Mickey Jetpur Loc: California

Hi, I could not export any photos from LR yesterday so I called Adobe. I got a person in India who went into my computer. He tried to export some files by email but couldn’t. So he removed the current update and installed an earlier. Now when I look at my current photos they have the exclamation mark! Is it because of loosing the current update the new recent photos cannot be found? They will call me back today with an expert to help fix the issue, but I thought I’d get your opinion about this.
Secondly I bought a new MacBook Pro. Should I make a new catalog as I don’t want to drag the old stuff around to the new MacBook. My catalogue at present is backed up by a 2TB Sandisk ssd. I like to get your opinion on how to do get LR and PS on my new 16”
MacBook Pro without dragging the old catalogue in. I am expecting a call from them this morning. Just want to know so he doesn’t mess me up again!
Thanks for your help.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The problem with the LR update might be permissions related for the Mac OS. People were reporting similar problems and solutions for the recent PhotoShop update. Hopefully, your next Adobe expert will be familiar with this issue.

Regarding the exclamation point, this relates to the image files 'not found' at their registered position. So, if IMAGE01.JPG was in Folder100A, but now it resides in NewFolder01, that would cause LR to raise this 'missing' warning. If your images are in a connected drive, does that drive have the exact same attached name and folders? If 'no', that will cause the Exclamation issue. You can right-click the exclamation point and ask LR to tell you where it thinks the image should be. That might help you figure out what has changed.

You can tell LR to update the high-level folder and have that change cascade through the catalog updating all missing images. But, you need to figure out exactly why the images are 'missing' and where they reside now. Either you rename the folders (or drive name) to the old name(s) or update the LR catalog to the new names. Just figure out which is the least effort.

Regarding creating a new catalog, it depends. You definitely do not want to lose all your history of all your existing images. But, you need to consider the best approach for this migration.

1. First, you need to download and install the Adobe software onto the new Mac.

2. The LR software will like create a new / empty catalog by default during the software installation.

3. How you use your existing LRCAT depends on how you plan to work. Do you plan to keep your images and LRCAT (catalog) completely on a connected drive? If yes, you just need to double-click that LRCAT file and have LR launch and make that LRCAT the active catalog. You'll always have to have the drive connected, but you can start LR directly going forward and it will continue to use the LRCAT on the drive.

3a. Or, you can copy the LRCAT onto the Mac drive directly, while leaving your images on the connected HD. Again, you'll just double-click the LRCAT file to launch LR and have that file registered to LR as the current catalog.

I suggest always remaining your 'master' catalog to a clear identifier, such as: Lightroom Catalog-Apr-2022.lrcat. This way, you know which file is which and why it exists. You can do this rename at the OS level while you have the LR software closed. Ongoing LR software updates will pick up the current / active LRCAT and will continue to update as they pushout software, but you'll always see your original name in the file to trace back any issues.

Mickey Jetpur Loc: California

Hi, I was thinking of getting another ssd. One for the old catalogue and another for the new one. I have a new Sony A74, 33 megapixels so the files are large and my 2013 iMac doesn’t handle it well to edit.
I’m going to be using my new MacBook Pro to edit the A74 files, as the M1 is fast.
Fortunately I made a new Collection of my recent photo shoot and was able to export it from LR on my iPad! I panicked when I saw the exclamation marks as the photos were needed right away.
Now I just turned LR on and the exclamation marks have disappeared without me doing anything!!
Thank you for your help.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

What are you seeking to accomplish with multiple LR catalogs? Wouldn't you want full and concurrent access to your entire portfolio of digital images? That is done with a single, consolidated, holistic LRCAT. Look at the pricing of connected drives as well as your forecasted annual growth. I updated to a pair of 4TB drives in 2016 and still have 1TB of freespace on the primary and second (backup copy). The 4TB version of a WD passport is less than $100. I keep my LRCAT on my local hard drive with all my images on the connected 4TB HD. During occasional travel, I copy the current LRCAT onto the portable drive and have that 'master' with all the images available to a laptop until I return home and update the primary desktop.

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

I got a new MacBook. I transferred my files from my Windows computers to the new MacBook. The problem is that the file structure is different for the two operating systems so it is not possible to keep the path the same. So I had to update the path for 30,000 images. Fortunately LR will look beyond the individual image path and will update everything it can find using the path you supply for an image. It's not always possible to update everything at once, but you don't have to update the path one image at a time.

