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LrC 10.3 folders problem

New Here ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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I am running Lightroom 10.3 on Mac OSX 10.15.7 (Catalina)

I had a problem, and had to reformat my hard disk. I then had to restore the Lightroom library from a backup.

Since then, I have imported photos twice. The problem is, Lightroom "thinks" the new pictures are in a different place compared to where they actually are in the system hierarchy.

For instance, I created a folder called "Kids Dance Summer 2021" in Lightroom > Clients > [client name redacted]  and imported the pictures. Everything seemed normal, until I quit LrC, backed up, then came back a day later and wanted to work on the pictures. The folder is not missing, but in a totally different place in the Lightroom hierarchy, compared to the System hierarchy.  I tried "moving" the folder per menu command in Lightroom, but Lightroom says it already exists in the location I wanted to move it to.
I am including two screenshots to illustrate.  One of Lightroom hierarchy, one of System hierarchy.
I have tried almost all solutions offered  in forums but nothing seems to change the problem.  I would be appreciative of any suggestions...

 

[Mod: screenshots removed at poster's request due to privacy concerns. Redacted screenshots to be posted soon.]

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LEGEND ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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Importing is completely the wrong thing to do. 110% wrong.

 

If you have a copy of your catalog from before the re-format (you do have backups, don't you?), then you need to use that and re-connect the photos (not Import the photos) by following these instructions: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

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New Here ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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First of all - thanks for your response.

I probably didn't make a point clear -  I did not "re-import" the entire Library. It was fine when I re-installed it. All photos were there and I could access them. The problem came after creating new folders (new work) and importing new photos into those folders.
I see the new folders, and the photos are there, but they are in the wrong "place" in the Lightroom hierarchy although in the correct "place" in the system hierarchy. I can not move them within Lightroom - I get error messages such as "this folder already exists in this place", despite it not being in the visibly correct place in the Library hierarchy.

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LEGEND ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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You said, in your original message: "Since then, I have imported photos twice."

 

Okay, then in your second message: "The problem came after creating new folders (new work) and importing new photos into those folders."

 

Did you import using COPY or ADD? It sounds like you have accidentally use COPY instead of ADD, or perhaps had some other setting wrong?

 

Some of us cannot download your screen captures. Screen captures should be included in your reply by clicking on the "Insert Photos" icon, not as attachments. 

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New Here ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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Thanks for your reply.

I import new photos using "COPY" from an SD card into Lightroom.

Sorry did not know about the difference between "Insert Photos" and "Add Files"

Here are the screen shots - first the Lightroom view, then the System folder view.

Screenshot 2021-06-25 at 10.31.45.pngScreenshot 2021-06-25 at 10.37.23.png

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LEGEND ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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So as I examine your screen captures, it seems like the problem you are trying to discuss is that folder "Kids Dance Summer 2021" does not show in Lightroom Classic.

 

This is becuase Lightroom Classic is not a file browser like Windows Explorer or Mac Finder. If you import using COPY and select the "wrong" Destination, LrC makes a copy and puts it into the "wrong" folder (but it is the folder you told LrC to use). So now LrC thinks the photos are in a different folder than you think they are located in. 

 

So, in LrC Folder Panel, find this folder wherever it is. Then right-click (that's on Windows, I know you are using a Mac, but whatever the right-click equivalent is) and select Update Folder Location and then select the folder that you are showing in your screen capture of Mac Finder. Examples and screen captures in "Part 2 — Updating Folder Location" of this document: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

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New Here ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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It seems I am getting deeper and deeper into trouble. I tried updating the  folder location, then moving it. Lightroom asked me if I wanted to "merge" the folders, and after I chose "yes" it renamed the folder, and moved all the contents of my "Tanzraum (Philipp)" folder outside the "Clients" folder and renamed it to "Kids Dance Summer 2021" (subfolder name).

I tried renaming the folder to something completely different, thinking I could move it back into "Clients", and now all pictures have become disconnected from the originals. The originals are still in their original Mac Sys folder location. I tried reconnecting one picture and all disappeared from Lightroom (folders with "?")

I have had it for the day.

Thanks for your attempts to help. 

 

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LEGEND ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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I tried updating the folder location, then moving it.

 

Why did you do both? I only advised "Updating Folder Location"

 

Lightroom asked me ...

 

Let's call it Lightroom Classic or LrC just so there is no confusion; and not call it Lightroom

 

and moved all the contents of my "Tanzraum (Philipp)" folder outside the "Clients" folder and renamed it to "Kids Dance Summer 2021" (subfolder name)

 

You wanted to perform "Update Folder Location" only on the "Kids Dance Summer 20201", not on the parent folder.

 

I tried reconnecting one picture and all disappeared from Lightroom (folders with "?")

 

They didn't disappear, they now appear in LrC in a different folder (because that's what you told LrC to do)

 

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New Here ,
Jun 25, 2021 Jun 25, 2021

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So I solved my problem of the misplaced, unmoveable folder:

This is not the approved way to do things - it was my last resort.

The situation: Through using the "finding" and "merging" commands, I ended up with a muddled mess. A dance school client folder was renamed and sitting outside my main "Clients" folder, and all the dance school class subfolders had "?" beside them (disconnected from originals)

1. I "reconnected" the dance school classes' subfolder images to their contents.

2. I moved  the dance school classes' subfolders by grabbing them in the Lightroom tree and moving them to sit loose into my main "Clients" folder. I got a warning "This will physically move the file on the disk " > "Yes do that"

3. After all subfolders had been reconnected and moved, I created a new dance school client folder with a different but appropriate client name, and moved the loose dance school class subfolders into the new dance school client folder.

 

I could not solve the problem with right-clicking and using commands from the menu. I had to grab the files and move them in the Lightroom tree.

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