is a while ago since I did this but assuming the file directory structures are the same on G: as they are on E: and M:, then a right click on the E:/M: folder and select update folder location and point it to the location on G: and that should do what you are wanting.
Others who are more up to date on this may want to chip in and correct me on this and you will certainly want to test it first on a small subfolder or even individual files to ensure it does what you want.
As an aside I once moved folders outside LR using Windows File Explorer and thought I had toasted my catalogue and thought that I would have to redo all edits. However LR 5.3 was clever enough to find the files all by itself and rebuild all the catalogue associations to the new file locations and I lost nothing!

Good Luck!
Alistair

[rebadurchee]

Thank you all!  I've pieced together a bit of all of what you all said and I think it's under control now.  I copied my backup copy of my catalog file over the corrupted one and it restored most everything I was worried about.

I was pointed to this link: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm that put it all together with screen shots.  Very similar to Alistair's suggestion.

The key thing seemed to be that moving a large number of photos within LR can be fraught with uncertainty and errors, as I found out.  Evidently I am far from alone with that experience.  There are still a very few small anomalies but I think that I can just re-edit those few images that fell through the cracks.

I so much appreciate all of your help!
Stilson