Problem with Folder Panel listing?

[cresswmc]

I have a problem with the Folder Panel not showing files in their correct places after import (copy). My structure is Photolibrary/Year/Month. Import correctly copies to that, but after import I get the newly imported files listed in the top of the library folder panel. To get them shown correctly I have to remove them from LR & resync the Photolibrary folder. (LR wont 'move' them or allow resync with out removal.)

Really sorry if I missed something basic or this has been brought up elsewhere, but I'm wondering in this is expected behaviour?

Any advice gratefully received !!

Thanks

LR 2015.10.1 Windows 10 Build 1117303

[Akash Sharma]

Hi cresswmc,

Please check that while you're importing images into Lightroom the Destination is set correctly. If the parent folder was highlighted during the import process, Lightroom will create the folder structure as shown in the screenshot under 2017 folder.

Thanks,

Akash

[cresswmc]

Thanks for your help but no new structure is created (LR correctly places the files in photolibrary\2017\mm) it just shows incorrectly in the folder panel. You can 'repair' it by removing the top 2017 folder and syncing photolibrary.

[bhousto90]

A directory or volume/drive name in the folder path has most likely been changed to different capitalization as compared to what Lightroom is looking for.

Your OS will see c:\Mydrive\Photos and C:\Mydrive\photos as the same thing but Lightroom thinks they are different.

Change the folder name in you OS to match Lightroom and it should display it correctly (You may have to right click on the LR folder and choose Show Parent to see full path.)

[Jim Wilde]

bhousto90: yes, it almost certainly is the "capitalisation" issue, but I don't think your suggested fix of changing the folder name in the OS is likely to work (for one thing, the problem is often caused by a change in capitalisation of the username, and you can't easily fix that by renaming). And trying to do "Show Parent Folder" in this situation almost always produces an error message.

cresswmc: to identify if this is indeed the capitalisation problem, in the Folders Panel hover the cursor over the top "2017" folder and wait for the tool-tip that will pop up and display the complete path of that folder. Note it down, paying careful attention to the case of each letter. Then do the same for the lower "2017" folder under "Pictures", and again note the path down. We're looking for a difference in case somewhere in the two paths, which could be as little as one letter. If we're correct, and there is a difference, report back and we'll be able to tell you how to fix it.

[cresswmc]

Yes thank you so much for that - there is a capitalisation difference. The folder that 'appears' after import is C:\Users\Mark\... the other one is C:\Users\mark\....

Look forward to learning how to fix this.

Thanks again

Mark

[Jim Wilde · Accepted solution]

Can you tell me which is now actually the correct username, Mark or mark? If the new imports are going into "Mark", then that implies that's the current spelling when viewed in File Explorer. Another question: does the "Megan James wedding" folder also have the same "Mark" path? If not, we might have to figure that out separately.

If my assumption is correct, the fix involves removing LR's memory of the original "mark" username, and we do that as follows:

1. Backup your catalog. This is important, as it'll give you an immediate fallback position should the "fix" cause a problem.

2. Create a temporary folder somewhere outside the user library, e.g. in the root directory of the C drive. Call it something like "Capsfix".

3. Back in Lightroom, in the Folders Panel, right-click on the "Pictures" folder, and select "Update Folder Location".

4. In the resulting file browser, navigate to and select the "Capsfix" temporary folder. This should result in the entire "Pictures" folder hierarchy disappearing, and now showing under the "Capsfix" folder. All the sub-folders will show as missing, don't worry about that.

5. Now, right-click on the "Capsfix" folder and again select "Update Folder Location". This time navigate to and select the "Pictures" folder. You should likely receive a "Merge" warning message (basically telling you that some folders already exist, do you wish to Merge or Cancel). Click on Merge, and you should have everything back as normal, one folder structure (with the caveat that the "Megan James" folder might still need to be fixed in the same way).

If something doesn't happen as I've outlined, stop there and report back.

[cresswmc]

Hi thanks very much for your help - that's sorted out the problem.