Lr5 snafu

[chauncey]

LR5 refused to open>went to Adobe Cust. Support and enabled screen share>they un/reinstalled LR5>
in the process, all links to pictures were broken.
I ran a search for all my CR2 images and they're scattered all over my "C drive", over 15,000 images.
How do I easily combine them into one folder to import them into LR5 in one fell swoop, rather than
trying to locate every individual subfolder.

Or, is there a better way?

[Polar01]

William please forgive me, the joy of LR. that is why I like Photoshop I know where they are as I put them there. Another thing why are you images on "C" drive your operating drive, with me all images are stored on a separate drive.

Sorry: Allan

PS: Cheers just would not have worked here.

[Manfred M]

You can search your computer for all image files and then copy them into a common directory; but there are some inherent risks (duplicate file names, etc). Once you have done this, you can do a single import. You will also have lost all of your edits, unless you have a backup you can restore from (this would also cover the files that you are trying to re-import into Lightroom).

I have never trusted Lightroom since the day I lost a lot of edits when the LR database (i.e. the catalog) got corrupted. I too use Photoshop and manually store ALL my image files either by year / date or by event. As I keep saying; Lightroom has a fatal flaw - its database reliant structure. All of your eggs are in one basket if you use LR in the "official" way. When I do use it, I set up a separate catalogue, buy project, to minimize this risk.

Now that you have been burnt; I suggest you look at a lower risk workflow for your future edits.

[Mark von Kanel]

Ive use LR since i restarted photography 4 years ago, after giving up on it in the early days of digital and shutterlag..... iv always shot raw and converted to DNG to avoid sidecar files.

As far as im aware (im sure youll correct me) im at little risk of losing my work or edits because ive always allowed LR to put them where it wants to and in the DNG format, so even if LR does go tits up it will be simple to re attach the old catalog i upgraded from 3 to 4 without any problems (apart from allowing it to re do some B&W edits in the new carl fan dango codes which totally screwed up the conversions) and ive moved catalogs from one pc to another re attached them to a new copy of LR all without incident... maybe its about being methodical and just engaging with how the software wants you to work in some ways?

Is LR 5 worth the upgrade? im trying to learn PS and use it more but most of my stuffs processed in LR.

[HaseebM]

I am not sure what's happening but LR5 has the option of exporting edited pictures to the original file while retaining a copy in its catalogue. I can easily import files and photos from anywhere.

[Mike Buckley]

I would appreciate clarification, Chauncey. Was it a program file, your database, or both that prevented LR from opening?

[dabhand]

wm,

quick question - are all your images in one folder with many sub-folders - if so you can do a L/R import with 'all subfolders' selected.

steve

[Manfred M]

converted to DNG to avoid sidecar files.

Like with anything else, there are tradeoffs involved with this approach. The DNG locks you into that format, which prevents one from going back and reworking the image with another RAW converter; DxO Optics Pro or Nikon View. This is why I prefer the sidecar file approach as I can delete it and start over, if I wish.

Just as an aside; I find that DxO is a bit cludgy to use, but does a better job than ACR, as does View NX, especially when dealing with skin tones.

[dan marchant]

Or, is there a better way?

The better way would be to locate your original catalog so that lightroom remembers where all your images are. Or if that was deleted pull your back-up copy of that catalog from wherever you store it.

[Colin Southern]

Ive use LR since i restarted photography 4 years ago, after giving up on it in the early days of digital and shutterlag..... iv always shot raw and converted to DNG to avoid sidecar files.

As far as im aware (im sure youll correct me) im at little risk of losing my work or edits because ive always allowed LR to put them where it wants to and in the DNG format, so even if LR does go tits up it will be simple to re attach the old catalog i upgraded from 3 to 4 without any problems

Congrats Mark - you're hereby awared my (rarely awareded) "This man gets it" award.

[Colin Southern]

Just as an aside; I find that DxO is a bit cludgy to use, but does a better job than ACR, as does View NX, especially when dealing with skin tones.

Using which profile?

[Colin Southern]

You can search your computer for all image files and then copy them into a common directory; but there are some inherent risks (duplicate file names, etc). Once you have done this, you can do a single import. You will also have lost all of your edits, unless you have a backup you can restore from (this would also cover the files that you are trying to re-import into Lightroom).

I have never trusted Lightroom since the day I lost a lot of edits when the LR database (i.e. the catalog) got corrupted. I too use Photoshop and manually store ALL my image files either by year / date or by event. As I keep saying; Lightroom has a fatal flaw - its database reliant structure. All of your eggs are in one basket if you use LR in the "official" way. When I do use it, I set up a separate catalogue, buy project, to minimize this risk.

Now that you have been burnt; I suggest you look at a lower risk workflow for your future edits.

+1 ... times 100,000. Will put Manfred. PERFECTLY put in fact.

[LocalHero1953]

I have no easy solution to your current problem, William, but I had a similar event in my early days with LR (then v3). My risk-reduction practice thereafter, which has survived a couple of LR, and Windows, crashes and restorations since, includes regular backups of the catalogue files, regular backups of my images, keeping my images all together in one folder structure, keeping LR edits with the original DNG in sidecar files, and, as an ultimate fallback, creating TIFFs or JPGs of my final edited files.

My catalogue and file folder structure are held on my C drive, but backups are on two separate disk drives.

[LocalHero1953]

Incidentally, since the heated debate on a previous thread, and given the recent reassurances by Adobe about the continued ability to use LR for limited on-going image management if one ceases paying the CC subscription, I have taken out the LR+PS subscription and am "enjoying" the PS learning experience

[dabhand]

Or, is there a better way?

Wm,

Much like Paul above I operate a setup with full backup.

C:drive - programmes
F:drive - an SSD - caches, holding area for images to be reviewed - single folder with sub-folders named according to shoots
G:drive - an SSD - working images again with single folder with sub-folders + LR catalog
H:drive - portable H/D - mirror image of G: drive includes LR catalog and working images (enables me to take stuff when I'm away)
Y:drive - NAS drive in Raid 1 (keeps 2 drives in sync) - all other drives are backed up to this drive including a system image

The whole lot is managed by a very simple auto sync schedule run as a batch job.

All belt and braces and why your system failed I have no idea, but I would echo the others who said to keep your L/R catalog & images off the c:drive and backed up - rebuilding then is not a major issue. I've lost both a c:drive and a drive in the NAS in the past without restoring it being a major issue.

steve

[Manfred M]

Using which profile?

They simply appear to have done a better job with the lens profiling. For instance, when I see a bit of CR and compare the conversions between DxO and ACR, DxO cleans it up almost completely, whereas ACR still leaves s bit of a fringe of green and magenta.

[chauncey]

FWIW...I did a repeat visit to customer support and "desktop shared", for the third time.
Again they did a complete uninstall, including LR4 (not done previously), and reinstalled differently than in
previous installs (???). The difference is that...it worked, with all images where they belong. Whoopee!

Feelings are mixed...happy that it's finally fixed and disappointed that it took over 8 hours of total screen
share time.

[Mike Buckley]

it worked, with all images where they belong. Whoopee!

Great news! Now would be an excellent time to devise a workflow and file-management system including a file-naming convention and backup system that prevents such a debacle from happening in the future.

[chauncey]

Now would be an excellent time to devise a workflow and file-management system including a file-naming convention and backup system that prevents such a debacle from happening in the future.

Dah...ya think...shoulda, woulda, coulda and all that horse hockey!

But...some time invested in that plan of action is defiantly called for.

[Mike Buckley]

But...some time invested in that plan of action is defiantly called for.

Perhaps we will very soon see an entry added to this thread along with an update to your message already posted there.