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GilmourB
GilmourB
Inspiring
January 21, 2019
Question

LR Classic CC 8.1 Remove Folders Not Working

  • January 21, 2019
  • 3 replies
  • 1885 views

I'm cleaning up hard drives space for 2019. Have deleted folders of sessions that I do not need to keep. With sub-solders involved it's faster to delete the parent folders in Explorer then go to LR and Remove the parent folders (and sub-folders) from the Catalog. However, with this update the Remove button is greyed out or when I click it nothing happens. Therefore I can't remove the deleted folders from LR.

System:

Lightroom Classic version: 8.1 [ 1200465 ]

License: Creative Cloud

Language setting: en

Operating system: Windows 10 - Business Edition

Version: 10.0.17763

Application architecture: x64

System architecture: x64

Logical processor count: 8

Processor speed: 3.6 GHz

Built-in memory: 28613.0 MB

Real memory available to Lightroom: 28613.0 MB

Real memory used by Lightroom: 1661.3 MB (5.8%)

Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 1671.6 MB

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

GoldingD
GoldingD
Legend
January 23, 2019

/EDIT/ To get to the point, scroll down to the last section

So got off my rear end. Turned on the PC, opened LR opened my test catalog, created a folder I called opps, created two folder in it, 1, and 3, in folder 1 created a folder 2, imported images into all three folders.All to test removing.

First up, to delete a single folder (folder 3). right click, choose REMOVE. and a dialog window comes up

And, yes, in this situation you do not get an option of remove vs delete.

So, in LR they are gone, if I go and look in File Explorer, indeed the directory and the files still exist

As for the other folder (folder 1), the one with a sub-folder (folder 2), images in both. Right clicking on the first folder results in the same ending with both the folder and sub-folder removed from LR as well as images, not deleted from the PC

SO, OP wanted to Remove AND Delete, the above would need an additional step.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Put the test back together (hey, not deleted so a simple SYNC)

This time I click on the "parent folder" opps. Just to find I cannot see any images (well duh). So /Library/Show Photos in Subfolders/

I select all the images in the filmstrip, I right clcik, choose Remove Photos (NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE, Remove Photos, not just Remove). I am presented with the Confirmation dialog you would expect asking Delete from Disk, Remove, or Cancel

Went for delete, Yes the photos are gone, really gone (will sure, I know) but the folders are intact. So yep and extra step for the OP.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Ok, Recycle bin, Sync, Everything is back. Exit LR. Bring up File Explorer, Delete the directory called opps.

Launch LR.As expected missing folders

And Remove deals with that.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ahhhh, I think I see the issue the OP brought up. I could select the folder I called opps, right clcik and select Remove.

Is that your problem?

Your not getting this:??

    GilmourB
    GilmourBAuthor
    Inspiring
    January 24, 2019

    Hi Johan,

    Yes, the problem was that the Remove button on the drop down was greyed out and not usable.

    To your very well documented walk through above, that shows just how much faster it is to delete a multi-level folder outside of LR. 1, Just select the parent folder in Explorer and delete. 2, Remove in LR. Done


    Doing it in LR would require selecting all photos in strip and deleting and then repeating this step for each sub-folder. And then Remove.

    Corporate photographer based in Calgary, Canada and Oviedo, Spain. Making portraits, architectural, industrial and advertising photography for national and global brands.
    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    January 25, 2019

    GilmourB  wrote

    Yes, the problem was that the Remove button on the drop down was greyed out and not usable.

    Well, sounds like "Buggy" behavior. time to try a reset of the preferences file perhaps???

    https://lightroomers.com/replacing-the-lightroom-preference-file/745/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bARt-hoCc2Q

    https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/preference-file-and-other-file-locations---lightroom-6.html

    https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/recover-catalog-images-resetting-lightroom.html

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 22, 2019

    GilmourB  wrote

    I'm cleaning up hard drives space for 2019. Have deleted folders of sessions that I do not need to keep. With sub-solders involved it's faster to delete the parent folders in Explorer then go to LR and Remove the parent folders (and sub-folders) from the Catalog. However, with this update the Remove button is greyed out or when I click it nothing happens. Therefore I can't remove the deleted folders from LR.

    I don't see why it would be faster to delete the folders in Explorer first, but anyway. You talk about a 'Remove button', but there is no such thing. Do you mean that the 'Remove' menu is greyed out when you right-click on a folder?

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    GilmourB
    GilmourBAuthor
    Inspiring
    January 22, 2019

    deleting via LR is much slower;

    1, the deleting itself is slower

    2, must select and delete the photos in each subfolder, then remove the parent folder

    in Explorer one can just delete the parent folder and it removes everything in one click - much, much faster

    Yes, the Remove button with the drop down menu of a right click

    Corporate photographer based in Calgary, Canada and Oviedo, Spain. Making portraits, architectural, industrial and advertising photography for national and global brands.
    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 23, 2019

    GilmourB  wrote

    deleting via LR is much slower;

    1, the deleting itself is slower

    2, must select and delete the photos in each subfolder, then remove the parent folder

    in Explorer one can just delete the parent folder and it removes everything in one click - much, much faster

    Yes, the Remove button with the drop down menu of a right click

    You can remove (not delete from disk) an entire folder hierarchy from the Lightroom catalog in one go by right-clicking on the parent folder and choosing 'Remove'. Then you can delete these folders from disk using Explorer. That is exactly the same as you do now, except using the opposite order. And so that should not take any more time (I haven't tried it, though).

    You say you do get that 'Remove' menu, so what exactly is the problem? Does the menu not work?

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    January 22, 2019

    Cannot delete photos in lightroom as option is greyed out -Mac user

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