Skip to main content
J
Jonathan316
Known Participant
February 15, 2024
Question

Changing LR Catalogue From One HD To Another

  • February 15, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 513 views

I have been using a 1 TB LaCie SSD for my processed digital files from the past few years, which I carry around with my MacBook Pro, along with a number of other portable hard drives which are used for my original raw files.  (I have this 1 TB drive backed up to my 48 TB RAID at the office.) All files in this 1 TB SSD are in a Lightroom Catalogue called LaCie Traveling Files. I've just purchased a Samsung 4 TB SSD to replace the 1 TB drive, since I've run out of space, and I have copied over all the files from the 1 TB drive to the 4 TB drive. I would like to be able to continue using all the Lightroom settings that I have created for the images in the 1 TB drive for the same images that are now on the 4 TB drive. I assume that there is a way to do this so that I don't lose all my original LR settings. So my question is, how do I move my LR Catalogue from the 1 TB drive to the 4 TB drive, which I plan to rename Samsung 4 TB Traveling Files? Thanks!

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    1 reply

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    February 15, 2024

    You copy the catalog file, using Mac Finder, to the new drive. You copy the photos, using Mac Finder, to the new drive, keeping the folder location of the photos, the folder names and the folder hierarchy EXACTLY the same; do not move photos or folders within the hierarchy; do not rename any photos or folders (renaming the drive is fine).

     

    Then you open the catalog file on the new SSD and point the catalog to the new location of the photos, see these instructions (particularly Figure 4): http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

    J
    Jonathan316Author
    Known Participant
    February 16, 2024

    Thank you. That gets me almost there. I had copied everything from the old LaCie HD to the new Samsung HD using Chronosync so that the new drive has the same exact folders and hierarchy as the old one. When I did the Update Folder Location function, it worked perfectly. But I suspected that—while LR was connected to the folders on the new drive— it was still connected to the Lightroom Catalogue on the old drive. So I closed LR and backed it up. I ejected the old HD so LR wouldn't use the catalogue in the old drive. Then when I opened LR again, I had to first locate what I thought was the correct LR catalogue on the new drive, which had been copied over from the old drive previously. I connected to it and all the photographs immediately had that little box in the top right corner with the [!] inside indicating that it couldn't find the images. I didn't see anything in that article about what to do with the LR Catalogue to keep things working. I'm not sure if I should bring the backup that I had made when I closed out LR, after doing the Update Folder location action, over to the new drive and try to connect with it. Or if I should click on the little box and try to locate the images. Or something else. What do you suggest? (All the photographs in the old HD remain intact exactly as they had been.) Thank you!

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    February 17, 2024

    But I suspected that—while LR was connected to the folders on the new drive— it was still connected to the Lightroom Catalogue on the old drive. 

     

    Not correct. If you connected the LrC catalog on one drive, the LrC catalog on another drive doesn't know about this and still thinks the photos are missing. So Update Folder Location on the catalog that is not connected to the photos, and then use only one catalog from this point forward. Use whatever catalog you want to use ... and then delete or archive the other catalog file so you don't wind up using it accidentally.

    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices