importing from hard rive

[laurar33635833]

hi.  I store my lightroom library on an external drive.  I recently converted from aperture to lightroom and have an import question.  I have all of my presets correct to import photos from my camera, but I am having trouble importing from my computer desktop to my library.  on my hard drive I have my library set up chronologically in month folders in year folders and have my presets from camera set to import my month/year.  I added a photo to mu desktop from an email and want to import it into my library that is housed on an external drive.  Do I COPY the photo into the corresponding month/year folder on my hard rive and THEN import into lightroom?  And if so, do i choose "copy" or "add" on import choices?  What I did originally was copy this individual photo onto the hard drive as an individual photo.  when I went to import it, it didn't follow the import path I have set up from my camera.  It was fine as I moved it into the proper folder once it was in lightroom, but I have to import several and want to know the correct process. Please advise. 

[JP Hess]

Please clarify what version of Lightroom you are using. Is it the NEW Lightroom CC which is based? Or, is it Lightroom Classic CC? Or are you using some other version? The forum you have posted it is for the new cloud-based Lightroom CC.

[laurar33635833]

That's a good question.  I haven't switched anything...so I assume I am using "Lightroom CC (2015)...that's what it says in the menu...I don't know what lightroom classic is, but I do see it as an option.  which should I be using?  I am confused. 

[JP Hess]

In either case, I would place the image in the folder where you want it to be. Then I would import it to Lightroom using the Add option. That would be my preference. You could import it from the desktop using the copy option or the move option and place it in another folder, but (in my opinion) it would be simpler to place the image where you want it and then simply import it from that location.

[dj_paige]

There is no need to copy anything to the internal hard drive. Leave the photos on the external HD, and import using ADD.

Regarding the photo(s) from e-mail that are now on your desktop ... you can either import using MOVE and select the external HD and set the import dialog box settings to import by capture date. Then Lightroom will move the photos to the proper date folder on the external HD. But in the future, don't put photos on the desktop ... save yourself a step or two ... if they arrive via e-mail (or any other way), put them on the external HD immediately rather than on your desktop, put them in the proper dated folder and import via ADD; OR, put them on the external HD anywhere and them import via MOVE and Lightroom (if the options are set properly) will put it into the proper dated folder.

[dj_paige]

There is no need to copy anything to the internal hard drive. Leave the photos on the external HD, and import using ADD.

Regarding the photo(s) from e-mail that are now on your desktop ... you can either import using MOVE and select the external HD and set the import dialog box settings to import by capture date. Then Lightroom will move the photos to the proper date folder on the external HD. But in the future, don't put photos on the desktop ... save yourself a step or two ... if they arrive via e-mail (or any other way), put them on the external HD immediately rather than on your desktop, put them in the proper dated folder and import via ADD; OR, put them on the external HD anywhere and them import via MOVE and Lightroom (if the options are set properly) will put it into the proper dated folder.

[Laura Shoe]

Regarding what software version you should be using, Lightroom Classic CC (version 7.5) is the newer version of what you have - you are already paying for it with your subscription. To upgrade, open the Adobe CC app, and click on Upgrade (or Update possibly) next to Lightroom Classic CC. It's generally straightforward, but hHere's a video tutorial covering the entire upgrade process, with coverage of what could possibly g...