Odd Problem with Synchronize Folders

[Byron Will]

I was helping a friend update his folders and importing folders/files from a new drive. He has renamed his files by date format, and has JPEG's and NEF files that have identical files names, with only the extensions being different. When trying to Sync these folders in the Library, only the JPEG's were imported to the Lightroom catalog. When retrying, the dialog box listed a number of files to be synced (the exact number of raw files in that folder), and then failed to do so, saying they were already in the Lightroom Catalog.

Trying the Import Dialog box instead, and this imported both formats without a hitch. Why wouldn't Synchronize Folders work?

If it would make any difference, "Treating JPEG next to RAW files as separate photos is checked in Preferences. Did the usual search online and on the Adobe site. Found a few responses, but this problem I'm having seemed rather ignored. It's a head scratcher for me. I use a Mac, and have never had a problem with using Synchronize Folders...in the Library.

Lightroom 5.4, Windows 7.

Any thoughts?

[Persio]

Byron,

Try to uncheck (DESELECT) the checkbox "Don't Import Suspected Duplicates" in the File Handling pane on the right side of the Import Panel.

Regards,
Persio.

[Byron Will]

Yes, Import works with this unchecked, and noted that "Imported both formats without a hitch". I was referring to Sync Folders in the Library (Right-click on folder and choose Synchronize Folder...)

[Wayne Fox]

I guess I"m a little confused as to the exact circumstances which seem to be an issue.  Also curious as to the file renaming/moving around thing, and wondered if you considered doing all of that within lightroom which is pretty efficient at renaming and moving things around,

But as far as synchronize, I don't believe LR will import a file which exists (or thinks exist) within it's database.  If the file has been moved outside of LR, then it assumes you would rather use the find missing file function, which would then place it in the correct folder and also maintain any existing metadata for the file. It could be in all the renaming and moving etc. LR has become confused.

[JRSmit]

Only time i had problems was when i tried to import via sync folder images that were alreay imported somehow.  My students however almost all. The only cause is: using both lr and explorer to manage your images. If you want to use lr to manage your images, then stop using explorer to manage your images. In this case see if you can revert to the point were you started moving files around a d renaming files. And then revise tbe sync/import approach. Hopefully there is a backup.

[Byron Will]

Well, the question for me was why it would only add the JPEGS from an existing folder in Lightroom, but not add the RAW files. Seemed strange. It's not my Library, so I didn't know if these RAW files were added to the Catalog previously by my friend, so this may be the problem. In Import, they would be Imported if Suspected Duplicates was unchecked. If the RAW files were imported previously by him, there were no image Previews for these files that I could find using the Library Filters for the raw file name. Thanks for your replies.