Unable to open sub folders on importing photos

[CKSSmith]

I am unable to navigate to the folder I want to in importing from an SD card (or even if I move the files onto my hard drive). Although I am clicking the parent folder in the RH panel, LR will not open the sub folders. I am also then unable to cancel the import operation. The only way out of this loop is to cancel LR completely.

I am running 7.2.

The solution given in another post is to go back to a previous backup to see if this is a catalog problem. I have attempted to launch several recent backups but these give the error message "LR has experienced an unexpected error". I never had any problems along these lines until this release.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Just Shoot Me]

Please post a screen shot of the problem you are having in the import dialog.

When importing from an SD card usually LR will show all images in every folder that is on the card. At least that is how I remember it. I do have Include Subfolders checked.

Are you using a card reader or connecting the camera directly to the computer?

[CKSSmith]

I have had to revert to 7.1 in order to import images but this screen shot illustrates the problem.

With a card inserted I am unable to display any subfolders below walks without clicking maybe half a dozen times. When the subfolders do eventually appear and I click on any of them to load the pictures into the import button appears greyed out. No amount of clicking on the chosen subfolder will allow me to import the photos.

I am not having this problem with 7.1.

[Just Shoot Me]

In your screen shot there is a tone of images to be imported and in the Destination section on the right you have "Into One folder" selected.

Also in the Destination section there are 4 subfolders showing, Collin, Pictures, Places, Walks then the folder (Subfolder under Walks) Southborough Commons.

Is there some other subfolder under that Southborough Commons folder that you are trying to get to?

Where is the subfolder you can't select? In the Destination section or the Source section.

so it sounds like you are having a Permissions problem. Check the permissions on both the Users folder then your username folder and then all the subfolder down from there.

[CKSSmith]

Thanks for the quick response.

Even if there was a sub folder below Southborough Common the point I am making - and the problem I am having - is that clicking on a folder does not always display the sub folders below it.

[Just Shoot Me]

Could be the drive isn't responding properly. In Windows there is a setting in the power option to put drives to sleep after a period of time.

Also you are low on disk space on that drive. It is only 237 GBs and you only have 75 GBs left. I know that sounds like enough but not for a SSD.

You should consider getting either another drive installed in your system and if it is a notebook getting an External drive to store your images on.

[CKSSmith]

As everything works smoothly on 7.1 it cannot be to do with the drive being inactive, nor insufficient disk space. Thanks for the suggestions however.

[Rob_Cullen]

Should you be importing to the E: drive?

Have you clicked on and expanded the folders on the E: drive?

(C: drive may not have the folders you are expecting to see)

[Just Shoot Me]

WobertC  wrote

Should you be importing to the E: drive?

Have you clicked on and expanded the folders on the E: drive?

(C: drive may not have the folders you are expecting to see)

Actually he is Importing From the E drive. That is the cameras Memory card, SDHC.

[Rob_Cullen]

Appreciate the correction, thanks JSM.

My blinkered vision just saw the E: at the base of the Destination panel in the screen-clip. I never realized that the 'Source' (an SD card) would appear in the 'Destination' (but it obviously does as I tested)

I hope the OP gets an answer.

[Polaris_777]

I'm having the same problem with v 8.3.1 on MacOS, so it doesn't look to be an operating system specific issue either.  Also does not appear to have been fixed between the OP's version (7.2) when posted in Feb 2018, and the latest version (8.3.1) in June 2019.

[GoldingD]

Workflow change recommendation

Source Selection

This is probably not your root cause, and probably will not fix your issue, However

Do not use the Devices as your source, use your Files as source. In this case the E drive. Adobe Techs apparently hate selecting devices so much that they have removed that capability from v8.3

[Polaris_777]

You're right - I was importing from a device (SD card) as the source.  They've removed this functionality in 8.3??  Why?  That makes the software less versatile and therefore less useful.  The only reason I can think of is that its implementation has proven so troublesome for them that it's easier to get rid of it altogether than to fix it! 

[Just Shoot Me]

There is a Check Box to include subfolder in the import dialog Source section.

[Polaris_777]

Thanks, I had that check box checked.  The problem with the subfolders (in my case at least) is on the destination side of the import dialogue.

[GoldingD]

Polaris_777  wrote

You're right - I was importing from a device (SD card) as the source.  They've removed this functionality in 8.3??  Why?  That makes the software less versatile and therefore less useful.  The only reason I can think of is that its implementation has proven so troublesome for them that it's easier to get rid of it altogether than to fix it! 

Acutely I may be a bit off on that, not at a computer to confirm, I can confirm that the previous update v8.3 changed the default from devices to folders, listed under other enhancements in New features summary for the May 2019 release of Lightroom Classic

Ohh, at the change was apparently for performance https://lightroomkillertips.com/may-2019-update-for-lightroom-classic-lightroom-and-adobe-camera-raw...

[GoldingD]

When you are in the Library module, not in an Import process, over in the Folders Panel, can you see the subfolder(s) in question?

