Skip to main content
FencerPhotos
Participant
May 9, 2022
Question

Moving external drive to different PC

  • May 9, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 168 views

I have both my LR catalog & photos on an external drive.  It is attached to my laptop as drive D:.  If I move the external drive to my desktop the drive letter changes to G:.  Will the change in drive letter cause any problems with the LR catalog?

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 10, 2022

"problems"- Yes, but easily fixed!

On Drive G The LrC Catalog will still be 'looking' for a connected Drive D and show all Folders (and photos) as "Missing". ([?]on folders, [!] on photos). There a two ways to fix-

 

1) Easiest (and permanent) way- Rename the external Drive to a letter further along the alphabet. eg. Rename it to  the P Drive. (Photos-get it?) Then it will always be the P drive no matter which computer it is plugged.

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/lightroom-loses-photo-location-after-drive-letter-change---windo.html?red=a

Then Re-link Missing Files and Folders to the P Drive as in the following link (only needs doing once!)-

 

2)The annoying way- Relink the 'Missing' folders in the folder panel each time you swap the drive to another computer.

MISSING FILES AND FOLDERS-(Computer Darkroom)

 

Nothing in the fix requires Importing or Synchronizing folders!!!  NO IMPORTING!

Your Catalog Preferences may also need adjusting to always start/open the Catalog on the P Drive.

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.4.1, Photoshop 27.8, ACR 18.4, Lightroom 9.4, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .