Using external harddrives in Lightroom Classic
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 08. 2024
- To work with external harddrives you first have to "import" this drive into Lightroom Classic. After that, you can move folders from one drive to another and Lightroom Classic will keep track on where the images are stored.
If you move folders outside of Lightroom Classic, you have to relink them every time. So I definitely recommend organizing your folders directly within Lightrooms folder-panel.
What hard drives are you using - SSDs, NAS-drives, old spinning drives? Let me know in the comments below!
Visit www.martindoersch.at/become-a... buy the course and become a Lightroom Classic Master now!
Start now and learn to create tangible art: www.martindoersch.at/how-to-p...
00:00 using external harddrives in Lightroom Classic
01:10 bring in an external harddrive
03:07 move folders to the external harddrive
04:40 clean the folder structure
05:13 show or hide parent folders
05:55 conclusion
Kanalmitglied werden und exklusive Vorteile erhalten:
/ martindörsch
---
Equipment: kit.co/martindoersch
Lightroom Classic MD Workflow (EN): www.martindoersch.at/lightroo...
Printing photos: Create tangible memories! (EN): www.martindoersch.at/create-t...
Medien Design | Martin Dörsch www.martindoersch.at & www.martindoersch.com
This was extremely helpful. Thank you so much. I use a Seagate 1TB external hard drive. Just getting back into photography after decades of letting life happen. So much has changed, so much to learn. Love it
This was so helpful. Thank you sooooo much!!!
This was helpful! Thank you!
Thank you!!!!! This is the rabbit hole I needed.
good explanation - thanks
Thank you for your help . you made it look simple
I am using a SONNETTECH ECHO DUAL NVMe THUNDERBOLT DOCK with 2-Samsung 970 2 tb sticks for a total of 4tb ssd. It’s the least expensive to really expand my MacBook Pro 14”. Thanks so much for this upload
thank you 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Im using a Dell touchscreen laptop and have a WD Easy store 2 Terabyte external drive . I did however use time machine on it to repair my macbook. So i want to use it on my DELL windows . Wondering if i use it on my Dell if that will automatically reformat it and lose my apple timemachine back up files
Thank you, this gets me closer to what I need to do I believe. I normally use my external HD (1) to store my images on and Lr recognizes it fine. I backup this external HD (1) to another external HD (2). It basically has the same tree in it as (1). It also has as many images on it as (1) which is 40k+ images. I tried the screenshot method you showed and Lr recognizes it, however, it will only show that one image and not list the rest of the folders containing the rest of my images. Do I have to import all 40k+ of my images in order for Lr to recognize the whole volume of 2.1TB? Thank you!
hi!
Sorry, I totally missed your comment.
You have to "synchronize the folder" via a right click on it.
Martin
Thanks for this video.I want to use a 4tb SSD on my Desktop. I understand moving the folders but what if you want to move the LR or PS to the SSD is that possible, so I can use the SSD for editing. Is that possible? Thank you.
Do you use a Mac or Windows pc?
It’s possible but I would recommend to leave the applications on the internal drive (if that’s a SSD).
This is so helpful! Thank you Martin!! I have a question about the catalog backups - is it possible to back up catalogs onto external hard drives? It seems like my computer just doesn't allow me to choose it and that it's not an option.
Hi!
I prefer the default location - and the backup will be created with Apples build in TimeMachine.
If you use Windows, search for "time machine for windows" to find a similar backup software.
Thanks for the informative video! WHY does the LR main catalog need to be on the mac? I want to plug an SSD to either on of my macs and use the same LR database.
Hi!
The catalog can be on external hard drives as well. But it should be a fast one!
(Network detached drives aren’t allowed).
Thank you for explaining. I found myself opening lightroom mobile and doing all my edits. but now I linked my mobile to desk top. n my drive is stuck. says I need to remove images. not sure how to go about that. I would love to know if using an external hard will help my laptop. I can't open lightroom photos on laptop without this . I need to remove 2. kb of space.
I dont want to delete. Will moving to external help. How big of external should i get. Like i said i primarily use mobile. so I now have alot of raw images . My memory is full.
Can I move cloud to external too?
would 4tb help?
plus if I want to use photoshop. I need to be on laptop to transfer. I'm not able to accomplish that .
Hi!
First of all: do you use Lightroom CLASSIC? If so, you can move folders with images in it like demonstrated in this tutorial.
If not: in Lightroom (not Classic) settings you can set how many local harddisk space can be used. Otherwise it's stored in the cloud.
I'm going to export an existing catalogue from an old macmini to a Kingston XS2000 2TB for use on a newer MacBook.
Wenn du noch Smart Vorschauen erstellst, kannst du auch auf die Fotos zugreifen, wenn die externe Festplatte nicht angeschlossen ist.
Ganz genau! Und hier findest du sicher noch mehr zum Thema Vorschau-Daten: www.martindoersch.at/2021/02/vorschaudaten-in-lightroom-classic-verstehen-und-nutzen/
Thanks for the video! I’ve got a problem with using external SSD with LrC.
I did everything you have explained on this video. But when i unplug SSD and plug it after a while, LrC can’t link the external folders so i have yo locate external folders again and again.
I feel like everytime i plug SSD into my Mac, it sees SSD disk as a different disk name/volume. But couldn’t find anything helpful on internet. Had you ever experience something like this?
Thanks!
Hi!
I never had this issue or even heard from it.
Maybe it's a problem with the file system of the disk.
Do you use APFS?
Do you have the same issue when using another external disk?
Martin
@@martindoersch My external SSD has APSF format. Actually I haven't try with another external (Other ones are old exFat disks), but I will try. Also I will format my SSD as MacOs Extended Journal, maybe It will be solution.
