Maintain Folder Structure Moving Photos from one HD to SSD

[vis_01]

I am currently running latest version of Caralina and LR Classic.  I purchased a new SSD to store my images.  I have a catalog of 115K of images.  I moved the file structure from original hdd to new ssd.   My photo structure is:

My Photos > Landscape

My Photos > People

My Photots > Travel

etc. 

Under each of these I have locations I took, like Tetons and all Tetons images are under Tetons, for example.  However, when I looked at my SSD, it put every image under root folder MY Photos and did not copy the sub folder and then images.  It took each sub folder and placed it under My Photos and now all folders are under my photos.  I believe 3 years ago when I did this the sub folders were added to destination and the all folders or images coppied.  Did I do something wrong, is this a bug, or feature request?

Thanks,

Vis

[dj_paige]

"However, when I looked at my SSD, it put every image under root folder MY Photos and did not copy the sub folder and then images."

I do not understand the word "it" in your sentence above. All actions were performed by you, were they not? What does "it" refer to?

I also do not understand if you are asking for help in fixing this, or asking for an understanding of what happened, or something else?

[Theresa J]

Are you viewing the SSD directly or are you viewing the folders panel in Lightroom Classic?

[GoldingD]

Screenshot of the Finder display of the SSD with images in wrong place, please.

[GoldingD]

Screenshot in LrC, Library module of the Folders Panel, expanded out as much as possible, please.

[GoldingD]

Inquiry

Did you move photos via Finder or via LrC Folders panel?

[GoldingD]

Inquiry

Did you move just the photos, or did you akso move the catalog?

[vis_01]

I asked the catalog to move from external HDD to external SSD.  The external HDD had a folder structure of:

HDD

My Photos

  Landscape

       Tetons

          Teton images

       Yellowstone

          Yellowstone images

       Smoky Mountains

          Smoky Mountains images

      Etc.

  Travel

     Paris

       Paris images

     London

        London images

    Southeast Asia

      Southeast Asia images

    etc.

When LRC moved the files from HDD to SDD, expected the folder structure to be moved as well.  However, it was not and it ended up looking like:

SDD

  My Photos

    Teton images

    Yellowstone images

    Smoky Mountain images

   Paris images

   London images

   Southeast Asia images

The sub folder was not created in the file structure move from HDD to SDD.

And for those asking what "it" was referencing, it = LRC.   This was all processed from LRC.

[GoldingD]

Looks like you moved thee catalog, just the catalog. The catalog is a database file. This database keeps track of where the photos are stored, what edits you have accomplished, what collections exists, etc. This database, this catalog, does not contain the actual photos.

The parent folder that the catalog is in, will contain the catalog, and some preview folders. It may or may not contain any photos or folders with photos, depending on where you located the photos.

[ManiacJoe]

Using Finder, verify that the folder structure on the new hard drive looks like what you expected.

If the Folder panel in LrC is showing you a flattened tree, right-click on a folder and do a "show parent" (repeat as needed).

[vis_01]

That is what I have done and what the folder structure looks like now from my last post.  LR did not create the new subfolders it put all folders under the parent folder.

[GoldingD]

Some links on moving catalogs, etc.

https://laurashoe.com/2019/03/22/learn-how-to-safely-move-your-lightroom-photos-to-a-new-hard-drive/

https://laurashoe.com/2016/12/29/clean-up-your-files-and-folders-in-lightroom/

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

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