P: Import is creating OS - level duplicate files named (-2) when using Devices rather than Files

[cs_i_say]

Since I upgraded to lightroom classic from lightroom 5.7.1, imports are now importing duplicate images, even though I have checked don't import suspected duplicates. It happens on both my nikon and canon camera images.

[Victoria Bampton LR Queen]

Are these newly captured photos? Or ones that have been on the card for a long time?

[cs_i_say]

These are new photos and some older ones (maybe a few weeks). It seems to just randomly import images that have already been imported....and the thing is I know it is recognizing the duplicates because it renames the files with a '-2' on the end of the filename.

[COBill]

I'm probably out of date as I no longer use this feature but a suspected duplicate had to match the capture date and file name exactly. Not sure how it happens but copying files between folders can sometimes change the capture date. Because the file name is identical, a suffix must be added as 2 files with the same name cannot exist in the same folder. But something else is enough different that it does not treat them as the same image.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

The exact criteria for Classic is  File Size/Filename/Capture Date. If all three match it is a duplicate. If they do not it is not treated thusly. If you rename when importing this will make the duplicate check fail on Filename.

[COBill]

He said that he is getting -2 added to the file name so we know that is matching.

Windows only comment: on Windows there are 2 sizes for a file. 1) actual size; 2) size on disk. Moving the file won't change the actual size but the size on disk is affected by both the disk technology (SSD vs HD...) and how it was formatted.

Perhaps Lightroom is checking the latter size?

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

OS?
Is the drive formatted as Case-sensitive?
Screenshots of the Folder/Import Dialog?

[cs_i_say]

Windows 10...I wonder if it has to do with windows not being able to read .CR2 data. (I just switched over to a Canon 6d mark ii from a nikon d3300). I noticed that in addition to thumbnails not being displayed for cr2 files, in windows explorer|file properties|details  all the camera fields are blank...so 'date taken' etc are all blank. But I would assume that wouldn't affect lightrooms ability to read and compare that data, which I assume exists in the raw file even though windows doesn't display it...

Btw, I think I figured out why the Nikon files imported again...I used to convert to .dng, but now with the new Canon I am just copying the raw files, so when I imported this morning it makes sense that it made new copies of the photos since they were NEF and not DNG. HOWEVER...the import was only partial, and I did a couple of imports of my Nikon card, and each time it only imported a subset of all the files that could be imported. So why is that? Why wouldn't it import all the files on the card again, instead of spreading out over 2 different imports? That is really weird. Anyways, so it is apparently just the Canon .CR2 files that are getting duplicated with the filename being appended with a '-2'.

Also, thanks for all your responses, I will do some more digging here as well...

[cs_i_say]

[verhijden]

Hi! Same problem over here!!

[cs_i_say]

The work around for me *seems* to be to let lightroom show all the previews first, before hitting the final import button. It's annoyingly time consuming, but so far I haven't had the issue since I started doing that.

[verhijden]

Thanks for the tip. This occurs since the last update.... pretty annoying.

[verhijden]

Same problem here, with MacOS Catalina, since the last LR update 9.3 june 2020 ( with .NEF files reading from a card reader )

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

We've logged a bug for this issue. Follow this thread for updates when this is fixed. 

[Rick Spaulding -]

Greetings,

Updates for the Adobe Photography Products were released on 10.20.2020 that include fixes for these issues. Please install the most recent update and confirm that your issue is now fixed. Please let us know if you encounter any issues.

Thank you for your patience.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

@Rick 

I'm still having this issue. I have the most-recent version of lightroom classic installed.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Me too, it's driving me crazy, is there any way to quickly identify and delete the duplicates while we wait for a fix?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

I have the same problem . Importing file after update is creating 2 files for the same picture . It’s making a duplicate!!!! What the heck!!! Imagine when you import 3000 pictures 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Same problem for me after updating last version!!!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

@Rick

Not to pile on, but I'm also having the same issue as decribed here. It started with the version that introduced the Hue slider to the local adjustments (9.3?) at the time I checked with support and their solution was for me to downgrade and wait for an update to resolve the issue. Now I'm on ver. 10 of Classic (and Creative Cloud says I'm up to date) and I'm still having the same issue. On import, LRC displays both the RAW and sidecar jpeg files and imports both. I have the setting to NOT treat the jpegs as separate files. Following the advice of Support the last time, I uninstalled and reinstalled. Fixed the problem for only one import. Then back to the same problem. What's going on? HOW to fix? Permanently. This is annoying now.

[tom1973]

Does anyone know if there is a fix yet 

[tom1973]

4 months since you posted this surely you have a fix by now

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

This was fixed in October with the release of 10.0
Are you using this release?

[Arnold-Norway]

@Rikk , I have used the Rename file function for years, to avoid duplicate file names. Many cameras start file naming over for every 10000 images (_DSC1234 og DSC_1234). 
Lightroom Classic and predecessors have always treated duplicates reliably for me. I appreciate this function so much.

I have experienced significant problems with duplicate file names when helping people locate missing/offline photographs in catalog. I am running a Norwegian user support group with 7000 members.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

This has not been fixed.  I'm using the 10.0 version and this has happened to me twice this week.  Just moments ago, in fact.  

[COBill]

Bjorn_B,

Did you see Rikk's comment regarding whether the drive was formatted as "case sensitive"? Only applies to MacOS or running a virtual instance of Windows under Linux.