"You can not import from the active Lightroom catalog"

[stevenp15666665]

I just moved my Lightroom Catalog from my mac to my new PC.

I tried "import from a new catalog" and got the error message

You can not import from the active Lightroom catalog.

What should I do?

[Laura Shoe]

From that message it sounds like you're in catalog A, and you're choosing with that command to import catalog A into catalog A - this doesn't jive with the functions purpose, which is to allow you to combine two catalogs by importing catalog B into A. I'm not clear what your goal is with this. 

To use your catalog on your new computer, if you're not already in it when you open Lightroom (i.e. if you don't see your photos), go out to Windows Explorer/My Computer and double-click on the .lrcat file (i.e. the catalog file) that you moved over. This will launch LR with that catalog. Then go into Edit (PC) or Lightroom (Mac) and on the General tab under startup, rather than "load most recent" choose that catalog from the dropdown so that Lightroom always loads with it.

[stevenp15666665]

My problem is, the lightroom catalog folder I have now is blank.  Also, I'm trying to export my entire catalog from my mac to put onto my pc and it froze.

So I'm feeling kind of stuck...not really sure where to go from here.

I'm sure that's horribly vague, I apologize.

[Just Shoot Me]

When you started LR for the first time on your other computer it auto created a catalog. that is the Blank one.

If you Copied your catalog and all your images over from your older computer to your new computer all you have to do is Open that Copied catalog.

Go to File > Open Catalog and browse your hard drive to where you saved the catalog you copied from the other computer.

[Laura Shoe · Accepted solution]

Hi Steven,

Read my article on how to move your Lightroom catalog. It first tells you how to find it.

[stevenp15666665]

That worked! Wow thank you! I guess I was missing something before.

[stevenp15666665]

Although now apparently something else is messed up because the files "could not be read or the destination folder is not writeable"

Good grief haha if it's not one thing. I think it may have to do with my folder structure but I don't know how.

[Just Shoot Me]

It has to do with permissions. The folders you copied over where your images are stored don't have the correct READ & WRITE permissions. It could also be the Top Level folder your image folders are under doesn't have the correct permissions.

[stevenp15666665]

You're talking about on the PC correct? I am a complete windows newbie but it sounds similar to folder permissions on my mac.

[Just Shoot Me]

Yes. Please post the Complete path to where your images are stored.

That would be something like.

C:\Users\YourUserName\Pictures      Or whatever it really is.

You do that in Windows File Explorer.

To change permissions on Windows right click on the top level folder and select properties. In the Properties window select the Security tab and add your user name to the list. and give it Full Control. Don't change or remove anything else in that dialog.

[Laura Shoe]

There's no need to export / import your catalog - you'll just move the folder and launch the catalog from there.

[stevenp15666665]

C:\Users\Steven\Pictures

Images are within Lightrooms pre built 2015 and 2016 folders.

Both allow full control of editing.

However, I'm now realizing all my images I'm trying to import are 2017 images. Will I need to manually create a 2017 folder?

[Just Shoot Me]

You can create a folder called 2017. Need more info on the import options you are selecting.

Open the import dialog and take a screen shot of it. You use the Snipping Tool to do that. Then post the image to this thread. You'll need to actuall log into the forum website to do that. You can't post screen shots from an email reply.

[stevenp15666665]

Does this help?

[stevenp15666665]

Super weird...somehow it sorted itself and found out where it needed to import?
Strange.

I really appreciate all the help and if it glitches tomorrow I'm sure to be back here haha.