Using two external drives with 1 being backup to other. Windows operating system

[Pam26450742lgz7]

I download photos from camera card to external 1 and external 2(backup).  When they are both inserted windows has a different path for each, example F and G.  I have been importing by ADDING from path G into LR classic 12.4  I forgot external G one day and popped in external F.  even though Path F external is set up identical to Path G (for file name and locations) LR did not recognize or could find my photos.  So in windows I went to disk management and I had to rename F to be G and photos were found.  Then when I got back home and picked up external G to begin using again, LR again could not find my photos because windows had renamed the Path of G to another path so I again had to go into disk managment and reset the Path of this external back to G.  

Is there any easier way to do this so that I am not having to change the path all the time regardless of which external I pick up.  Because I am getting ready to begin using new external drives (F & G are filling up) it seems like I am going to have to rename these two to H and I.  I thought maybe by just inserting one external at a time, I could name them the same so that no matter which one I picked up, I would not have to go through the renaming process, but even that does not seem to work.  

Is this a windows issue or what?

[dj_paige]

Typically, if you assign letters at the end of the alphabet, like W X Y Z, drives don't change letters and so you should not have to rename (re-letter) drives. Better would be to place some sort of identification on these drives so you don't attach the backup drive accidentally. I don't know how you do backups, but in general the only time you use a backup drive should be to update the backup, or in the very rare case where your non-backups are not working somehow. Other than that, don't use them. Problem gone.

[Pam26450742lgz7]

In past I was only copying my pictures from camera card to 1 external drive.  That external drive went out on me and I lost all of my pictures.  That is why now I am using two external drives, one being a backup of my pictures.  

[dj_paige]

Great, label the drives so you don't confuse the backup drive and the working drive. The only time you use a backup drive should be to update the backup, or in the very rare case where your non-backups are not working somehow. Change the drive letters to W or X or Y or Z so Windows doesn't change the letters for you.

[Pam26450742lgz7]

thank you.  I will give this a try.  

[JohanElzenga]

Instead of changing the drive letters, change the paths in Lightroom. All you have to do to make this very easy is make sure that your images are in a folder hierarchy with one single top folder. Then, if you need to change the path because you are using the other disk, you only need to change the catalog path to this one top folder. You do this as follows: Right-click on that top folder in the folder panel, choose 'Find Missing Folder' and in the dialog that comes up select the top folder on the currently used disk. That is all. All your folder paths will now point to the new disk. If you change to the old disk again, simply use the same one-click procedure.

If both disks are connected when you do this, then the menu is not 'Find Missing Folder' but 'Update Folder Location'.

[Pam26450742lgz7]

I noticed when I do this, it asks me if I want to combine these folders by "merge"  What will this do if I tell it to merge? 

[JohanElzenga]

I noticed when I do this, it asks me if I want to combine these folders by "merge"  What will this do if I tell it to merge? 

By @Pam26450742lgz7

It should not ask you that, because that means that the folder you are trying to reconnect to is already in the catalog as well. If that is the case, then it sounds like you have actually imported images from both drives. Did you import the backup?