Photos will not import

[k ah79408353]

Suddenly (like yesterday) I am unable to import photos into LR 5.7.1 on my MAC Pro with OS 10.11.6. I use my card reader to import my Canon raw files into a Pictures folder on an external drive with a folder named by date and subfolder by event. I copy to this drive while converting to DNG and importing into LR. Yesterday the photos copied to the drive but did not convert and did not import. No thumbnails were generated for me to choose the photos to import. Also the import and check all buttons were grayed out. I tried to add the photos to my catalogue while keeping them in place and the same thing happened.

I am stuck. In looking through the web there is mention of read & write privileges for the destination and source folders has been mentioned often.  My folders have the proper privileges. Older photos from previous imports are still in the library, I just can't add any new ones. I took the easy (expensive) way out and purchased a version 6 of LR thinking that somehow my older version was buggy and I didn't have the time to trouble shoot it. I have some photos to edit and export for a project and didn't want to waste the time. Version 6.0 is no different. I even tried completely rebuilding a new catalogue for my library from my already downloaded photos... same issue. Anybody know of a next step?

[JP Hess]

So were the images that you copied to the drive yesterday copied to the 2017 folder and not into a subfolder within that folder?

[k ah79408353]

Two sub folders exist under the 2017 folder. The sub folders contain the images.

[JP Hess]

The reason I ask is because you have the 2017 folder highlighted in your screenshot. What is it that you are trying to illustrate? Are there supposed to be images visible in the 2017 folder?

[k ah79408353]

Nothing special. That is the folder/pictures i am trying to import into the library. The lack of thumbnails, and no "check  all" was what i wanted to show. Also, the import to destination is just "my catalogue " but wont give me options to select the correct catalogue. The correct catalogue is selected in the catalogue preferences section of LR.

[Jao vdL]

if you are doing an add, there will not be a destination on the right. You can only add to the currently open catalog. My suspicion would be that all images in the folder are already imported into the open catalog and so since don't import duplicates is checked it won't show you any images.

[Rob_Cullen]

Two comments-

You need either a check mark in the "Include Sub-folders"

or The 2017 folder tree needs expanding to specifically select the sub-folder that contains images.

[k ah79408353]

On different attempts I have tried those suggestions. No thumbnails appear, and the import button in the bottom right remains grayed out.

The photos are not importing because of possible duplicates. In the library module neither the directory or the images appear.

Thanks for your suggestions; keep them coming

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

Try this:

Click on COPY, then make sure the Destination Panel on the right is present and expanded and has a valid folder selected. If it is not shown, then right-click on File Handling and select Destination from the dropdown menu that appears

[k ah79408353]

Duuhhh...

Bingo, for some reason the destination folder pane at the bottom was collapsed. I was choosing my destination at the top (as I have for the last 5 + years). Somehow I failed to expand the bottom panes. After keywording I never paid attention to that pane. I don't recall using it in the past.

Thank-You