How to clean up duplicates in a new catalog?

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Lightroom Classic CC - latest version

An Adobe Support tech person called me (scheduled) on November 29th to fix an import issue in the new Lightroom Classic CC.  He did correct the crashing without import problem as described in my forum discussion.  But, in the process of creating this new catalog with a new name on my dedicated external hard drive, he also deleted ALL existing Lightroom and related Adobe files on my MacBook Pro.   All preferences need to be reset and I had no presets and filters.  I'm still trying to get those restored.

I've been using Lightroom since 2006 and essentially with no big problems ---- until Support (in different session) installed the new Lightroom Classic CC on my MacBook Pro.  Since early November it's been a time hogging nightmare.  

Questions -

1)  During my migration of images from the old catalog - 59,000 images - I must have made a mistake and have recent 19,000 duplicates for a total of 80,000 in the new catalog.  Can someone advise me on steps to remove the duplicate image copies?

In a google search I found Victoria Brampton, The Lightroom Queen, in a blog post that recommended a new Plug-in called Duplicate Finder.  Is this a good plug-in to clean up this problem of duplicates?

2)  Now I have noticed that the Don't Import suspected duplicates setting checked with import of new images, it isn't preventing duplicates from being added to the newly created by support catalog.  How can I get this feature to work again?

3)  I do have a backup copy of my single, master catalog on a second external drive.  It was created from my master catalog before the migration I just described.

**Please know I had an email from the same guy in Adobe Photo Tech Support saying that he would call yesterday, but he did not call.

Thank you.

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[Rob_Cullen · Accepted solution]

Can you first explain in detail- how you "migrated" your images from old catalog to new catalog? What steps did you use?

Second- If you are seeing 'duplicate' images in the Lightroom library- Are these 'duplicates'-

a) The exact same image with the same filename?

b) Are they located in the same computer folder? (Right-click to {Show in Explorer} )

c) Do any show the 'turned up corner' that might indicate they are Virtual Copies?

Duplicate Finder.  Is this a good plug-in to clean up this problem of duplicates?

Yes it is, but there is still a lot of manual work involved because the Finder only makes a Collection of all the images it locates, and believes are duplicates, based on the setup options you check in the [Rules] tab of the Finder. You then have to look through the Collection and decide which of the 'duplicates' you are going to delete.

Duplicate Finder link:

Teekesselchen: Home

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Thank you very much for your answer.  My apologies for the delayed response.  This has been a daunting proposition.

Before I did anything I watched the "migrate" steps as in a Julieanne Kost video tutorial. 

Begins with File menu/Import from Another Catalog...

Even though I tested with one image before selecting a large percentage of my Library to import, I made the mistake of using "COPY" ........ at location instead of "ADD" at current location.   Even though I watched tutorials many times, I misunderstood the choices.

To answer you properly, I tried to get to the exact same point in the "migrate" process, but I haven't been able to see the same interface to list my steps.

I realized my error part way through my original steps, but still ended up with the 20,000 additional images.

The duplicates answer to your list:

a) yes -  exact same images with the same filenames plus -2 at the end of the filename before the index .crw (2006 images)

b) yes - in same folder

c) yes - some are 3 virtual copies of exact same original

I reviewed the link you provided to Teekesselchen:Home

So - before I downloaded the plug-in, I took a chance and called a colleague (here in Denver) who has become a Lightroom consultant.  I had a cloned copy of the my Lightroom catalog and library on different external hard drive that was backed up before the Lightroom Tech Support guy I mentioned took over my computer, etc.  At the same time, my colleague and I decided I should use the cloned backup from now on!

That's what I have been doing - using the latest version of Lightroom Classic CC - with no problems.  

When I am sure the 'clone' is complete and accurate, our consensus was to delete the files on the old 'duplicated' Master catalog that the Support Guy created.

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