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.

[neech2000]

@Charzzzz did you uninstall older PS apps or older PS LR? And agree, Adobe should just fix this and if necessary build the uninstall in. 

[mtimko]

I am still having this problem as of April 2022. I uninstalled the older version of PS, and I am using the latest version of LR. Still getting duplicates. My current workaround is to allow all the photos to load and then I click on "don't import suspected duplicates." Or, if I inadvertently import the duplicates, I search the image set for "-2" and delete all the duplicates.

[Charzzzz]

PS apps. 

[André Mora]

I am having this issue with a brand new catalog — brand new camera, SD card, and a MacBook Air that is up-to-date along with all of my Creative Suite apps. Yesterday I imported hundreds of images from my Fujifilm X-T4, via USB-C cable, no problems. Today, it's recognizing many of the same imags on the same SD card as duplicates. When I did a small test import I got the same filenames with "-2". I don't have an SD slot on my Air or else I would try to insert the card directly into my computer.

The only unusual thing that I did in a previous import session was to accidentally import a YEAR/DATE folder within a DATE folder. I moved the images into the correct folder with Lightroom closed and then I relocated the images when I opened the app again. I've done things like this many times in the past, and it worked as expected. Not sure how that would affect the images capture time to disrupt the duplicate check.

[André Mora]

Of course you always remember something the second after you post.

During a previous import of this same camera/card I used Image Capture first, to download the images into a holding folder. I did this just to check size the total size (jpgs+raw files) of that day's shoot. Later I imported them into Lightroom Classic.

Lightroom must be seeing a difference between the images that were "moved" from disk, and the images that are currently on the card in the camera. They are the identical otherwise.

[neech2000]

For my particular upload, the card had been formatted, all the images were brand new, and not only did I get -2 but I also got -3! So I imported 300 images and got 900. Ridiculous. Also going into a brand new folder in lightroom. I didn't have this problem a few months ago. My lightroom and PS are fully up to date as well. This started after the most recent update. 2022

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

The issue from the original poster on this thread was fixed 18 months ago. I suspect you may have a different issue. You should consider starting a new thread with detailed information about your import process and hardware

Include:

• OS Information
• Complete information about all storage
• Import method (Cable, reader, copy to drive and import)
• Lightroom Version
• Step by step import steps to reproduce this
• Power settings for computer and drives

-X are added by the OS when a file in a destination already exists. I suspect a race condition but I have not been able to reproduce this behavior. 

[Whiskeyomega]

This is the same issue that was never fixed. Lots of people are having the same issue. The issue that was fixed in 11.01 has come up again as of at least 11.2. Its the same photos as the bug in 11.0 so it is the same bug 

[bdlamkin]

Let me add to the battle and say that I too am experiencing duplicate CR2 (RAW) files plus 1 JPEG file for each photo.  I do shoot RAW + JPEG.  Looking back through my library it looks like this started around May 2021.  I am using LRC 11.3 with Camera Raw 14.3

[kentdesign]

The ODD part is that the duplicates are only happening to some people! Can you try drag copying the files from the card to a folder on the desktop. Then ejecting the card and then laucnhing LRC and importing from the folder as usual?

[kentdesign]

I am wondering if the differences might be because of differences in cards and/or card readers, or even the cables?

[neech2000]

New

[neech2000]

That's a ridiculous workflow to have to go through for something that should work. 

[M.Hallahan]

Since this issue is still happening... On import, Adobe LR Classic duplicates all images I import via "devices". The work around for me is to import from "files" instead. This is fine but I'd love to know why Adobe hasn't yet fixed this issue ( or at least properly diagnosed it as an issue specific to hardware configuration ) after so much time has gone by.

[kentdesign]

So you see the word Devices in your import dialog box?

[kentdesign]

Here is a screen shot of my import dialog box: And I import from any of these options and do not get duplicates.

just to be sure, Is your version of LR up to date?  Just trying to figure out what is going on.

[M.Hallahan]

Here is my import dialog box. If I choose to import via "Devices" ( as I used to do ), Lightroom dupliactes every image. If I rename the files on import it counts the duplicate as just another file and the dupes get the even numbers. If I don't rename the files the dupes filenames are amended with "-2". This happens regardless of my choices in the right hand panel.

This is not a giant problem as importing via "Files" works just fine. I'm mostly just curious about why Adobe doesn't seem interested in responding to this.

