Exporting Lightroom Files

[Nicola22]

Hi 

I really hope someone can help me. 

I have edited a wedding and have 5 starred the images to export. But when I do, it says some original files are missing, export smart previews instead? 

There is no little ! in the corner of the photos so I know they are there but lightroom can't see the originals to export. I can't work out what I am doing wrong and why the files cannot be exported? 

Thanks

Nicola

[dj_paige]

The original images are not available to Lightroom. Only the smart previews are available.

You should make sure that the disk the originals are stored on is powered on and connected to the computer, and that the computer can access files on the disk through your operating system.

[Nicola22]

Thanks for you reply

The hard drive with the originals are are there and haven't moved, so I can't understand why lightroom can't see them 

[dj_paige]

Can your operating system access the files properly?

Please show us a screen capture of what you see in the Lightroom Library Module, so we can see the file name and folder according to Lightroom. Please show us another screen capture of the Windows Explorer or Mac Finder showing the folder that the files are stored in.

[Nicola22]

Yes, Hopefully, i have shown you what you need to know. It's something simple I am missing 

[ManiacJoe]

Using Mac Finder, check the drive and folder for READ and WRITE access.

If catalina, Using the Mac OS tool "security and privacy" turn on all the options for Lightroom.

[Nicola22]

Hi ManiacJoe

Many thanks for replying. 

I have read and write permissions for my drive that the original files are stored. 

I've gone into security and privacy and all options for lightroom are on. 

I can still only see the smart previews for the 506 images I want to export from lightroom. It tells me which folder the original is in when I ask it. It's still on the same drive. So I still can't see why I can't export the original? 

Help! 

[dj_paige]

"I have read and write permissions for my drive that the original files are stored."

This is not sufficient. You need read and write permissions for the folder that contains your files, and read and write permissions for the actual files. Setting permissions for the drive is not sufficient.

Regarding your screen capture, you have select photo IMG_0078, yes it appears in the Mac Finder in the proper folder, how much space does Mac Finder say this photo takes up?

And a wild guess ... Lightroom shows over 1700 photos in one folder. While I think that should be fine, what happens if you split that up so the photos are in (let's say) 5 folders instead of one. In fact, show us a screen capture where we can see the entire Folder Panel, with top level folders expanded.

[Nicola22]

This is not sufficient. You need read and write permissions for the folder that contains your files, and read and write permissions for the actual files. Setting permissions for the drive is not sufficient.

I do have read and write permissions for the folder that contains the photos

Sorry I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The only folders are the two that are shown there I'm using. I don't want to start  putting them into more folders at this point as it's already saying it cannot find the originals 

[Nicola22]

Ok Update

I have now found the original files in a backup Lightroom catalogue on my desktop. Which lightroom has that and a separate catalog for smart previews  I have no idea? 

However Lightroom now just constantly says "Application not responding" every time I go in and try to export them. 

I've closed it down and restarted. But still the application does not respond. So now I have the original, but I still cannot export them! 

[dj_paige]

Your original files are not in a backup Lightroom catalog. Files are not stored in a Lightroom catalog.

In your recent screen capture, two different disk drives are shown with the same name (at least as far as I can see, the actual disk name is longer and cut off and can't be seen). So this may be a clue, and you need to expand the Folder panel by making it wider, so the entire name of the disk can be seen.

[Nicola22]

There is another catalog on my desktop and this has the original files in it when I open it. I know files are not stored in a lightroom catalog. But in this one it can see the originals and yet in the one I was working on that could only see the smart previews. 

The name's are not the same on the folders, they are two different names, they are two separate folders. The actual disk name is my external hard drive and is that is the hard drive name. I know where the originals are, they are sitting on that hard drive in the two folders I have circled. To expand the photo won't help as it will just tell you it says Nicola Cooper Photography Drive