Lightroom classic cannot import all pictures in folder in MacOS

[Stu_135]

Hello, 

I use this catalog between a Macbook Air and a Windows PC.  I have a Nikon 7Z II, and in the manual it states that the camera will make new folders at 5k items (viewable) in a folder.   I know this is large but I figure I'll keep it that way over the 1k folder limit of the DSLRs they've had.  

I find that sometimes my Lightroom classic, only on the MacBook Air, will not find all files to import.  When I went to first report this the folder has less than 4000 files in them, but my last import seemed to be missing files.  I did another import, and I always make it show the dialog so I can select build smart preview, and it told me there were 11 files (this number also seems low but I'd take it) While it sorts through the list of files to import, it eventually reaches zero files to import.  

Before this I had a misconfigured folder with over 6k of files in them.  MacOS had a hard time opening the folder, and Lightroom would miss the last few files.  I corrected it to 5k and eventually it got all the files.  I'm not sure if I did that on the Mac or the PC.  The thing is, throwing anything at LRC on the PC, it sucks it in and it can be manipulated on the Mac with no issue.  Just directly importing from a folder with a large number of files seems to miss some, though the system knows that they are there, at least most of them.  Also I find that if I import on the PC and then tell the Mac to build smart previews for missing items (well just select thefolder) It will go through and process all missing smart previews as expected, so it can read the files.

Right now I'm trying to import files, and while it got most of the files from the last shoot, it stops at around 9485 and checking the folder in finder, I have files going up to 9504.  I haven't checked if all the files it did import are continous.  I do use preserve file naming on the camera.

Other specifics:

Store drive of media file system: NTFS (all files visible in finder)

MacBook Air: M2 model 8GB ram

MacOS: 15 (not a typo)

Library stored on local disk alone with Smart previews. 

LRc 13.5.1

The attached picture is from a M3 MBA with 16 GB of ram.  I went to do the import on a copy of the catalog and let it run as it seemed it was doing something.  This is the error message the system eventually gave.

[JohanElzenga]

"MacOS: 15 (not a typo)"

Lightroom Classic 13.5.1 is not officially supported on MacOS 15, so this might be the issue.

[Stu_135]

I forgot to add that the M3, is running 14.6.1 and I've experienced this before joining the beta on the M2

[Lumigraphics]

You have 8GB of RAM, its gonna struggle with any kind of graphics software.

And don't use Lightroom to handle the import. Copy the files in the Finder and then import them from disk.

[Stu_135]

Thank you for your suggestions but I really was hoping I'd get this to actual Adobe. 

I understand 8GB isn't much, this does not explain what happens on the M3 with 16GB of ram.  LRc has actually been fine on the M2, to my surprise.

I already manage my file structure the way I want and don't let LRc manage that, import from disk, that's the import I'm talking about. Also Apple does not let MacOS write to NTFS only read. The part about it will make smart previes is to show that both MacOS and LRc can enumerate and read these files, but refuse to import them.

[Lumigraphics]

Yes NTFS is read-only and if Lightroom needs to write to that volume you will have problems. Apple recommends NOT using NTFS. And Sequoia is not yet officially suported.

If Lightroom goes nuts with memory use, Force Quit and restart the computer, then give it another try with a much smaller import.

[Lumigraphics]

Oh and if you want tech support from Adobe, use their chat feature to connect with a tech. These are user forums.

[GoldingD]

This community is not the place to contact actual Adobe employees. Oh you might get directed to this community, but that is Adobe hoping other customers can help. Adobe employees rarely enter into these discussions.

Mind you both 8GB and 16GB (on a Apple Unified memory) is low. Oh yes Adobe states 8 GB as bare bones minimum, but expect bare bones performance. And if Unified, the 16 GB is not any better (despite Apple hype IMO)

Contact Adobe. This via a Chat. Before doing so, prepare your notes and information ahead of time as to be more efficient in communicating. Your info that you have posted in your Discussion is a start for the description, and probably have a copy of your LrC /Help/System Info/ as a text document on hand, so that you can paste or attach that into the chat.

To accomplish the Chat, bring up an Adobe webpage, and click on the Chat button. (see image below) This will start a Chat. At first the Chat will be with a chatbot, Typing “Agent” into the chat text field will bypass the initial chatbot. If an agent does not enter the chat then be assertive in requesting an actual Adobe Tech join in the chat.

In the Chat include (as mentioned above) a description of the issue, and probably your System Info. And include a link to your discussion.

You may want to ask for a phone call.

And please keep notes so that you can share them in your post for others to see.

For example, bring up:

https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

and click on the Chat button, typically found in bottom right corner

[Lumigraphics]

I'm using Photoshop and Lightroom Classic on an M1 mini with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB internal drive. Having said that, I don't recommend a barebones configuration unless you know exactly how to avoid problems.

Using NTFS is a really bad idea as well. Support is there mostly for emergency reading of Windows disks, not production.

[Stu_135]

Thanks Golding, I got intouch with Adobe by using Chat, the odd thing is when I got ot contact support I get a list of what I can do, but no actual information, like phone support but no number (no link) chat support or coummunity.  Tried chat support, had to play 50 questions with the chatbot before I got someone.  We're looking into it still.  I'd guess it's something in my catalog if not an issue in the import stuff.  

Funny thing is that I went thorugh support doucments that talk about getting Spindumps and system diags and putting them on the community forum! They really play up this place but I'm use to it in my almost 30 years in IT I've seen companies go that route.



As a general update.  I decided to take my spare 4TB SSD, formatted it as ExFAT and copied the entire file set over to it.  I tried it again and... same results!  Again, if it's not clear, the catalog and supporting files are a native File Sysem, on the system drive, only the media is on anything else. This shouldn't pose a problem for anything readable by the OS.  ExFAT is something that must be supported too as this is what the industry is using.

[Stu_135]

I was running the test, it's not my catalog.  I imported just the Z72 folders, built all the regular and smart prviews.  Ran a sync again and it tells me it has 1 file more to do.  It's freezing up just like the actual catalog.  The Catalog says it has 4,505 files in this folder, finder has it at 4,507.  I know there is a filelist file that's not going to make it to the catalog, so that does leave one file not in there.  Don't want to try and find out that is at the moment.

[lcx12]

I don't know if u solved the problem but I had similar issue. It's nothing about Lightroom, the problem is with MacOS 15 and NTFS disk. Just instal Tuxera NTFS driver (it costs 15 euros) and voila 🙂