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New Replacement external hard drive

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
September 14, 2025
2 replies
465 views

I keep my working photos on an external hard drive in a folder labled photos. Recently the connector failed and a technician was able to copy the contents to a new external hard drive. Lightroom is able to see the new external hard drive, but Im unable to see the folder labled photos. Therefore, I am unable to see any of my working folders. FYI, under the photos folder, I have yearly working folders (e.g. 2023, 2024, etc). Any suggestions? Also, my computer is a Macbook Pro.

macOS

Correct answer JohanElzenga

This info suggests you are using a 10 years old version of what is now called Lightroom Classic! Is that really true?

Renaming your new external drive so it has the exact same name as the old one did should solve your problem without any further action (providing the technician managed to preserve your folder hierarchy).

Conrad_C

Community Expert

Lightroom is able to see the new external hard drive, but Im unable to see the folder labled photos.
By @exquisite_artwork4144

Is that folder visible when looking at the hard drive on the macOS Finder desktop, without Lightroom running?

If it is, you should be able to reconnect Lightroom to it using Step 1 in the link that dj_paige posted.

If you don’t see it in the Finder desktop, then it might not have been successfully recovered from the old hard drive.

But first, try JohanElzenga‘s suggestion to make sure the name of the replacement hard drive is exactly the same as the old one, because Lightroom tracks image locations by their folder paths, including the volume name.

E

exquisite_artwork4144Author

Participating Frequently

OK, renamed the hard drive to the old name and re-connected the Library. This worked! Now just need to figure out why my subscription is still allowing me to use outdated software.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

OK, renamed the hard drive to the old name and re-connected the Library. This worked! Now just need to figure out why my subscription is still allowing me to use outdated software.

By @exquisite_artwork4144

It should allow you to use the most recent version of the Lightroom you know, but -as explained- that version is not called 'Lightroom' or 'Lightroom CC', but Lightroom Classic. So install Lightroom Classic, open your catalog with it, allow Lightroom Classic to upgrade your catalog (it will make an upgrade copy) and then you should have all the new features you've been paying for the last ten years.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

You posted this in the Lightroom ecosystem forum, but are you indeed using Lightroom or Lightroom Classic? Lightroom stores its images online, so this sounds like you are using Lightroom Classic.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

E

exquisite_artwork4144Author

Participating Frequently

I'm using Lightroom CC.

Jim Wilde

Community Expert

Please go to the Help Menu>System Info and tell us the version number that is listed there. We still don't know the actual version that you are using, as the term "Lightroom CC" no longer exists and in the past it was used (at different times) for both types of "Lightroom". So the version number will clear this up.

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