exporting files from external to hard drive to be edited more efficiently off hard drive

[Teresa_Iowa]

I have a catalog of images that I was trying to work on through my external.  It was too slow, so I am trying to export them to my hard drive and then re-import them so it's a faster process (so I'm not working off of my external) but I don't want to convert all of the files to jpg since they are not done being edited.  Some pics are JPG and some are NEF.  How do I keep export them in their original type, to optimize my editing abilities with the NEF files upon re-import?

[Teresa_Iowa]

I'm new to navigating LR...

I tried exporting as DNG, but there's no jpg preview showing up when I try to look at it on my Mac as a preview.

confused

[Just Shoot Me]

Please Review some of these online tutorials on how to use LR.

Lightroom tutorials | Learn how to use Lightroom CC

[Just Shoot Me]

DO NOT EXPORT them and CERTAINLY DO NOT RE-IMPORT THEM. Bad idea all the way around. If they are already in one folder by themselves just Move them from the External to the internal using the File Manager program of your OS and then relink them in LR to the new location.

If they are not all in one folder now do that IN LR then move that folder to the internal drive with the file manager and relink in LR.

Once you are done editing them move them back and again Re-link them to the external drive location in LR.

[Teresa_Iowa]

1-how do I relink them in LR?

[Just Shoot Me · Accepted solution]

Use the Find Missing file system or the Update Folder Location system.

Updating the Folder Location in Lightroom « Julieanne Kost's Blog

Adobe Lightroom - Find moved or missing files and folders