[Polaris_777]

Yes, the subfolders work fine when outside of the import process.   I'm wondering if it's something to do with the number of subfolders and files that it struggles with (but that wouldn't explain why it can show them just fine in the library, but not in the import dialogue).  The behaviour is inconsistent too.  One particular folder which I know contains a lot of sub folders and files just won't expand at all - I see the expansion arrow change from horizontal to downward pointing, but no sub folders become visible.  Another folder expands perfectly and shows its sub folders, whilst yet another folder begins to expand and I see a spinny progress indicator, but the sub folders don't appear until I move the mouse over them, they then populate the list until they occupy the whole of the remaining column space, and then I can't see the remaining ones, nor scroll down to see them.

[Polaris_777]

I just restarted Lightroom (the "turn it off and on again" practice that I abhor) and repeated the import attempt.  This time the folder I was having the most trouble with expanded fine and displayed all 45 of its sub folders.  That, in my mind, confirms this as a bug. 

[Just Shoot Me]

Why does a SD card from a camera have 45 subfolders? Never heard of such a thing before.

[Polaris_777]

It doesn't.  The SD card is the source of the import.  The folder with all the subfolders is on my computer's (actually a networked drive) file system and is the destination for the images once they've been imported.

[Just Shoot Me]

Then your problem is NOT the same as the original poster.

They had a problem getting to a Subfolder on the SD card and or a subfolder on the hard drive in the "SOURCE" section, NOT the Destination section of the import dialog.

You never made it clear you were talking about the Destination section in your previous posts. And as the OP was talking about the Source section it was totally confusing.

I bet at the times you can not get to a subfolder on your networked drive in the Destination section of the LR import dialog you can get to that same folder using the OS File Manager either.

LR just mimics what the OS is tell it, IE showing what the OS is passing down to it as available drives and folders to copy the imported images to.

[Polaris_777]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Just+Shoot+Me  wrote

"Then your problem is NOT the same as the original poster.

They had a problem getting to a Subfolder on the SD card and or a subfolder on the hard drive in the "SOURCE" section, NOT the Destination section of the import dialog."

Incorrect. You'll see from the original poster's message that he says "I am clicking on the parent folder in the RH [Right Hand] panel".  Now take a look at the screen shot he posted on Feb 25, 2018.  The RH panel is the destination.  He goes on to say "I am unable to display any subfolders below walks...".  Now, if you look again at the screen shot you'll see that 'walks' is a folder on the right hand side of the import dialogue, in a section quite clearly labelled "Destination".  It is therefore clear that my problem IS the same as that of the original poster.

"You never made it clear you were talking about the Destination section in your previous posts."

How can you say that when in my first post I said "I'm having the same problem" and then on Jun 30 2019 at 2:49pm in response to your message, I said "The problem with the subfolders (in my case at least) is on the destination side of the import dialogue"?

"And as the OP was talking about the Source section [no, he wasn't] it was totally confusing."

Not to anyone else reading this thread.  I think the rest of us have it right.  The only one sowing confusion is you.

"I bet at the times you can not get to a subfolder on your networked drive in the Destination section of the LR import dialog you can [not?] get to that same folder using the OS File Manager either."

Incorrect.  At the times when Lightroom's import dialogue plays up, I can get to that same folder, and sub folders, using the OS file manager.  Furthermore, you'll see from my post of Jun 30, 2019 2:55pm that I restarted Lightroom and the problem went away (until next time).

I thought people came here for help, but all I'm getting from you is a misinterpretation of the facts, coupled with an aggressive attitude.  Why?

[GoldingD]

Polaris_777  wrote

Yes, the subfolders work fine when outside of the import process.   I'm wondering if it's something to do with the number of subfolders and files that it struggles with (but that wouldn't explain why it can show them just fine in the library, but not in the import dialogue).  The behaviour is inconsistent too.  One particular folder which I know contains a lot of sub folders and files just won't expand at all - I see the expansion arrow change from horizontal to downward pointing, but no sub folders become visible.  Another folder expands perfectly and shows its sub folders, whilst yet another folder begins to expand and I see a spinny progress indicator, but the sub folders don't appear until I move the mouse over them, they then populate the list until they occupy the whole of the remaining column space, and then I can't see the remaining ones, nor scroll down to see them.

I was asking that as a diagnostic. Had Lightroom failed to see the subfolders in the Library module, I would think to sync the folder (not referring to import), and wonder if something had gone wrong with the catalog.

As you see them in the Library module, my hunch falls short.

[GoldingD]

A couple of things

1. Seams we have lost the OP along the way and are having feedback from another with the same problem. Ok, forum works that way. But how is the OP doing

2. Remembered to go and look at the screenshot again, just in case the OP was doing an ADD instead if a COPY. Ok, it’s a COPY. But looking at the screenshot points out a slightly different workflow than my own. Not that mine is correct, not that the implied workflow in the screenshot is wrong. But an inquiry as follows

What happens, if instead of navigating for the destination in the Destination Panel, you selected the destination up top right corner in the “To” dialog?