If you're moving from an old Mac to a new Mac, it may be possible to keep the path constant.

As noted above, using your old catalog will preserve all your edits and all your collections, labels, ratings, keywords etc. It's worth trying to keep it if possible.

tcthome Loc: NJ

As long as you do all your moving from within LR. I believe you can point LR on your new computer to your LR files on your ssd/external drive from the top of the file drop down menu in LR. Enjoy your equipment.

Mickey Jetpur Loc: California

Hi, Please explain how to do this. My MacBook Pro M1 won't let Adobe into my laptop to install LR and PS. I am keeping one Catalogue only. Adobe support from India tried to do a session but error messages kept appearing. Now they can get into my iMac but not the new M1 MacBook Pro.
Can I just plug my SSD into my M1 Mackbook Pro without the Apps?
Thanks.

lreisner Loc: Union,NJ

It sounds like you are saying that Adobe could not install the programs to your new computer. If this is the case you need to contact Apple to find out why. If you go into an Apple store, them may help you download the programs and get them installed, depending on the support they offer.

If the programs are installed on your new computer then all you have to do is connect the hard drive to the new computer. Make sure you have the catalog either moved to the new computer or on the same hard drive as your pictures. Go into the Lightroom catalog and find the LCAT file. Click on the file and that should open up your catalog in Lightroom on your new computer. You should then be good to go.

As a side note, once you are up and running, any changes you want to make to your files on your hard drive should be done through the Lightroom Catalog. If you add a new hard drive or want to move files to a different drive, do it within Lightroom. If you make changes outside of lightroom, you will have disconnected files. Lightroom will not know where to look for the files. That is when you get those explanation marks. Making changes outside of lightroom is a common mistake that many users make. Good luck.

Mickey Jetpur Loc: California

Thank you so much.
One other problem! The man from Adobe installed an update prior to the newest one. I shouldn’t have let him do that. I’m guessing that’s the reason for the exclamation marks on the recent photographs? Now I have to make certain that I have the latest update, which I had before he changed it. Lesson learned! I trusted Adobe but apparently they have their own solutions.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Regarding the exclamation point, this relates to the image files 'not found' at their registered position. So, if IMAGE01.JPG was in Folder100A, but now it resides in NewFolder01, that would cause LR to raise this 'missing' warning. If your images are in a connected drive, does that drive have the exact same attached name and folders? If 'no', that will cause the Exclamation issue. You can right-click the exclamation point and ask LR to tell you where it thinks the image should be. That might help you figure out what has changed.

You can tell LR to update the high-level folder and have that change cascade through the catalog updating all missing images. But, you need to figure out exactly why the images are 'missing' and where they reside now. Either you rename the folders (or drive name) to the old name(s) or update the LR catalog to the new names. Just figure out which is the least effort.

Mickey Jetpur Loc: California

The problem of downloading Creative Cloud was solved by Apple today! Apparently I needed to install Rosetta in order to be able to download Apps. Just this one guy knew about this, as I must have spoken to at least 3 who had no clue including Adobe. What really surprises me is that it was just such a simple solution!! So when you get a new computer you need Rosetta to download any App. Apparently you have to do that on a new MacBook Pro.

no12mo

One word: "CLONE" your SSD or HD. That way if you get this sort of "help" you can go back to the original OS and start over again with another "helper."

If you don't know how to clone, learn how to. It saved my bacon several times.

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

Interesting.

I got a new MacBook Pro for Christmas. As a Windows user for 40 years I didn't know anything about Apple beyond trying to help my wife with hers. So I just installed LR/PS along with a number of other apps. Had no problems doing so, and have had no problems using them. I heard Rosetta mentioned but never did anything about it and I don't know just what it does. Just looked in my apps and don't see Rosetta there, so it doesn't seem to be installed in my MacBook Pro.

However, if it worked for you, great. As long as it's working, don't fix it.

Mickey Jetpur Loc: California

I think its a download needed to open Apps for the M1.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

When you say "apps", what do you mean? You'll probably be happier using the 'desktop' versions of PS and LR Classic. Is that what you now have installed, check the Help / About menus to confirm.