Import hangs

[Thornton102]

When I try to import anything into a catalog, LR stops responding right after I press the "Import" button.

I've tried rebooting the machine, importing into a new catalog, importing into another catalog and reinstalling (but keeping my preferences) LR.  So far nothing's worked.  If anything, things have gotten slightly worse and I give up after a few minutes.  I looked around in my AppData file but didn't see anything that jumps out.

[Sahil.Chawla]

Hi there,

That shouldn't be happening, let us help make it right.

As the import is hanging in Lightroom, could you please let us know the exact version of Lightroom you're using?
Also, what operating system are you working on?

• Where are you importing the images from? External drive or Internal?
• Please uncheck the option "use graphics processor" under the Preferences > Performance menu in Lightroom and see if that helps. More troubleshooting info can be found here: Adobe Lightroom GPU Troubleshooting and FAQ
• Another suggestion: take a look at this article Troubleshoot Adobe Lightroom problems, issues, or bugs

Let us know how it goes.

Regards,
Sahil

[Thornton102]

Hi,

I'm using LR Classic May 2019 release (version 8.3) running on Windows 10 Home version 1809.  One of the things I tried was to move the files into the desired directory on an internal HDD (D:\) and importing from there.

I've reset my preferences in "Lightroom Classic CC 7 Preferences.agprefs," turned off my graphics card, increased my cache size.

Some threads I looked at:

Not Responding​

Import button in LR does not respond, so cannot import photos

[Thornton102]

Sahil,

Nothing seems to work, including re-installing LR.  Could there be something in the AppData directory that's slowing things down?  Import works, but takes several minutes to even bring up the import window.  Several minutes later, it populates the sources.

[Thornton102]

Sahil,

Would deleting anything from the AppData directory help?  I did a search for huge files and there were no obvious ones.  I feel like I've researched and tried everything except using a 3rd-party app to clean up the AppData dir.

[Sahil.Chawla · Accepted solution]

Thanks for sharing the info, deleting from AppData might not help in this case.

Could you please remove any of these external devices like hard drive, camera, card reader, phone and tablet connected to your computer and check if Lightroom still locks up as soon as you click import?

Also, try creating a new catalog and then try importing from the local drive and see how it goes.

[Thornton102]

Don't ask me how, but unplugging everything worked.  I then plugged one thing at a time back in, and now it's sort of normal.  Something to do with an external backup drive, but I can always turn it on or off.

[GoldingD]

First up, which are you trying to accomplish:

a) Copy

b) Copy as DNG

c) ADD

d) Move

Second up, have you tested/checked the hard drives involved,

The hard drive your catalog is in

The hard drive you are placing the images in.

And how about testing the RAM (RAM problems can show up in LR before showing up in other apps, RAM problems can cause all sorts of issues)

Refer to item 10 in: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/standard-lightroom-troubleshooting-steps/

[Thornton102]

I don't get that far.  I seem to be able to do anything else in LR, though.

[GoldingD]

In LR before attempting the import. Is Face Detection paused (recommended), is Address Lookup paused (recommended), is any other synchronizing occurring?

[Thornton102]

I just went back to LR and it's in the import window, but the sources are blank.  Maybe it's working, just incredibly slow.  I'm not swapping since I have 1/2 my memory still unused.

The only thing I can think of was that I had just moved a directory within LR just one dir up.  Is there a file that lists all the directories that could be corrupted?

[GoldingD]

In the import screen, before clicking on import, try not creating any previews or at least minimal, eliminate any post processing, does that help?

[Thornton102]

Believe it or not, it does import things correctly, only incredibly slowly!  It took about 30 minutes to complete and each step was very slow.  Displaying the source directories seems to take the longest.

To test it after I imported the photos, I restarted LR and tried again.  Again it's incredibly slow!

I don't have a lot of presets and I can easily reinstall them.  Should I do a complete reinstall using the Windows "Add or remove programs" app?

[GoldingD]

Should have asked, somehow I assumed, how many images were you importing?

[Thornton102]

I'm importing several hundred, probably 700 (I'm on my laptop seeing if it gives me any clues).  Nothing unusual for me.  On my laptop, which is a much slower machine, I can import something this big in just a few minutes.

[GoldingD]

Thornton102  wrote

I'm importing several hundred, probably 700 (I'm on my laptop seeing if it gives me any clues).  Nothing unusual for me.

Ah, when I am on a Photo Vacation, say to a National Park, and I start importing the days shoot I can in fact have that sort of number, start the import, go to dinner, come back, still going at it.

All I can do, is first outside of lightroom, copy the images to the hard drive, depending on how many, that may or may not be complete after a nice dinner. Then launch Lightroom, start the import (ADD) and go to bed.

Trying to remember what sort of numbers allow me to actually do some post processing late in the night, probably sub 500, certainly if it more like 1200 I am SOL

ahh one caveat I shoot RAW.

Perhaps I should do less combined HDR/PANO (multi row)

[Thornton102]

I'll try your earlier suggestions, but it looks more and more like I need to completely reinstall LR or all Creative Cloud apps.  My laptop is new and only has a hundred or so photos, so that'll be my testcase on how it will affect the existing catalogs.  Or course, it shouldn't, but all bets are off now.

I shoot RAW real estate photos and my camera doesn't have GPS, but I made sure these are disabled.

I usually don't get very far at all.  I hit the "Import" button and nothing happens for several minutes.  Several minutes later, it starts filling in the Sources.  I then select the source and it populates the main window.  Everything seems fairly normal from then on.

[GoldingD]

Probably time you contact Adobe, begin a chat, instigate a phone call.

[Thornton102]

I agree.  Sahil is on Adobe staff so hopefully he can help.

[GoldingD]

Question about presets during import was just in case one was mis behaving.

The number of presets you have installed can slow things down, but not until you have extremely many (I have here’d hundreds i have here’d thousands, not well defined) when you enter the develop module. The vast majority of us will. never have that issue.

[GoldingD]

Were you importing from your SD card or had you copied the images outside of lightroom onto your hard drive

If the first (Copy) try the second (ADD)

[Thornton102]

I copied them off of a USB drive I had into the final directory using Windows Explorer.

I purged my cache to no effect.

I press the "Import" button and nothing happens except for the turning blue circle.

[GoldingD]

By the way, and this because of what my just previous inquiry could imply, do you have another SD card reader to try. AND a different SD card to try. Getting at problem with card reader or card?

[GoldingD]

As your issue is slow imports as opposed to absolutely hung or a crash, perhaps some import performance links, mind you if it takes all day to import say 20 images, then something other than performance is going on

https://improvephotography.com/51701/import-photos-lightroom-faster/

one thing to get out of the above link is what else is running, and turn this off, apparently Chrome

anither point is to copy the images to your hard drive then ADD them to your catalog. Mostly this frees up your SD card and reader quicker

https://havecamerawilltravel.com/lightroom/lightroom-tips-ways-speed-importing-images/

talks about limiting your preview creation during import, gets that SD card and reader free quicker, you still have to put up with preview creation once you work with the imports.

talks of metadata presets, saves you steps, does not speed import up.

talks of minimized importer, I have never tried.

https://www.creative-photographer.com/how-to-save-time-importing-photos-into-lightroom/

much of what is in previous

Adds mention that converting to DNG can slow import down

Adds creation of Smart Previews can slow import down

Adds embedded and sidecar previews (camera dependent)

[GoldingD]

By the way, another members non related issue reminds me to inquire

Have you made sure that some attached device, like a multi card reader, another reader, a tablet, a smartphone (apparently Android creates issues) etc. is not causing issues?