New Laptop help

[kate2kate]

With my old laptop I had my catalog on an external hard drive.  I just purchased a new Macbook Pro and downloaded Lightroom Classic, but I don't know how to connect the catalaog I was using. Do I export all the pictures from my old laptop and then import them into the new? Please help! Thank you.

[Chris 486]

Hi Kate!

With your new laptop, what is your ideal situation to be working with LR? Do you have room for all your pictures? do you still want to connect to your external drive? etc. Let us know and we can help guide you on what may be a good way to setup up access on your new machine.

[kate2kate]

Hi Chris 486,

I have 1 TB of storage. I mostly take pictures of jewelry for my etsy store. I delete the photo's I don't like so I am not keeping everything I import. I am open to sugesstions.

[Chris 486]

It'll really come down to personally preference on how you want to work. 

I personally like to keep the catalogues on my actual computer and my work files are seperate. You can just copy and paste your catalogue from your old computer to your new one and open in lightroom.

How to create and manage catalogs in Photoshop Lightroom Classic (adobe.com)

If you decide to move your photos as well, you can just move them and re-point them in LRc as well.

How to find missing photos in Photoshop Lightroom Classic (adobe.com)

It's pretty straight forward overall. You can just move whatever you want to your new laptop and open the catalogue and re-point eh pictures tot heir new locations. ***As always, please have a backup of your files before you start to move or copy anything in teh event it gets accidetnailyl deleted somewhere. Then you'll still be able to have the backup copy to pull from.***

Hope that helps!

[kate2kate]

Hi @Chris 486 

I have followed the directions in the links you provided. I was able to put the catalog on my external drive on my new laptop. I was able to open the catatlog but everything has a ?  next to it. I tried to follow the direction but when I clicked "Find Missing Folder" it opened a window to link it and I did not know what to do at this point.

[dj_paige]

To fix the question mark icons, see (particularly Figure 4) https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

[kate2kate]

OK I am extremly thick headed. When I choose find missing photo (or folder) It takes me to a finder window. But I have no idea where these files are.

[kate2kate]

 What other files can I get rid of?

[DdeGannes]

You can obtain a free digital book on how to move to a new computer. There lots of additional information available there.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/free-downloads/

[kate2kate]

I am still very stuck. Please help. I have followed the instructions.

[DdeGannes]

Provide info on what you have achieved and what you are not able to perform.

Is LrC installed on the new computer?

Have you successfully image files and folders structure to the new computer?

What about the latest Catalog and support data files?

[kate2kate]

I think I screwed this up from the start. I had LRC working on an external hard drive. The I got the new computer and I copied the LRC files and put them in a different folder on the external hard drive. On my new computer I made a folder under pictures called Lightroom and I put the copies in this folder. I opened the catalog that is on my new computer and the pictures seem to be there but they all have ?  I tried to follow the instructions above and failed. To make matters worse I took the copied light room files and put the back where they were on the external drive. I realize I am in over my head. But I use LRC to edit photos for my business. I am not proficient with Lightroom, I do the best I can. I just need to get things working again. Thank you for any help.

[DdeGannes]

That ? Indicates Lightroom Classic Catalog, has lost connection with the location of the folders and files, see the link below for help.

https://lightroomers.com/tutorial-reconnecting-folders-and-photos-in-lightroom-2/

[kate2kate]

I just did this. I found the file by using the path that it says the last place a photo was stored. When I click on the photo it deletes everything in that folder. I am attching a screen print. The folder says paperclip.

[kate2kate]

I think I got this. It just created a new paperclip folder not where the old one is.

Is there away to move these photo files of my external hard drive?