Skip to main content
D
DanielJS97
Participating Frequently
February 26, 2022
Question

Lightroom completely re-organised my hard-drive on import

  • February 26, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 2499 views

I'm not a big fan of LR, prefering instead to organize my photos manually on my drive and open RAW files directly into CR and PS. This works especially well since I mainly scan my only 35mm film, so the metatada from my camera does not necessarily correspond to when the original was shot.

 

I just bought a copy of Negative Lab Pro however, so I have been forced to use LR for the first time in years. For convenience sake, I imported my entire collection of negative scans (contact sheets, frames and edits) into LR. They were organised in folders on the drive corresponding to roll numbers and numbered over 300.

 

After completion, I clicked "show in enclosing folder" on one of my edits, and was taken to a  new folder containing hundreds of unorganized photos. I assumed LR had simply copied my photos to a new folder, but when I navigated to the section of the drive where my photos should be, the folders were completely empty!

 

I'm hoping this is reversible since I've been organizing my photos with this system for years. It's especially infuriating since, as I've mentioned, the metadata on my photos is completely meaningless - they're all DSLR scans made years after the negatives were exposed. Now my photos are in random folders with incorrect dates.

 

I'd have thought LR would give some kind of warning - the word "import" doesn't necessarily imply that one's hard drive will be completely rearranged...

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

L
lcsklife
Participating Frequently
March 8, 2022

So I just did this brilliant move, as well. I use Adobe apps (on a Mac OS Monterey) for fun and I am by no means a power user; so please: be nice.

Is there ANY way to undo this MOVE import? EVERY image on my hard drive has now been relocated to a Pictures folder. None of my app icons render, none of my graphic files are where they should be.... I'm pretty sure I haven't encountered all of the FUBARness this has caused. It's just a mess. (And yes, I know; it's of my own making!)

Short of Time Machining to a four-day old back-up (yes, it took me that long to figure out what I'd done), is there any way to walk this back?

dj_paige
dj_paige
Legend
March 8, 2022

So @lcsklife posted this problem in a new thread. All answers for @lcsklife should go in the new thread.

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    February 26, 2022

    Is seems obvious that you did not choose the correct method to Import your files.

    Had you used the [ADD] option- your photos would have remained in the original folders exactly where they were.

     

    It is likely you used the [MOVE] option- thus 'moving' all your files, and without checking the Destination panel, they all moved to the one new folder.

    Unfortunately, it will be difficult (or impossible?) to restore the original folder structure, unless you have a Backup system that might have preserved your folder structure in the backup of the files. (Copy the folders & files from the backup to the same location as you had previously, and start again with a new catalog in Lightroom-Classic importing using [ADD] this time. )

     

    https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/import-photos-video-catalog.html

    Where should you store your photos? | The Lightroom Queen

     

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
      D
      DanielJS97Author
      Participating Frequently
      February 26, 2022

      I used "import", not move. "Move" means from point A to B, so I would have been more careful - "import" should just bring the files in LR for editing, which is why this is ridiculous.

      GoldingD
      GoldingD
      Legend
      February 26, 2022

      "Import" is the process, not the option on how. If you are using the normal import process, not the minimized, you can Copy as DNG, Copy, Move, or Add. As you know, never ever trust Move.

       

      As you did not state that the files became DNG (unless you have one of the very few cameras that use DNG as the RAW format), then you probably did not select, or accidentally have in place, Copy as DNG. This leaves Copy, Move, or Add.

       

      The option (Copy as DNG, Copy, Move, Add) defaults to whatever was selected during previous import (I suspect it is initially set to Copy, but that would have been, for me, years ago at v1.0). If you do not pay attention to what is selected, you can get surprised.

       

      Copy will import to the destination selected, Move the same but will delete the source (and if something goes wrong, you are....) Add leaves the image in place while importing into the catalog (but not on flash media, SD, CF, etc)

       

      In addition, for Copy or Move, the destination panel typically shows/uses the previous setting from previous import, so pay attention to it.

       

      So, bring up the import screen, and look at what is selected for method, and for destination (assuming it is still wrong)

       

        Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
        Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices