Transferring files to another catalogue without loosing datas.

[aiur4]

I've been using just one catalogue for 8 years but now I feel that I need to organize all files base on year with a catalogue. More files mean more HDD that I need to plug in together which is very ridiculous.

As you can see, I have two HDDs so far but if I want to access those previous files, then I need to plug my first HDD together since Im using the most recent catalogue to back up all files. I can not do this after I have more than 3 HDDs which will be very complicating situation. So Im thinking to create catalogues base on year like 2017 or 2016 instead of putting folders base on year. BUT, I have no idea how to transfer those files to another catalogue without loosing datas. I already edited a lot of images and I dont want to import images without datas. Are there any ways to transfer those files to a new catalogue without loosing edited datas?

[john beardsworth]

Stay as you are, and don't break up control of your pictures into more than one catalogue.

Instead, take a look at smart previews. Once you have generated them for an earlier year, you can then see the photos even when the hard drive isn't connected.

[aiur4]

You are not understanding. If I want to access to old images from other HDD, then I need to connect ALL HDDs together. I can not do that when I get more than 3 HDDs in future and it will be very complicated and difficult to access images.

[john beardsworth]

Then get a new bigger drive, copy the older years onto it, and treat the old ones as an extra backup. Breaking up control of your picture collection isn't a solution to a problem that's all about constraints on accessing storage  .

[dj_paige]

I agree with John. The solution of using multiple catalogs is a very poor choice.

[ManiacJoe]

The only time any particular hard drive needs to be connected is when you actually need to use any of the files on it.

Lightroom understands this. It will even let you create "smart previews" so let you do some tasks without the needed drive.

Put the catalog and preview files on your internal hard drive.

Then use all the external hard drives you want; just connect the needed drive when you need it, if you need it.

Your desire to use multiple catalogs for this purpose is a bad idea.

[cmgap]

Not to gang up on you here but you are getting good advice. IMO you might want to consider taking on the task of deleting files that you don't really need anymore to declutter and free up some storage space. Unless you are a stock photographer that is making a living generating and uploading thousands of images annually do you really need every image that you take? It takes discipline to keep only the best of the best of every shoot but in the long run it will serve you well.

Try making a smart collection that will find all of the files that you haven't rated, labeled, picked with a flag, edited etc. and call it To Be Deleted. Check that collection and ask yourself if you really need all those files?

[aiur4]

Not helpful. Im shot portrait, landscape, and still life images for a long time. Deleting files is not acceptable.

[cmgap]

If deleting files isn't an option, the good news is that the cost of storage is very reasonable... and as John Beardsworth suggested get a bigger drive.

A caveat though... if you think managing multiple drives is difficult wait until you try to manage multiple catalogs and multiple drives at the same time. You won't need less storage with more catalogs you will just increase the level of complexity of managing your images in multiple catalogs with multiple drives and that is "very ridiculous".

Where did you see this suggestion as it is not a recommended solution from the Adobe Lightroom Evangelists including Terry White and Julienne Kost. They both and others as well encourage managing one master catalog. One reason among many is that you can only sync one catalog to Lightroom Mobile at a time anyway. And this conversation has been going on since version 3.0...

Single or Multiple Catalogs in LR3? - YouTube

[Todd Shaner]

In addition to what has been mentioned where are you backing up the image files on these multiple HDDs? On what specific size and type HDDs are the original files and the backup file copies stored?