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S
Sutherland623
Participant
July 31, 2022
Question

Folders not showing up under the root folder in the Library module

  • July 31, 2022
  • 1 reply
  • 835 views

I am using version 11.4.1 of LR Classic, on my PC with Windows 10.  I recently backed up my photos to 3 external hard drives using SynchBack (drives G, I and J).  In the left panel of the Library module, I organize my photos by date (year/month/day) underneath the root folder, for example:

               LR Library
                              2015
                                             January
                                             February
                                             Etc.

When I review the properties of each HD, they contain the same used space. 

For some reason, I can’t see the folders for the years 2020 and 2021 in drive G.

My first question is: how do I get drive G to display the folders for 2020 and 2021?

 

If I add drive I to the left panel of the Library module, and then click to open up the folders on drive I, I see the 2020 and 2021 subfolders, and LR prompts me to “Add” photos to catalog without moving them.  Should I click “Done” at this point?

 

Thanks!

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 31, 2022

If these are backups, then you should not add them to Lightroom Classic at all! Adding backup images to Lightroom means you'll have duplicates in Lightroom, which is asking for confusion because edits to one image will not propagate to the duplicate image. Backups are only for use if and when you have a problem with the originals.

 

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
S
Sutherland623Author
Participant
July 31, 2022

Thanks, Johan, for the prompt reply.  Do you have a sense of how I can get the working LR drive to recognize the folders for 2020 and 2021?  Thanks again.

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
August 1, 2022

Does Lightroom see those folders on another drive? If so, right-click on the folder and choose 'Update Folder Location'. That allows you to link another copy of the folder.

 

If Lightroom does not see any copy of these folders on any drive, then it looks like they were removed from the catalog somehow. If you have a catalog backup that does show then, then you can use this backup to restore the two folders: export them as a new catalog from the backup, then use 'Import from another catalog' and import this catalog in your current catalog.

 

If you do not have a catalog backup that shows the folders either, then re-importing them (use add to only add them to the catalog and not move or copy them) is the only solution. In that case you will lose all your edits for the images in these folders however,  so that's your last option.

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
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