So many duplicate files in Adobe

[Joey301]

I started looking because I have many duplicate pictures in Lightroom. When I try to move a picture, i get a notice that the picture already exists in the folder, but it will nto show me the picture. So, I started looking for ways to find duplicate photos. But, what I cound was a ton of Adobe duplicate files, hundreds of them. They look something like this?

What can i get rid of?

[Just Shoot Me]

I moved your post to a better forum. To the LrC forum.

You state you have many "Duplicate Pictures" in LrC but then show a screen shot of some other Adobe files you somehow turned up on your computers hard drive to show multiple copies of them and No references as to what drive or what parent folders they might be in.

What can you get rid of????

IMHO None of those files IF you want to continue using Adobe software.

[Just Shoot Me]

As to why you get that error/warning about the files already exist in the folder you are trying to move other 2 is becuase during the import proccess you used the Copy option when you should of used the Add option at the top of the import window and you now have made copies of those image files in some other folder on your drive.

[Joey301]

Thank you. Yep, it's a mess. I realized what i Have done. I have OneDrive, and in it is a folder called Pictures, where I tried to save all of my pictures. And, I have another folder on the C drive called Pictures, so, I duplicated everything. I just want all of my pictures in one place and have a backup, and I just can't seem to do that. I also put iCloud photos in OneDrive, which means they are probably bouncing files all over the place. I think what I should do is have Photos in OneDrive, then iCloud Photos on the same drive as OneDrive but in a separated folder. But then, where do i put the Lightroom folders?

[Just Shoot Me]

Please take this the right way, Constructively.

Your main problem comes from not completely understanding how LrC work and how to work with LrC. And then the lack of knowledge of File/Folder/Drive management.

No images are ever "IN" the LrC catalog. The Catalog file is just a database file that holds Records, References, to where your images are stored, Drives & Folders, and what Edits you might make to them.

As to where do you put your actual images files. That is completely up to you. They do not have to be in any specific folder or on any specific drive in your computer. My images, 99% of them, are on my E:\ drive with some, very few, on my D:\ drive.

As for backups of your actual image files that is something you need to do Manually by making a Direct Copy of the actual Files. Never try to include the backup copy of the actual images files in the LrC catalog. Backups are Backups and should never be touched by any program. They are Direct Copies of the actual images. Nothing more.

A good place to start is the onlinr tutorials at the Adobe website.

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/tutorials.html

[Joey301]

Thank you. I understand that LrC is a database and contains no photos. But,
virtual images still give me issues because I don’t recognize them in LrC
and I am not sure that LrC accurately shows the actual content of a folder.
So, sometimes, I look in file explorer when LrC will not let me move a
photo because it’s already in the place I want to move it too. I am trying
to use only LrC to move and rename photos but I use explorer to verify.
So, yes, my problem is windows file structures and the best way to combine
iPhone photos and OneDrive photos and where to store my catalog. Should my
LrC originals be in my pictures folder? What is the difference in a Photos
folder and a Pictures folde? Is windows going to use photos folder or
pictures folder as the default? I had everything on the F drive for years
because of a small SSD boot drive and windows was not happy with that. I
discovered today that I have duplicated all of my pictures in
OneDrive/photos and C:\pictures.
--
Joe

[Just Shoot Me]

LrC only shows you the Drives, Folders and images that have been Imported into the LrC catalog file. It is not a File Manager (there is only one part of the LrC interface that will show you all Drives and Folders. That is in the Import dialog window in both the Source and Destination sections of the import window).

The reason you get that error/warning about the file already existing is because at some point you imported images from your drive, images that were Already on your drive in some folder, and you selected, or left selected, the COPY option at the top of the import window where you should of selected the "Add" option. So instead of importing those file from there original location you COPIED them to some other folder that was selected in the Destination section of the right hand side panel in the import window and that is where they got imported from. So now you want to move them back to the original location and they are already in that location.

[Joey301]

Yes, I think that’s what I did
--
Joe