Get "The folder could not be found "message in develop mode

[Robert98A7]

After having data from my old computer transferred to my new computer I found a  my edits in F drive-pictures but on most of the images when I go to the develop mode I get a message "The folder could not be found".

What can I do to be able to run these 4880 images through the develop mode to re edit.

I have lightroom 5.7.

Thank You

[Peru Bob]

I've moved this from the Using the Community forum (which is the forum for issues using the forums) to the LR Classic forum so that proper help can be offered.

[GoldingD]

see; http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

[GoldingD]

And: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/

[JimHess]

Does your new computer have a drive F?

[Robert98A7]

Yes. My new computer has a 256 G ssd drive and a 1T F drive

I had a local company move all the data from then old to the new computer and he did not know how to move lightroom.

On the old computer all my photos were in C drive but because of the size (260G) he had to put the photos in F drive on the new computer.

I lost all my edits when I would go F drive, users, home, pictures but I just found the edits when I go from F drive directly to pictures (4880 photos)  but when I go to the develop mode I get the message "The folder could not be found".

I need to be able to go to all my edited photos in develop mode without getting the folder not found message.

Thank you

[JimHess]

Here is an article that might be of assistance to you. Lightroom cannot find the images because it is looking for your images on the C Drive, and they are not there. In the article, pay particular attention to the information about updating the folder location.

Adobe Lightroom - Find moved or missing files and folders (computer-darkroom.com)

[Robert98A7]

Jim. I cannot update the folder location to the c drive because there is not enough space there. 

the tech when he transferred data from old to new computer put my folders everywhere.

Should I get a seperate external drive only for my lightroom photos?

Also it seens the tech imported all the photos so now when I go to the import button all the photos are faded.

I am not a lightroom expert but all I want is what I had on the old computer is to go to any folder, select a photo, do to the develop mode and see all my edits.

Thank You

[Robert98A7]

Jim. When I go to F drive, users,home, pictures, import, select source all my folders come up on the left column and I select a folder the images are all greyed out so I can't go to develop mode.

When I go to f drive, pictures I get 4880 pictures not in folders with all my edits. When I go to the develop module I get the message "The folder could not be found"

I can access my pictures  in file explorer but I think the pictures I have previously run through Lightroom are not there.

This all came from a local tech who promised me a mirror image transfer from one computer to another. And on top of that because he had a bitlock problem my drive on the old computer is corrupted.

He put all my photos on the F drive besause mt SSD was too small.

[dj_paige]

Yes, you need to point Lightroom Classic to the location on the F: drive where your photos are located. The link given above contains detailed explanations of how to do this.

[JimHess]

You don't want to update the folder location to the C Drive because your images aren't on that drive, they are on drive F. And that is the key to what you need to do with that exercise. You need to show Lightroom that the images ARE on drive F. That is what the updating process is all about. You can't fool Lightroom into thinking images are on a drive that they are not on. You need to point Lightroom to where the images are located.

[Robert98A7]

Sorry, have been out of state for a few days and could not reply.

I have been reorganizing my folders and cleaning them up by right clicking on the ? by the folder and finding the correct folder.

I am getting together with a friend this week to do your recommended " Find missing or moved Folders" tutorial Part 2 "Updating folder location" but I want to work with him  because he knows how to navigate both file explorer and Lightroom so I don't get into trouble.

The good news is that I have all my original images on File Explorer, both nef and jpeg.

The bad news is all of my images are greyed out when I go to Lightroom,  import, select source and try to open a folder. I think this is transferring data from my old to new computer the tech did not know what he was doing. I cannot now get to the develop mode with most of my images because of this.

Another problem is most of my images have a ! point in the upper right corner.

Another problem is I was able to right click on the ? on all of the folders in nikon transfer and find the missing folder. When I try to go to Nikon Transfer 2 which includes 3070 images the path takes me to This PC- OS (F):-Users-home-pictures-Nikon Transfer. It does not take me to Nikon Transfer 2 so I am unable to find the missing folder in all of Nikon Transfer 2.

Before transferring data from the old to the new computer I could access any folder and go from library to develop mode.

I hope I have explained my problems well enough to be able to correct and get back from Library to Print with no problems.

Thank You,

Bob Kelly

[GoldingD]

"Another problem is most of my images have a ! point in the upper right corner.'

Fixing the folder issues first will probably fix the photos issues.

[Robert98A7]

Fixing Folder Issues

How do I fix the folder ? in my nikon transfer 2 folders when I click on "find missing folder" it will not allow me to go to nikon transfer 2 because the path for some reason stops at nikon transfer. I was able to put all the nikon transfer folders with a ? in a folder that erased the ?.

How do I when I go to import and select source and select a folder prevent all images in that folder to be faded out because they have been previously imported? How can I get the images back so I can go to develop.

Before some whiz kid transferred all my data from old computer to the new computer I was able to access all images in all folders and go to the develop module.

[Robert98A7]

I am still unable to fix my folder issue because when I click on a ? on a folder in nikon transfer 2 the path stops at nikon transfer. I previously found the missing folders for all the folders in Nikon transfer

I also have not solved my unable to get to develop mode when I hit import-select source-select a folder and all images are faded out I think because all have previously been imported.

Can someone help me solving these two problems.

Thank You 

Bob Kelly

Please also refer to my posts on 22 and 23 Dec.