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Known Participant
June 2, 2012
Question

FILES CAN'T BE FOUND but associated with another catalog

  • June 2, 2012
  • 2 replies
  • 20949 views

In Scott's Kelby's Book LR3 on page 88 step 6, he talks about 3 options for importing a catalog.....

In particular he talks about option#3 and says he has NO IDEA wy anyone would choose that option of importing without the images.

SENARIO: I just switch to MAC. All my work for years was on Windows PC including LR and CS4 design premium. So now when I go to work on images in the same location on THAT windows hard drive I get the message that I cannot do JACk with those images because they are associated with another catalog.

I can't even click on the "?" in LR4 to find them without the same message coming up.

I was thinking of firing up the old Windows Box, somehow finding all the images through LR3 and then using option #3 to import all 10,000 images or at least their locations to my new shiny Mac system(s).

Objective: I am trying to access the images on an EXT. HD that gives me the "files are assiciated with another catalog message".

Windering if importing that catalogue would help?

IS THERE A WAY TO DISASSOCIATED A CATALOGUE FROM AN IMAGE?

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    2 replies

    billr23013189
    Participant
    June 23, 2022

    I'm really fed up with adobe. S/W should have been written so that user was unable to import a file or catalog incorrectly.

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    June 23, 2022

    @billr23013189 Well you have jumped on a Forum thread that is 10 years old!

    If you have a problem with Lightroom-Classic, post some details and the volunteers that help in this forum may be able to help you.

    https://community.adobe.com/t5/using-the-community-discussions/community-how-to-guide-tips-amp-best-practices/td-p/11601738

     

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
    dj_paige
    Legend
    June 2, 2012

    Step 1: Ignore everything Kelby says about the Library Module.

    Step 2: Please tell us exactly the steps you followed to get yourself into the current situation. "I just switch to Mac" isn't really an explanation of how you got there. Please give us details so we can help you. Also, please quote the exact error message that you are getting. Thanks.

    Step 3: Every time you think of re-importing an image into Lightroom ... tell yourself that re-importing is a terrible idea. And then, don't re-import.

    Known Participant
    June 2, 2012

    thanks for the look-see.

    #2: I bought a mac book pro and a Mac Mini. switched everything to Mac flavor and am trying to have the same access to all my images files.

    • I hooked the ext. HD to the Mac mini.
    • opened LR4.1
    • selected ALL PICTURES ~12,000 images
    • picked one with a "?" I went to year, folder, day, file.
    • dialogue box asking if i want LR to find the image and i say yes please
    • I get the following message: "each file can only be associated with one photo"

    That is where I am at this point: STUCK.

    dj_paige
    Legend
    June 2, 2012

    So, please fill in a few more details

    1. The catalog file and all photos were on the ext. HD? Yes or no?

    2. I don't understand the phrase "picked one with a "?" I went to year, folder, day, file". Please explain this further, especially the part "I went to ..."

    3. Are you sure that you have quoted the error message exactly? The words you quote seem meaningless to me