Help! My Lightroom Classic wants to create a non-existent subfolder instead of adding to an existing

[Preciouscode]

Hey everyone,

I recently upgraded my MacBook and moved the whole catalog folder onto my new machine. For some reason if I now want to import files, it keeps wanting to make a new "2024" subfolder under my existing 2024 subfolder. It looks like it recognizes the place these images need to go but I don't want to use this folder, I want to use the existing one.

Does anyone know how to get rid of this cache issue? It looks like it's something to do with caching or old catalog settings. 

See the image below to see what I mean:

[Preciouscode]

• To add: I already tried to merge the maps, still comes up with the same recommendation. Also it doesn't even give me a choice. It's either in the non-existent subfolder or nowhere in the 2024 folder. Normally Lightroom creates a folder that's just got the year and date and places it under the year it should be in 

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

The answer is simple and has nothing to do with a cache issue. You selected the wrong folder. You should not select the existing '2024' folder, but its parent folder 'Afbeeldingen LR'.

P.S. For next time: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/mac-help/mh26782/

[Preciouscode]

Hi, thanks for the reply! That's the issue here. It gets greyed out when I try to select the parent folder. It doesn't give me the option. Maybe because there's an already existing map it wants to put the images in?

[JohanElzenga]

Like many Dutch people, you (sometimes) use the word 'map' when you mean 'folder'. A 'map' is a 'kaart' in Dutch. What gets greyed out when you select the parent folder? Can you post a screenshot (a real one, please) that shows this?

[Preciouscode]

Haha true! I always try to use the word folder to clarify. When I select the parent folder "2024" (the upper one) it grey's out the option to import. Only when I select the date these photos were taken (and probably imported before already but removed) on the subfolder it gives me the ability to import 

I'm not at home right now due to Christmas but I can send a screenshot later

[JohanElzenga]

Like I said in my initial answer, you must select the parent folder of the '2024' folder, which is the folder called 'Afbeeldingen LR'. In the part just above the folder path, you selected to create dated folders, and so a '2024' folder will be created, but only if that folder does not exist yet. If you select the current '2024' folder, then Lightroom Classic will create a new '2024' folder because inside the selected '2024' folder, there is no '2024' folder yet. That is what you see in your screenshot. If you select the 'Afbeeldingen LR' folder, then Lightroom Classic does not have to create a new '2024' folder, because that folder already exists. So it will only create new folders by day (if these do not exist). If the folders by day also already exist, then Lightroom Classic will not create any new folders because it doesn't have to create new folders.

Lightroom Classic will not import the same images twice however, and you should not want to do that. So if you are trying to import images that are already (elsewhere perhaps) in the catalog, then the images are greyed out for a good reason.

[Preciouscode]

Oooh really? I didn't realize I thought you had to specify which year but it does make sense! I'll try to do that later today. Sorry I understood you wrong at the first time. 

Thanks a lot!!