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D R Smith
Known Participant
July 31, 2022
Question

Want to move Lightroom Classic Raw files to larger external hard drive

  • July 31, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 1348 views

I know this has sort of been discussed before but not quite what I have in mind.  Please bear with me.  I'm using a Windows 11 machine with Lightroom Classic v11.4. (the latest).  I import and keep all my raw files on a Seagate external hard drive.  That drive is running low on room. I want to move the raw files to a larger (and faster) external hard drive and use it as my working drive. Is this hard to do?  Will someone please direct me to some plain language steps how to do this?  I've looked on the Net but the amount of info is overwhelming.

 Thanks very much!

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4 replies

kentdesign
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 3, 2022

So to follow up, were you able to ADD the new larger drive?

Basically you have two separate steps to follow.

The first would be to add that new Large drive to your Lightroom Catalog.

Then when you see that new Large drive in the left hand panel of LR, one of us here can show you how to move the older photo files from the smaller drives to the new larger drive.

The "trick" if we can call it that, is to use Lightroom as a hub to move the photo files.  

It is easier to have Lightroom do the moving than to use Windows explorer to do it.

 

Once you get the concept that Lightroom is the hub or station master for directing where your photo files are, it starts becoming really clear. 

Rob_Cullen
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 2, 2022

To ADD another DRIVE to the Folder panel of LrC-

You only need to Import one photo from the new drive (Using the ADD option) and henceforth the new drive appears in the LrC folder panel.

 

Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.1.1, Photoshop 27.3.1, ACR 18.1.1, Lightroom 9.0, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.2 .
kentdesign
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 2, 2022

perfect!

kentdesign
Community Expert
Community Expert
August 2, 2022

So do you want to ADD another external drive to store your next Raw files or do you want to MOVE all the raw files you now have to a larger external ?  Both are fairly easy to do and yes,

DJ and DdeGannes are both great in the forums...

D R Smith
D R SmithAuthor
Known Participant
August 3, 2022

I want to add a new, larger external hard drive to Lightroom Classic, then move all the files on my old and smaller external hard drive to the larger one.  Once those files are moved, I want to use the new, larger external hard dive for all future raw file inports.   

dj_paige
Legend
August 3, 2022
quote

I want to add a new, larger external hard drive to Lightroom Classic, then move all the files on my old and smaller external hard drive to the larger one.  Once those files are moved, I want to use the new, larger external hard dive for all future raw file inports.   


By @D R Smith

 

The instructions I gave earlier still apply. After you have successfully moved the photos and linked them in LrC, new imports should go straight to the new drive by selecting the proper Destination folder on the new drive in the Lightroom Classic Import dialog box.

dj_paige
Legend
July 31, 2022

Detailed explanation, step by step, with screen captures are here: https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

 

Scroll down to the section entitled "Part 2 — Updating Folder Location". Do not change the folder hierarchy on the new drive and do not move photos from one folder to another within the hierarchy.

D R Smith
D R SmithAuthor
Known Participant
August 2, 2022

Thank you very much but this does not address my issue (or if it does I'm not sharp enough to understand it.)  I just want to know the process for adding and using a new, larger and faster, external hard drive in Lightroom Classic.  Just plugging the drive in does not seem to work.  

dj_paige
Legend
August 2, 2022

You said earlier that "I want to move the raw files to a larger (and faster) external hard drive and use it as my working drive", which I thought I understood, and for which the instructions I gave work perfectly. Now you talk about "adding", which apparently is something else than what you said originally, and I don't grasp the problem. Please explain clearly.