Question on Lightroom

[wingflapp]

Anyone know how to completely reset your library? I've made copies of stuff, moved stuff, renamed folders... now my images have a bunch of question marks and tell me it can't edit it because it doesn't know where the file is. I know where the files are, and I can manually do it, but I'd rather just start over again, this time using Catalogs so I don't have to rename folders.


Anyone have any insight on this?

Best regards,
Wingflapp.

[ArmySoldier777]

I've done it a couple of times before myself. I just go up to the upper most folder in my tree in Library view, right click it, and click remove. Then once I accept the prompts, I just go to the main folder I want it to find pictures in, and it builds the tree from there.

Another thing, usually right clicking your upper folder and clicking "synchronize" will fix all the image locations as well as add or remove anything new

[dakwegmo]

I'm not sure what you mean by starting over using Catalogs, but if you create a new catalog (File --> New Catalog) you'll get a blank slate to work with in Lightroom. You can then import files and folders as needed.

[SwissJon]

In the Library Modul, Click on Library>Find missing photos and follow the on screen prompts. If an entire folder is missing, right click on the missing folder and click "find missing folder.

If you delete a photo from the catalogue, or import it into a different catalogue, you will lose any changes you made to it.

[ArmySoldier777]

Originally Posted by SwissJon

If you delete a photo from the catalogue, or import it into a different catalogue, you will lose any changes you made to it.

If you don't mind the extra files, you can have Lightroom save the XMP files externally instead of keeping the changes in-program. That keeps the changes you make to the files, no matter if you delete them from the library or not.

[gturner]

If you used explorer to move the files, the LR has no idea where they are. The catalogue is more like a directory than anything else.

If you have have deleted folders, just right click the folder in the library and REMOVE.

The quickest way to fix all the moves is to now go to IMPORT and hit the main / master folder. That will pull in everything from the new locations.

The trick is do the moves within LR, that way, the catalogue updates straight away and the files get moved on your hard drive.