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Ken Nielsen
Ken Nielsen
Legend
May 25, 2024
Answered

Need guidance to create a new catalog- and then import existing catalog photos into

  • May 25, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 3246 views

I need to re-create my Lightroom catalog as I suspect the existing catalog is corrupt as it cannot be backed up. I've hired consultants to help but only result now is I've created a new empty catalog and found that indeed it can be backed up. So now for the second step. bringing in the existing library of photos so that it shows up nice and organized as it did in the old catalog. I've tried importing twice now and wind up with a mess both times. Where can I find straightforward help to accomplish this?

 

TIA,

Ken

    Correct answer richardplondon

    Okay, perfect, but now it only exported one folder with 21 images not the entire catalog. Do I need to select the folders? it will only let me select one image at a time so I don't think that is the isslue. Selecting nothing would be best. You would think that expporting catalog would be enough to export the entire catalog and not just individual items. I'll be so glad when this is resolved.

     


    Did you click in All Photographs? AFAICT this feature exports whatever is currently showing in the Filmstrip / in Grid view.  So if you are clicked to view just a certain folder, then that folder's contents is the maximum you will get. Furthermore, if you've also checked the option "Export selected photos only", you won't necessarily get all of those even - perhaps none - depending on which photos within that folder are currently highlighted (selected).

    2 replies

    B
    Bogiebooo
    Inspiring
    May 26, 2024
    I had something very similar to this happen to me after I downloaded Version 13….I ended up calling Adobe…800-833-6687…the lady I spoke to at Adobe put me through to some tech guy…..I also couldn’t export to PS……He said I needed to send them my catalogue…he took control of my computer and got the catalogue…within 24 hours Adobe contacted me that they had corrected my catalogue and they wanted to send it back…they did so and they also helped me reload the catalogue….Everything works find now.
      Ken Nielsen
      Ken NielsenAuthor
      Legend
      May 26, 2024

      This is probably what I will need to do and hopefully will have the good fortune that you've had. After wrestling with this for months now. Thanks Boglebooo for the tip. It will be so good to have this resolved and a catalog working normally again.

      R
      Community Expert
      richardplondonCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      May 25, 2024

      In the new empty catalog - you do know NOT to use "import photos and videos", right?

       

      Rather, you want "import from another catalog" - the screenshot is from Windows but I am sure MacOS will have a similar menu.

       

       

      The outcome is that the existing catalog's information about:
      what images are imported from what folders, how those are organised virtually (Collections, keywords etc), how edited and with what History - all gets merged in wholesale. 

       

      Ken Nielsen
      Ken NielsenAuthor
      Legend
      May 25, 2024

      At this point I am readily admitting that I know nothing. Your comment aligns perfectly with what I'm gathering now... press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) to get this Import Catalog menu and then choose 'Import From Another Catalog and then choose 'Import Catalog.' This gets me a step in the right direction but I realize there are still more choices as you mention. The next thing will be to choose the catalog I am importing from.  So far good? After I choose the catalog to import from then there will be options  which you name. I want to be darn careful I choose all of the right options so this will be successful. I would like this thread to be so complete that others who want to do the same will be able to reference and do the same.

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