Rick Spaulding's post stating that the issue was fixed in a release on 10.20.2020 clearly doesn't apply to all of us and if it was simply a hardware issue ( using an inappropriate reader, having the reader too far down the usb3 chain, etc ), I'd love to know. I'd just buy a new reader...or whatever is needed.

Currently running Lightroom Classic 11.3.1 but this import problem has been around for several updates and there seems to be no shrotage of people having the same issue.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Opened new bug for investigation. Issue is still not reproducible save very sporadically. In months of attempting to reproduce, it has only happened to me once and was not repeatable. 

Previous bug was only partially related to this failure. 

[kentdesign]

Thank you for checking, Rikk!

[atschreiner]

I tracked this down a bit two days ago using MacOS 12.3 and LrC 11.3.1:

• I imported from an SD card to a folder. The 'treat jpeg next to raw as separate' preference was NOT checked, i.e. there should have been 7 NEF+JPEG pictures in the LrC folder.
• I had checked to eject the card following the import and LrC reported that it had ejected. When I pulled the card out after that message, MacOSX griped about illegally ripping out a disk... Not sure what LrC believes it ejected...
• Instead of 7 there were 14 pictures in the LrC folder, NEF and JPEG separate.
• I looked around, checked and unchecked the preference — no result.
• I synced the folder and LrC griped about 7 missing pictures (all JPEGs) which I let it remove. Now there were 21 files on disk: seven NEF, seven JPEG, and seven -2.NEF (the infamous duplicates). I'm not sure just exactly what was 'missing'.

Next  I renamed the folder in LrC and imported again:

• First I toggled the preference a few times and left it unchecked, i.e., NOT treat as separate.
• Then, when I looked at the import preview, there were 7 pictures, all NEF (previously there had been 14, NEF and JPEG). Following the import I have 7 NEF+JPEG pictures in LrC and 14 files on disk (NEF and JPEG separate).

At least in this sequence things went wrong when I synced the folder and let LrC remove the missing pictures, and I think it all started because LrC ignored the preference during my first import.

[MindStormPhoto]

I have a Sony 7R3 and 7R4. I shoot only RAW, and import into LR Classic 11.3. This has worked well for years.
However, recently, SOME imports (not all, sometimes on the 7R3 and sometimes on the 7R4, with no pattern I have discerned), every image is duplicated in LR…?
 
That is, one image will be xx_001, then the exact same image will be xx_002. The next image (second on the SD card) will be both image xx_003 AND xx_004, etc.
 
When this happens, I have to scroll through all the images, rejecting every second image, then deleting all rejected images. Needless to say, on an import of 1000 images, that is a RPITA… 
 
Is this a known bug on the current version of LR? I think this started with the latest update, though I cannot be absolutely sure of that. We are now traveling in Bali, so I don’t have all my tools from home to investigate further.
 
Oh yes, this is on a 2019 Macbook Pro, fully maxed out, running OSX 12.3.1.
 
Also, there are about 4000 images in the current catalog. This started happening on my main catalog of 400,000 images, so I broke off, started a new catalog, and have 4000 from the past weeks of traveling (Turkey, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Borneo, Bali). Same behavior in both catalogs.

[aafisher]

I, too, have been having this problem for over a year now. Even on a brand new computer with a fresh installation of LR 11.3.1, it happens everytime I import (copy) from a removable card. See attachments.

The only workaround I have found is to manually copy all the images to a folder to non-removable media, then Add the contents from Import, or to Synchronize a folder. The bug exists in Copying from removable media.

[aafisher]

I didn't mention that I'm referring to Lightroom Classic

[kentdesign]

Apparently this duplication upon import issues happens sporatically and only for some users. Rikk Flohr, the ADobe Photography advocate has been looking into this for all of us. If it were consistently reproduceable, then we would already have a fix. Here is what Rikk said, "

Opened new bug for investigation. Issue is still not reproducible save very sporadically. In months of attempting to reproduce, it has only happened to me once and was not repeatable. 
Previous bug was only partially related to this failure. "

[aafisher]

It does not happen "only sporadically" for me. The problem first began a year or more ago. At first, it only happened with files imported from a Micro SD card used in my drone. Recently, LRC duplicates every single file imported from any memory card. This happens on every single import. You're welcome to do a remote session to see it in action.

The workarounds that I've discovered are to either 1) copy all images first to a local volume, then use the Add tool on import (versus Copy), or 2) to add the files to an existing LR-cataloged folder, then use the Synchronize tool. I believe the problem lies in the Copy tool, which is unfortunately very important to simplify workflow.