Thank you so much!
Would this be the same procedure for windows?
Should be.
I work on Apple and will double check next time I’m near a Windows PC.
How do I use my LrC catalog (which is on an external ssd) on a new laptop. I just upgraded and downloaded my LrC and Ps to it. But when I connect my ssd, it asks me to import from the ssd to the laptop's HD. What am I missing?
What should be imported?
@@martindoersch i may have figured it out. So I have a laptop from a few years ago, but all my photos are on external drives. When I plugged into my new laptop, lightroom wasn't finding the photos, just the external drive. The only way to edit a photo from there was to import from the external drive to the laptop's HD. But I just read that I need to copy my lightroom catalog (.lrcat-data file) to the ssd so that the new laptop will be able to read the files. But I'll try it tomorrow.
once you have imported photo files onto LRc, and have edited them, do you then have to move the edited files back onto the external harddrive? This is the part that I am confused by.
Hi Marie!
Best would be, you watch the video again ;-)
Thank you Martin. I am very confused about Lightroom and Lightroom classic I have Lightroom best Uwe
Hi!
Stay at Lightroom if you are happy and you don’t need Lightroom Classic.
amazong but is it better to do all your editing solely from hard drives? Thing is I have 512gb on computer which obviously isn't enough to store all images. So is this a normal way to do it
I would start on the internal hard drive. And if you don’t need the project locally, move it to the external disk.
I have a WD Passport external with pictures on it. I want to import them into LightRoom, however; when I go into LightRoom import, this drive does not show up. I got it to show up in the Library as you discribed, but how do I get it to show up in the import screen? I would so appreciate your help.
Is the drive available from Finder / Explorer?
@@martindoersch Yes
Take any folder you want to import into Lightroom and drag and drop it onto the Lightroom icon. Will the folder be shown in the import dialog?
@@martindoersch No, I was able to get the drive and a picture to show up in the Library. However only that one picture was there not all the other things on the drive. The drive does not show up in the import dialog.
@@LoisJKane Do you have some kind of regulations or permissions set "incorrectly" on your machine? (Do you use Mac or Win)
what camera are you using?
kit.co/martindoersch
My issue is that LC won't let me import anything directly from my external hard drive..it comes up within the program, but I click on it and it says 'no photos'
SSD vs Spinning? I need about 4 TB to store all my images!
If you want to work directly from the external hard disk: as fast as possible.
If you need it to store and sometimes edit from: what ever feels right.
More important is the backup solution of the external hard disk!
I changed the name of my external hard drive. My previous pictures are not recognized under the new name. Is there an easy fix for this?
You have to "search for this folder" and relink it.
Right-click on the folder inside Lightroom Classic
does working w external hard drives if I have 1 terabyte of photos help my computer work better? Im not thAT Technical, but I heard you can even edit a photo and then when you connect your external hard rive all gets saved... What are your thoughts
Hi!
It makes your computer not “work better”. It frees a lot of space of your internal hard disk.
Watch my tutorial again and listen carefully.
Then you will get the answers!
Can you work on an image if you do not have external hard rive? and then when you connect external hardwire things get updated? I believe that may be a different topic. @@martindoersch
@@depe7946 hi!
That’s possible with SmartPreviews.
Maybe I should do a tutorial on this topic as well…
I would really appreciate that, I think it would be very helpful, on how to work on an image when external drive isn't plugged in and then updated when it is..
@@martindoersch
Couldn't you also just keep the catalog on the external HD as well?
Yes thats possible.
(No NAS allowed for this)
But use a really fast connection!
@@martindoersch thanks! I figured it was ok but double checking
why the lightroom catalog has to stay to my macbook? i want to move it to external hdd or ssd!
Hi!
External drives should work (NAS drives don’t).
But it could be a speed issue. So it’s preferred to leave them on a local drive.
if it is an ssd why would it be a speed issue? and my hdd is lacie d2 1tb which as i know is fairly fast@@martindoersch
If I understand correctly now you only have one copy of your photos on your external drive and thus no backup copy. How do you backup your photos?
Hi!
Actually I just have "one copy" of the master files.
For backup I have timemachine and a "hard drive swap system".
Here is a german "how I do my backups" tutorial: czcams.com/video/4nYRaX3Nios/video.html
If you want me to do this in english es well, just let me know!
@@martindoersch actually an english version would be great!
@@martindoersch i guess i dont understand how you can move the files off your macbook but still use time machine as a backup...
@@floydjaggy hi.
You can move the folders inside Lightroom to another hard disc.
For backup: you have to enable external hard discs inside your TimeMachine preferences.
@@martindoersch that is exactly what i needed to know, thank you so much!
I have a seagate
Warning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! be really careful using this method if you use iCloud on a Mac! My files weren't downloaded and I did this - I had empty file folders - then I moved them back and I have lost 6 months of photographs - I lost 2 years but scouring through old backups I was able to recover 18months. If your files are backed up to the iCloud you need to be sure they're actually dowloaded to your computer before you transfer.
Yes so true.
Be aware of where you store the images Cloud folders (iCloud, Dropbox [manual synced],…) are dangerous!
@@martindoerschI’m TV
You dont mention catolgue, if everything is under one folder such as JPGs those also get back up
two questions , is it tjust the raw folder or the also JPG because i have them under one folder the raws and jpgs ..also what about the catolgues
Everything inside the folder (as dar as I know).
Phrase try it and confirm this for me/all!
I just use one big catalogue. This is located on the internal (fastest) hard drive.
@@martindoersch Will try it