How does Lightroom Classic running under MAC OS recognize catalog files created in Windows?

[william.feng]

In order to ensure data security, the catalogue files and original files created or updated using Adobe Lightroom Classic under the Windows system are stored on several mobile storages. As long as the drive letter is the same when accessing, the data that was backed up on different mobile storages can be linked by Lightroom Classic accurately, and there will no problems with missing files or related information

Now, if you connect this mobile storage that saves the complete catalogue file and the original file to the Mac system, Paragon can read and write the data on the mobile storage. I hope to edit the photos in the MAC system, however even if Lightroom Classic is specified to open the specified Directory file, it still cannot track the location of the photo and its related information.

Under the Windows system, if the drive letter when accessing the mobile storage is inconsistent with the default (such as E:), the photo location will not be tracked, but it will be solved by modifying the drive letter.

In the MAC system, for example, the location of a batch of photos in the directory is E:\Photos\, is there any way to make Lightroom Classic running under MAC know that the location of the mobile storage is at "E:" and it can automatically track E:\Photos \ All photos, and the edited information is still stored in the original mobile storage directory, it can still be easily and accurately called under Windows system.

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

Point Lightroom Classic to the proper name of the drive in the Mac system. See Figure 4 and associated text at

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

[william.feng]

Thank you for your advice. I read the relevant documents in detail and have gained a lot.

It is not a problem to find a missing folder or the location of the missing files in the folder. The problem is that I cannot relocate all the lost folders and files at once by changing the drive letter of the mobile hard disk or another effective method in the Mac system. Meanwhile, make sure not to damage the directory structure in the mobile drive after developing the files in the MAC system, it can still be called by Lightroom under the Windows system.

I will continue to read the article you provided, maybe I haven't understood it well, hope I can gain more. Thanks again

[dj_paige]

@william.fengI do believe the article gives the correct solution. If you have a parent folder which contains all of your photos in appropriate sub-folders, then all you have to do is "Find Missing File" in Lightroom Classic (see Figure 4) and then select that parent folder on the Mac (which will of course indicate to Lightroom Classic the proper name of the drive on the Mac) and all photos in that folders and sub-folders get re-connected. You don't have to rename the drive to E:\ (which is impossible in the PC-to-Mac scenario anyway). This is also what @ManiacJoe and @JohanElzenga are trying to tell you in their messages.

[william.feng]

I want to thank all teachers for their guidance. My confusion has been completely resolved.

[Lumigraphics]

Its not gonna work the way you want.

[ManiacJoe · Accepted solution]

Since Windows and Mac reference the drives differently (drive letter vs drive name), when swapping the drive(s) between the two OS, you need to "relocate" or "find missing" on the top-most folder(s) in the Folders panel. By doing so, all you are doing is "correcting" the drive name. No changes are done to the folders or subfolders or files in the LR catalog. No changes are done to the file system at all.

[william.feng]

Thanks for your helping. What you said is totally correct. Since Windows and Mac reference the drives differently (drive letter vs drive name), It is impossible to change the drive letter as I did in the Windows system, and it is useless to modify the drive name. What I need to do is to relocate the missing top root folder instead of the subfolder or files.

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

If E:\Photos\All photos is your folder path on the PC, then on the Mac it will be DiskName\Photos\All photos. All you need to do to reconnect the folder on the Mac is right-click on the 'Photos' folder in the Lightroom folder panel, choose 'Find Missing Folder' and select the 'Photos' folder on the external disk. You may have to restart Lightroom after having done that. I see no reason for your claim that this is not possible somehow.

[william.feng]

Thank you for your help. I relocated the location of the top root "Photos folder" according to your prompt and the problem has been resolved.