P: Export command limits choice of export destinations

[FrancoisCKX]

In Lightroom, the Export command won't let me choose an export directory, even when I choose "Specific Folder" in the "Export To:" field. My choices is limited to my desktop. I cannot even choose an other hard drive.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

It sounds like the same problem as in this thread:

http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...

In which case the solution is to simply type the full path of the folder you are exporting to in the text entry box at the bottom of the file browser dialog.

[FrancoisCKX]

Eh, sorry Jim, no such easy fixes here I'm afraid. I don't want to back-up a catalog, I want to export Raws as Jpegs. When I use the Export dialog to do this, I can't choose my own drive to export my Jpegs to but my choice is limited to my Desktop...

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Francois, can you post a screenshot of the dialog please? Is there a section at the bottom that would allow you to type a path? And have you tried cleaning up all the stuff on your desktop, as that seems to be a regular factor in this problem.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

The same problem, where it exists, can apply to both Export and Catalog Backup....the same solution works for both as well. Read through that whole thread and you will see a link to a thread at Lightroom Forums in which Export was the issue, and the fix is usually as simple as typing the drive path in the Folder box at the bottom of the "Browse for files or folders" dialog.

[FrancoisCKX]

Victoria, I have added two screenshots, one from my desktop and one from the Export dialog

Image is not available

and one from the Export Dialog itself:

Image is not available

It seems strange that desktop clutter could cause this problem, but then again, stranger things have happened and it is probably be a good impetus to start cleaning things up a bit... Although I still think that no computer program should have that much power over me 😉

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Although 'desktop clutter' seems to be a part of this problem, I'm not sure that you actually have to start cleaning it up in order to get the Export working correctly. Usually the workaround which I've twice mentioned is sufficient to restore ongoing access to your other drives.

Have you actually tried it yet, because if you have and it didn't work that would be something else for us to investigate.

[FrancoisCKX]

Jim, It's interesting that you bring this solution up. When I try it, I get this:

Image is not available

I can then continue to write out the full path to the folder that I want to use. While doing so, LR will keep offering me all sorts of directories and files that can be reached from the directory I am at at the moment of typing, as in the image above. However, when I am done and then hit return to finalize my choice, I get this again:

Image is not available

So it looks like your solution works, but then when it come s to actually pointing LR3 toi the right directory, it turns out that my choice of directory is not accepted.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I'm guessing that you typed in a path to a new folder (i.e. intending to create it during the export). If that's the case, you could either create the empty sub-folder first using Explorer, as then that folder should appear when you start typing the path in the file browser box....when you see the folder, click on it and you should then be able to click OK and everything should work.

Alternatively, select the parent folder that you are trying to export into, click OK, then when you are returned to the main Export window use the 'Into Subfolder' option to create the new sub-folder.

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

> Although I still think that no computer program should have that much power over me

It's a feature! 😉 But it would be interesting to know if clearing up the desktop does the trick, as it'll give the engineers a specific place to look for the solution.

[FrancoisCKX]

Jim, this actually does work. When I enter an existing folder, my choice is actually registered and the files get exported to that folder without problems. I guess the point was that previously, I did try to create a new folder and export into it in one go. Which appears too much for LS3 (or Windows 7?) to handle.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Apparently so...something else to learn and include in advice to anyone else hitting the same problem.

Now that you have done a successful export, it would also be interesting to know if you have to use the same workaround for future exports, or have your external drives now been properly 'registered' and appear in the browser window as normal?

[FrancoisCKX]

Jim, I have tried an earlier suggestion, which is to de-clutter my desktop, and that _does_ seem to give a permanent solution. I have shut down and restarted Windows and I can still reach my other drives now in LR3. So that one seems to be permanent. I will re-clutter my desktop and see if your solution also registers properly.

[FrancoisCKX]

Victoria, this actually works. Cleaning up my desktop and stuffing everything into two folders on my desktop has opened up the normal situation again. I now get "Computer" as an option again when I click "Choose" in the Export Location part of the Export dialog. Hope this helps.

[J453]

Definitely looks like the same issue at the root as:

http://feedback.photoshop.com/photosh...

Workaround is to simply type the full path of the folder you are exporting to in the text entry box at the bottom of the file browser dialog or clean up the desktop so there aren't so many files on it.

Knowledge Based document on this issue:

Locations for import, export, and backup are limited | Lightroom 3 | Windows

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I know this thread is 11 months old, but I'm very glad I found it! I had this same issue with 'export location' in LR3. It did not show all the folders I wanted to export images to.

I just typed the path to the folder I needed (as stated above) and not only did it find that folder, it found the entire C: drive and all the folders that I needed.

So thanks for the this great forum! Marvinh

[J453]

This issue is fixed in Lightroom 4 and later.