About Lightroom - again
Apr 1, 2012 21:37:58 #
I transferred all my pictures onto an external hard drive, then added them to lightroom. I unplugged my hard drive when I had finished checking the pictures, then the next time I plug in my exyternal hard drive and go into lightroom - it cannot find my pictures.
So, do I have to leave my external hard drive plugged into the computer all the time???
So, do I have to leave my external hard drive plugged into the computer all the time???
Apr 1, 2012 21:41:13 #
Apr 1, 2012 21:47:08 #
jekbeck60 wrote:
I tried to add the photo's again but it doesn;t seem to work. Please help.
Lightroom does not import photos into the program, or for that matter onto your computer. It essentially notes where they are and find them at that location when you go back to them. You either will have to continue using the external hard drive or import the photos to a folder on your computer where Lightroom can keep track of them.
Apr 1, 2012 21:49:38 #
Ah, I thought it would find them when I plugged the external hard drive back in - is that not so then
Apr 1, 2012 23:11:56 #
jekbeck60 wrote:
Ah, I thought it would find them when I plugged the external hard drive back in - is that not so then
I don't use Lightroom, but I thought I knew how it worked since I use Photoshop and both are Adobe products. One would think it should find the photos once you reattach the hard drive. I am virtually certain that if you were to download the photos into a folder on your internal drive, once Lightroom has located them, and since that folder is always "visible" to the
software, your problems would disappear.
Apr 1, 2012 23:13:53 #
Thanks - guess I will have to transfer them all back onto my internal hard drive then, guess I will just use the external for backup copies.
Apr 2, 2012 00:36:34 #
It's possible that the drive letter of the external hard drive changed... It can and does happen, though not terribly often.
For instance, let's say you plugged a USB flash drive into the pc and it came up as drive E: then removed it when you were done with it. After that you plugged in the external hard drive and it came up as E: since E: was no longer being used for the flash drive. You added the photos to LR and then removed the drive.
Today you plugged in the flash drive and then plugged in the external hard drive. Since the flash drive was still using E: the hard drive was assigned F: but LR is still looking for the photos on E:
I'm not saying this IS what happened but it's a scenario I run into fairly regularly at work.
For instance, let's say you plugged a USB flash drive into the pc and it came up as drive E: then removed it when you were done with it. After that you plugged in the external hard drive and it came up as E: since E: was no longer being used for the flash drive. You added the photos to LR and then removed the drive.
Today you plugged in the flash drive and then plugged in the external hard drive. Since the flash drive was still using E: the hard drive was assigned F: but LR is still looking for the photos on E:
I'm not saying this IS what happened but it's a scenario I run into fairly regularly at work.
Apr 2, 2012 01:02:23 #
I did it and had no problem. I bought Scott Kelby's book and followed the steps. I have no idea as to why they did not take other than you failed to catalog them in lightroom when you imported them into lightroom.
Apr 2, 2012 01:12:50 #
sloscheider
Thank you for that explanation. I don't remember if I plugged in a flash drive in between the two times I plugged in the ext. hard drive - it is possible. Although I do use two different usb ports for the ext. hard drive and the flash drive???? Don't know if that makes a difference???
tainkc
Think I might have to get Scott Kelby's book.
I have managed to get my photo's back into Lightroom now, but am leaving the external hard drive connected until I make sure I have copied all my pictures back onto the internal hard drive.
Thanks all for your help.
Thank you for that explanation. I don't remember if I plugged in a flash drive in between the two times I plugged in the ext. hard drive - it is possible. Although I do use two different usb ports for the ext. hard drive and the flash drive???? Don't know if that makes a difference???
tainkc
Think I might have to get Scott Kelby's book.
I have managed to get my photo's back into Lightroom now, but am leaving the external hard drive connected until I make sure I have copied all my pictures back onto the internal hard drive.
Thanks all for your help.
Apr 2, 2012 08:23:45 #
IN Lightroom, in the navigation module (left side) see if the folder is listed once your drive is connected. If not you can go under edit or file and direct lightroom where files are no need to reload or transfer to internal.
Apr 2, 2012 08:50:58 #
There are 2 schools of thought regarding keeping your external hard drives plugged in or not.
The rule I follow is to keep it plugged in all the time, even when my laptop is off. The theory here is that each time you turn on your HD you send a jolt of electricity through it which could, eventually, shorten it's life.
I'm sure others will jump in on this theory before the end of this topic.
They're all a lot smarter than I am.
Keeping it plugged in also (usually) reserves the drive letter for it.
The rule I follow is to keep it plugged in all the time, even when my laptop is off. The theory here is that each time you turn on your HD you send a jolt of electricity through it which could, eventually, shorten it's life.
I'm sure others will jump in on this theory before the end of this topic.
They're all a lot smarter than I am.
Keeping it plugged in also (usually) reserves the drive letter for it.
Apr 2, 2012 10:37:24 #
From what I understand on the external drive issue is that to avoid windows from changing the drive letter by naming the drive, that way lightroom will always be able to find it. Hope this helps
Apr 2, 2012 10:55:41 #
You don't have to keep the drive connected. On the other hand, Lightroom can be a little tricky about importing pictures. It is very possible that you didn't have your settings right when you did the initial import, and the actual pictures are not on the drive. Did you check it in Windows?
Apr 2, 2012 11:02:09 #
You might try turning the hard drive on before you start Lightroom. I don't know if that will help but it is worth a try.
Apr 2, 2012 11:31:42 #
boblwest45 - So I an change the name of the drive I use for the external hard drive??? = I'm a bit useless with all this , am just learning. The drive I have it plugged into says My Passport F, should I change it to something else??
photoninja1 - I moved most of my pictures to the external hard drive BEFORE I installed my Lightroom 3. Am just thinking!!! I can't remember if I 'added' them or 'copied' them to lightroom, would that have made a difference??
jimni2001 - There is no switch on my ext. hard drive, it is just on when it is plugged in. Do you think that might be a problem??
photoninja1 - I moved most of my pictures to the external hard drive BEFORE I installed my Lightroom 3. Am just thinking!!! I can't remember if I 'added' them or 'copied' them to lightroom, would that have made a difference??
jimni2001 - There is no switch on my ext. hard drive, it is just on when it is plugged in. Do you think that might be a problem??
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.