Lost pictures

[kimc79568320]

I have lightroom desktop on two PC's but for some reason, I cant see the pictures that have been import on both machines. just what has been imported on that particular machine.  Should I be able to see all the pictures that have been imported to my account regardless of the machine?

[dj_paige]

kimc79568320  wrote

Should I be able to see all the pictures that have been imported to my account regardless of the machine?

No.

[Laura Shoe · Accepted solution]

Lightroom catalogs reside on each computer, and photos in one can't be seen in another. If you regularly work on two machines, consider putting your catalog on an external drive (along with your photos). Then you can open that one catalog from either machine with File>Open Catalog and you'll have all your photos and work. Here's an article explaining this, and here's one on how to move your catalog.  You'll then also need to merge the two catalogs you have into one. This is covered in my recording on how to clean up Lightroom.  Having your catalog on an external drive may slow it down some, but I would give it a try. Another option is to put it in Dropbox, but you have to be very, very careful not to use it on your second machine until Lightroom on your first one finishes writing to it, you close LR, and Dropbox syncs. 

If, on the other hand, you only occasionally work on a second computer, such as a laptop when you're traveling, use this technique instead to import that laptop catalog and those images into your main one when yo...