Changing LR Catalogue From One HD To Another

Report · Feb 15, 2024

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!

Report · Feb 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

Report · Feb 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!

Report · Feb 16, 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.

Report · Feb 16, 2024

Thank you for trying to help me figure this out. Unfortunately, I'm not really following what you're saying here. But this is what I found that I can't explain but I'm sure will tell you what's going on: I connect both the old and new HDs to my computer. I open the LR catalogue on the new HD (I check the path) and it looks and acts fine. I export a file and it works normally. Now, I disconnect the old HD. As far as I know, LR is still connected to the catalogue on the new HD. A few moments after ejecting the the old HD, that little box appears in the top right corner of each image [!] letting me know that it can't find the image. Why does LR lose connection to the images on the new HD? It still appears to be connected to the catalogue on the new HD when the old drive is ejected.

Report · Feb 17, 2024

As far as I know, LR is still connected to the catalogue on the new HD.

Perhaps you mean that you have OPENED the LrC (not LR) catalog on the new HD. Is that what you are trying to say? Because there really is no concept that the software LrC is "connected" to one catalog or another.

A few moments after ejecting the the old HD, that little box appears in the top right corner of each image [!] letting me know that it can't find the image.

You disconnected the disk where LrC thinks the photos are located. So any previous attempts at connecting a LrC catalog to your photos was not done properly.

Here are the steps I would follow:

Disconnect the disk you don't want to use (I think this is the 1TB disk), and don't confuse the issue by plugging it back in, except in emergencies as a backup.
Open the catalog which is on disk that is still plugged in (I think this is the 4TB disk).
Connect the catalog in step 2 to the photos on the disk that is still plugged in (I think this is the 4TB disk).

Report · Feb 17, 2024

Thank you! It's working now! I appreciate your help!