Mac to Pc CHAOS!

[cuzimeasy]

Okay, maybe not "ALL CAPS CHAOS", BUT IT SURE FEELS THAT WAY AT THE MOMENT...Oh...sorry...I'll stop yelling.

So I have a new PC and have been migrating from my mac. I have followed all the recommended tutorials and have had no joy. There is something they gloss over in the tuts that may be an issue:

1. When I install Lightroom, the program creates files in the prefs/presets folders, the main Lightroom folder etc. When I migrate mine I am assuming I am supposed to delete those and drop mine in from my Mac...?

2. The locations for prefs etc, in windows no longer match what is mentioned online.

I have followed all the tuts and have ended up with a library view full of grey boxes with missing file warnings. All the badges showing crops, Keywords etc are there. No images, no previews. The system does not show the Pictures folder on C drive to point to the lightroom folder.

Does anybody want to help keep the last few hairs on my head?

Cheers.

[JP Hess]

I don't know about copying preferences from the old computer. See if this information helps:

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-move-lightroom-to-new-computer/

[cuzimeasy]

Hi Jim,

That's one of the ones I have used to get this far.

Seems like it should be simple enough, doesn't it?

The Lightroom install also created some files that were not on my mac. (both are the most recent update)

Maybe I will delete it all, uninstall LR and try it all again!

[Bob Somrak]

PC's use drive letters and Macs use named disks.  You have missing files because Lr is still looking for the old Mac drive NAME.  You need to update the folder locations. 

[cuzimeasy]

Hi Bob,

Thanks, any idea how one does that?

The folder with the images in it does not appear in the folders panel. If I "add folder" I can navigate to the parent folder, but it wants to import, not relink.

[JP Hess]

Right-click on the folder and choose the option to update the folder location or find the missing folder. Then you will be able to browse and locate the folder in its new location. If you can do that at the topmost folder then it will update the location for all the subfolders as well.

[cuzimeasy]

Jim,

Yah...nope. there is no folder in the side panel to right click on.

[cuzimeasy]

Bob,

Tried this one. The structure I have is:   C drive  :  Pictures  :  Lightroom  :  folders by year  :  Folders by month/day

I import a single picture.

The month/day folder appears in the sidebar. No parent year folder or master folder.

I right click  "show parent folder"

The year 2000 folder appears above it.

Right click on 2000 : Update folder location.

"The selected folder or one of it's subfolders is already in lightroom. Do you want to combine these folders?"

Merge or cancel

for giggles I click merge.

I am taken back to the library and none of the other images from that date folder have rendered and there are no further folders in the sidebar.

Ugh!

[Bob Somrak]

Im not sure what is happening.  You shouldn't have to do a MERGE, it should just update where Lightroom is pointing to the files in 2000. 

In your first post you say you have a Pictures folder.  I assume all your photos are is this master Pictured folder.  You should be able to keep showing Parent Folder till the Pictures folder shows up and just relink this folder and everything else will show up.   I did this when I switched from pc to Mac several years ago and it was a quick one link operation without merging. 

[cuzimeasy]

I think I need to uninstall and walk back to the starting line and do it all again. But, for now, I think I'm going to have a beer and cry myself to sleep. ha!

Thanks guy's.

[Bob Somrak]

Here is some more info

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-photos-missing-fix/

[cuzimeasy]

Thanks, I'll read that one as well. I miss darkroom chemicals some days. Finding my "missing photos" used to mean I had put one of the neg sleeves in the wrong binder.

[Bob Somrak]

At least you are keeping your sense of humor.  The beer must have worked

[cuzimeasy · Accepted solution]

Beer always works!

[Bob Somrak]

If you have a single MASTER folder in the root with subfolders containing your photos it should be easy.   Import just ONE photo from the disk an then you can right click on the MASTER folder and update folder location.  This should relink all your photos.  If you have multiple folders in the root I think you will have to relink each one separately.  Make sure you have catalog backups in case things get messed up.

[JP Hess]

Here's a link to an article that you might like to refer to if you need more assistance:

Adobe Lightroom - Find moved or missing files and folders