External Hard Drive Problems finding folders

[jtrippy]

I transferred my photos to a SSD External Hard drive so I can use with my IMac and MacBook Air.  It worked fine on my IMac when I opened the catalog.  When I opened the catalog on the air, it showed the photos but each folder had a question mark meaning it could not find the folders.  Now what?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Jao vdL · Accepted solution]

Right (oer control click) on the missing folder and select "Update Folder Location". Then point Lightroom Classic to the new location for the folder on your SSD. It should automatically find the neighboring folders but you might have to do this for every missing folder. It is best to do this at the top most levels as all the sub folders will be automatically located.

[McFlydoubleG]

Hi Joao,

I have an almost similar issue. LrC does recognise the external hard drive, but only shows a couple of the folders. Both Finder and Bridge (version 10.1.0.163) show all the folders.

LrC has never ever let me down, until now. This is definitely out of left field.

MacOS Catalina version 10.15.5
LrC 9.3 release
Camera Raw 12.3

[Jao vdL]

Lightroom Classic is not a file browser like Finder and Bridge. It only shows folders that have been imported. If the other folders on your external are not showing, they have to be imported (using add).

[McFlydoubleG]

I'm well aware that LrC is not a file browser. I used the Finder and Bridge example to illustrate that the folders do actually exist.

However, before the current issue, LrC did show all the folders on the hard drive and not only a couple of them.  Furthermore, I have never had to import any folder in the past.

[Just Shoot Me]

You don't import folders. So you are technically correct.

You import images into the catalog and when doing that the folders those images are in or being copied to (importing from a memory card and copying from that memmory card to folder) then show up in the LrC Folders section of the library module left hand side panel.

Your other reply below (or maybe above this reply) indicates, IMHO, you may be facing a hard drive failure of some type.

Also make sure you are opening the correct catalog file.

It would also help if you included screen shots showing exactly what you are seeing on your computer.

The only part of LrC that works like a File Browser (File Manager) showing All Drives and All Folders on those drives is the side panels in the Import dialog window. Left side Source section and the Right side Destination section. The Library Folders section only shows folder you have imported images from.

[McFlydoubleG]

Guys,

The fact that LrC indicates only a few of the files while in Library workspace threw me off. Indeed, when importing, all files are shown, as usual. Sorry for causing any confusion and I take my words back about LrC letting me down.

Why is it though that LrC only shows a few of the files and not all of them with a number after external HD, when in Library workspace?

[Jao vdL]

Because Lightroom is not a file browser. It only shows files that have been imported. If you have a folder with one file that has been imported and one that hasn't it will show only one image in there. To get them both either import the other using add or synchronize the folder in Classic (right or control click on the folder)

[Jao vdL]

Then I am not sure what you are referring to. If you don't see the folder in Lightroom Classic, it isn't linked in the catalog. To show a folder it has to have some images in the catalog linked to that reside in that folder.

[McFlydoubleG]

When in Library workspace > Folders menu on the far left: where it indicates the computer HD > Volumes > external hard drive(s)

Before the issue at hand LrC showed exactly how many files there were on my external HD. Now it only shows a few.