Lightroom 3 help: Hi I am trying to move 12,500 photographs from light room 3 to external hard drive as my computer keeps crashing . I have added my external drive and grouped my...

big d Loc: Rossendale Lancashire

Hi I am trying to move 12,500 photographs from light room 3 to external hard drive as my computer keeps crashing . I have added my external drive and grouped my photographs into 1 file called all photographs. The problem is I can not drag the file no matter how much I try (All photographs) to the empty hard drive new folder? I can drag 1 photograph from grid view only ! Has anybody had experienced this problem previously ? Thanks in advance

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

If I were you I would do this inside Windows. Copy and paste them into the external just as you would anything else. Just like if you were putting them on a flash drive.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Need to move file within LR otherwise LR will not know where files are. Just add the new external HD as a folder the select the picture folder and drag into the new location

GDRoth Loc: Southeast Michigan USA

Yes, whatever you do, do this move within Lightroom or you'll lose all your cataloging.............it probably makes sense to upgrade to Lightroom 5.7 also

alandg46 Loc: Boerne, Texas

mborn wrote:

Need to move file within LR otherwise LR will not know where files are. Just add the new external HD as a folder the select the picture folder and drag into the new location

No you don't. All you have to do is search for folder in Lightroom, then go to your external drive and Lightroom will load them.

You should, also, copy your latest Lightroom backup and use it, so that you lose nothing.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

This might help:
LR Catalog FAQ
http://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/kb/catalog-faq-lightroom.html

And check these training packages out for the applicable video tutorials on moving files..

LR4 - Complete training package
http://en.elephorm.com/tuto-lightroom-4-complete-training.html

Adobe Lightroom 5 - Training Videos by Anthony Morganti
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLllFqBuTM0WI0fC_PujkGoLMyXWXd3yF7

Learn Lightroom 5 - Adobe TV
http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-lightroom-5/

I would check out LR4 first - it is very comprehensive...

Hope this helps.

big d Loc: Rossendale Lancashire

Hi I have added external hard drive as a folder but Lightroom wont let me drag the catalogue down to the added empty folder?

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

big d wrote:

Hi I have added external hard drive as a folder but Lightroom wont let me drag the catalogue down to the added empty folder?

Leave the catalog where it is. you need to move the folder with the pictures. Remember LR catalog does not store the actual photos but stores the photos location

big d Loc: Rossendale Lancashire

mborn wrote:

Leave the catalog where it is. you need to move the folder with the pictures. Remember LR catalog does not store the actual photos but stores the photos location

Hi thats what wont move the folder! cheers dave

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

big d wrote:

Hi I am trying to move 12,500 photographs from light room 3 to external hard drive as my computer keeps crashing . I have added my external drive and grouped my photographs into 1 file called all photographs. The problem is I can not drag the file no matter how much I try (All photographs) to the empty hard drive new folder? I can drag 1 photograph from grid view only ! Has anybody had experienced this problem previously ? Thanks in advance

Move the folder containing all of your files and the LrCAT and preview files manually in Windows. If you want to keep them on the external, when you open LR just point it to the new location for the catalog - and the file folder where your files are now stored.