Skip to main content
Participant
August 3, 2020
Pregunta

Memory card is wiped after importing to Lightroom

  • August 3, 2020
  • 7 respuestas
  • 1447 visualizaciones

When i import images from my memory card into lightroom the images on the memory card are deleted. Why does this happen and how do i stop it from happening?

7 respuestas

Community Expert
April 16, 2022

This is a known issue with XQD, CFast, and CFExpress card readers. The operating system shows these as external hard disks instead of removable media and Lightroom Classic will not realize it is a memory card and offer you to "Move" images which it won't do if it realizes you are importing from a memory card. There is a feature request here somewhere to change this behavior if Lightroom notices a DCIM folder but it has never been implemented by Adobe.

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 3, 2020

It started when I purchased a Lexar C Fast memory card for my Canon EOS DX MkII.

 

Check at the top center of the import dialog that you do not use MOVE. That should not be available, but it's possible that the CFast card is seen as an external drive, rather than a memory card.

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
kevinb63367207
Participant
April 16, 2022

Has this been resolved? I'm having the same problem.

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 16, 2022

I don't think so, you just have to be careful and select Copy. Adobe can't fix it because it's the OS that treats the card as a hard drive.

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga
GoldingD
Legend
August 3, 2020

Hmm, deleted? Are you seeing they are gone via Finder? or via LrC?

 

GoldingD
Legend
August 3, 2020

In your Import methods, is ADD or MOVE  available. When importing from camera or card, they should not be available. If they are, a problem exists.

 

GoldingD
Legend
August 3, 2020

In the LrC Import options, have you selected to Eject after Import, to automatically eject the card? That saves you from damage when actually removing the card if the computer is still communicating with it.

 

MACOS is especially finicky about that

 

 

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 3, 2020

Please describe exactly how you import. If you use Apple Image Capture, then this could happen because this is an option in Image Capture.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
Participant
August 3, 2020

I use a card reader and import in lightroom from the card reader. I have been doing this for years without problems. It started when I purchased a Lexar C Fast memory card for my Canon EOS DX MkII. I do not know what apple capture is so I assume I am not using apple capture.

TheDigitalDog
Inspiring
August 3, 2020

LR never deletes after an import as other's have stated so it would have to be some other application, perhaps from Lexar (?) that is taking over this task. 

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
JP Hess
Inspiring
August 3, 2020

That is not a normal Lightroom procedure, and should not be happening. It is recommended that images on the card should be deleted in the camera, and that the card should be formatted in the camera. Does this happen every time? What operating system are you using? Also, what exact version of Lightroom are you using?

Participant
April 1, 2025

I experience the same difficulty with my CFexpress memory card - the images are wiped once I have imported them.  Is there a way to prevent this from happening?

 

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 1, 2025

At the top center of the import dialog, select 'Copy' (or 'Copy as DNG'), not 'Move'.

 

-- Johan W. Elzenga