DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I have about 80,000 photos on a 2TB hard drive used exclusively for their storage. It's filling up - about 90% of capacity. Photos are managed by Lightroom Classic CC. That drive is also several years old, so I'm not considering splitting my photo storage with another drive - instead, I'm planning to retire it. I'm considering alternate methods to move the photo collection to a new drive. I watched a couple of videos just now on the process, and both speakers showed two ways to do this. A third method occurs to me. I'm interested in the experiences of UHH'ers who have done this. Here's what I'm considering:

First, let's define a couple of things. The photos are stored on the 2 TB G: drive, whose name is Free Agent.

Let's suppose I buy a new 4TB drive, and when I plug it in, Windows 10 calls it the H: drive and its name is My Book.

Further, suppose all my photos are stored in directories who's root directory is called Photos.

Here's 3 approaches to accomplishing what I want to do:
Method 1: Move Files Using Lightroom. The method is simply to drag and drop the Photos folder to the new H: drive. This is by far the simplest approach, but as the speakers point out, it's a move, and something can go wrong if you're moving a lot of files.

Method 2: Copy the Files With Windows Explorer, Then Have LR Discover them. Using Windows Explorer, simply copy the files from the G: drive to the H: Drive. Then, within LR, select Update Folder Location to make LR aware of the photos on H: You can then, if you wish, delete the photos on the G: drive. Question: I don't know if this is a lengthy process for LR - is it?

Method 3: Copy the Files With Windows Explorer, then Rename the New Drive. Using Windows Explorer, copy the files from the G: drive to the H: Drive. Then, remove the G: drive from the system, and have Windows Explorer change the new drive's letter designation from H: to G: I would think that Lightroom would not know that anything was different in this case. Would I also need to rename the drive from My Book to Free Agent as well?

Which of these methods, or possibly other methods, do you recommend or not recommend?

BudsOwl Loc: Upstate NY and New England

I don’t know if your method 3 will work. I would probably use method 1 after making sure that my files were backed up.
I’m pretty sure that it would be much faster and less prone to problems than number 2. I’ll find out soon since I just got both a new computer and a new 4 tb drive. As soon as I finish a program that I have already spent over 100 hours on, I will get to my photo stuff.
Bud

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Of your 3 alternatives, I would let Lightroom transfer the files to the new drive. Lightroom is very particular about who gets to do what with files. Export your existing catalog to your new drive. Then go on vacation, watch two double features, get a good night sleep and the next day, when you get home from work, it might be done, the week after next.

So by several years old, lets assume 2 for discussions sake. In the Library Filter panel, select sort by date, and export to New Catalog based on year to the 4 Tb drive a new catalog per year. This will break moving the files into a manageable selection, and will let you organize by year, which should simplify management with 80,000 images.

sodapop Loc: Bel Air, MD

Be sure the catalog is exported as well, it is a separate file

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

I'd go with Method 1, but do it one year or folder at a time. The more files at a time you do, the more likely you are to have a digital error.

I'm a little wary of whether Method 3 would work...

Andy

PeterBergh

Method 3 will work and is probably the easiest way to accomplish what you want. You don't need to change the label of the disk; AFAIK, LR does not look at the label. The only hitch in your scheme is that you can't use Windows Explorer to change a drive letter; you have to use Control Panel (Disk Management in Administrative Tools; right click on the H: disk and select Change Drive Letter and Path).

Papa j Loc: Cary NC

Let LR move your file export as a catalog. Keep your g drive as your backup as you have not mentioned where you backed up your 80 k. It will be a long process

J

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I always use Windows to move files. It's quick and easy. Two clicks back in LR identifies the new location for LR and you're done.

IHH61 Loc: Homestead Fl

As long as you maintain the file structure that LR expects to see method 3 (with the advice as how to change drive letter above ) works well. Your first drive is your backup until you are sure the new drive and LR are playing well together.

JaiGieEse Loc: Foxworth, MS

I use an external HD to store my LR files. I'd REALLY like for Adobe to alter LR so as to allow use of networked drives, so that I could work on images on either my desktop or laptop without having to copy things back and forth.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

If you unplug your G drive and plug in your H drive it is possible to rename it to your G drive. Then you don't have to do anything more (other than copy the files from the old drive to the new one). Lightroom will see your files on the new G drive.

DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

Update: I just finished successfully moving my photos and catalog to a new drive, in order to replace an 8-year-old drive while it was still functional. Earlier, I had posted questions about alternative approaches. For those who may be interested, I used method #3, and it worked exactly as expected. I"ve concluded this is the fastest and safest way to do this. Here is the original post:

I have about 80,000 photos on a 2TB hard drive used exclusively for their storage. It's filling up - about 90% of capacity. Photos are managed by Lightroom Classic CC. That drive is also several years old, so I'm not considering splitting my photo storage with another drive - instead, I'm planning to retire it. I'm considering alternate methods to move the photo collection to a new drive. I watched a couple of videos just now on the process, and both speakers showed two ways to do this. A third method occurs to me. I'm interested in the experiences of UHH'ers who have done this. Here's what I'm considering:

First, let's define a couple of things. The photos are stored on the 2 TB G: drive, whose name is Free Agent.

Let's suppose I buy a new 4TB drive, and when I plug it in, Windows 10 calls it the H: drive and its name is My Book.

Further, suppose all my photos are stored in directories who's root directory is called Photos.

Here's 3 approaches to accomplishing what I want to do:
Method 1: Move Files Using Lightroom. The method is simply to drag and drop the Photos folder to the new H: drive. This is by far the simplest approach, but as the speakers point out, it's a move, and something can go wrong if you're moving a lot of files.

Method 2: Copy the Files With Windows Explorer, Then Have LR Discover them. Using Windows Explorer, simply copy the files from the G: drive to the H: Drive. Then, within LR, select Update Folder Location to make LR aware of the photos on H: You can then, if you wish, delete the photos on the G: drive. Question: I don't know if this is a lengthy process for LR - is it?

This is the method I successfully used:
Method 3: Copy the Files With Windows Explorer, then Rename the New Drive. Using Windows Explorer, copy the files from the G: drive to the H: Drive. Then, remove the G: drive from the system, and have Windows Explorer <== (as others pointed out, I needed to Disk Management to do this) change the new drive's letter designation from H: to G: I would think that Lightroom would not know that anything was different in this case. Would I also need to rename the drive from My Book to Free Agent as well? <== Answer: No.

Which of these methods, or possibly other methods, do you recommend or not recommend?

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Glad you got it done! I'm in the middle of my own migration issues right now, but well on the way to solving them.

Andy

IDguy Loc: Idaho

Thanks but no: they all rely on Lightroom working with the existing catalog. The Lightroom error message locked out all those options.

PS: I believe that error message locking you out of the catalog is a programming error.

If I had first moved the image files in Explorer then one of his approaches might have worked because moving the files dissed the error message.

I wanted a new catalog going forward anyway.