How do I overwrite previously exported files in Lightroom 4 and replace the previously exported files? I upgraded to Lightroom 4, and it does not allow the overwrite option as did LR2. It only gives me the chose to "Use Unique Names" or "Skip". I didn't realize I had to set up my watermark again, when I upgraded to LR4. I need to reexport the same files to the same location, with the watermark this time. I have tried exporting from the original files and by opening and exporting from their new location, neither will allow me to do so.

Webweaver has shown one way to deal with it but if you try to write to a file that already exists, you should get this dialogue come up:

I can't understand why you are not getting the "Overwrite" option.

JW

Are you trying to overwrite files that are already imported in LR, attempting to replace your master photos with exported ones?  You should be recreating the watermarked files from their imported masters, not trying to stamp a watermark on the exported output files.

I agree with Lisa Nell, When I experimented a bit more I found the "Overwrite" option greyed out if I tried to replace a file with a version of itself.

I can't remember how earlier versions worked but the logic seems to be that LR is preventing you from altering a file that has already been imported to LR.  It wants you to save it as a separate file for editing outside LR or reimporting as a separate version with a different name.  To overwrite I think you have to do it outside LR so fooling LR into updating its preview of the existing file with the new one, if you folllow me.  If the file was not already in LR it would give you the Overwrite option.

It is a bit more time consuming for you to have to do that.

JW

Oh, and my previous post should have said I agreed with webweaver, not with you, Sorry.

Since it would not allow me to overwrite the originals DNG files again. I thought I would just “import” the new jpeg files that were created from the first exportation of the original DNG files. It would not allow be to overwrite these new jpegs either. I could overwrite the files during the time I worked on them, after first importing them into LR4.  I sometimes would find a preset I liked better and would overwrite the first ones. The problem came about when I reopen the those files, after something else had been imported and worked on in between.

You cannot overwrite images that have been imported into LR, so you cannot overwrite your DNGs and, now, you cannot overwrite the JPGs you first created from the DNGs because you said you imported those, too. 

Before you proceed any further, you should highlight-rightclick-Delete… (using Remove from Library not delete from Disk) any output JPGs you have imported into LR, then LR should let you overwrite them if you start with the original DNGs.