Import Issues w Lightroom

BardParker

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I'm new to lightroom. Just downloaded version 3.6. Tried to import 10 CD's worth of scanned film images from Precision Camera (great developing and scanning, BTW). Anyway, I didn't realize I had the settings screwed up and imported from my CD but had it set to add to the same CD-R instead of my hard disk. Now it says that xxxx image is "offline or missing". When I tried to correct this and reimport using the "copy" command from cd-r to pictures folder in hard drive, it won't let me. Arrgh! My wife reminded me that she is married to an idiot! Please help:bang:

Thanks,
Kent
 
Kent,

If you haven't done so already, shut down LR, then copy all the image files to your HD (do this using your OS's file manager app, before you re-start up LR). Then re-launch LR and once the library panel comes up, then (iirc) right-click on one of the question mark icons for an "offline or missing" image. It should bring up a dialogue that lets you "find" the missing file (and often "nearby" ones too) on your HD directory. You may have to do this for each CD full of images, but you do not have to "re-import" anything -- just have to tell LR where the files are now located, which is what the above procedure does.

Hope that helps.
 
You might also try just deleting the images from within Lightroom, as in removing them from your library--it won't delete images off of a CD. Then try to import them again, this time telling it to copy the images. Basically, you did it wrong in that you added images from a temporary location. Don't try to fix what you did. Just delete them and start over.
 
Papercut, your suggestion did the trick! russeljtdyer, I tried to delete the images first and start over but it wouldn't let me as the files were offline or missing. Thanks to both of you for the quick response! Now, to learn some more about lightroom. Previously I,ve used iPhoto and some Aperture, but have no PS or LR experience.
 
This might help................

Go into your drive and delete the catalog that it opens in LR and start again from scratch. It is a .lrcat file.

What I do when I have CD's is import them into a folder on the desktop where I can separate them into folders, rename, and delete what I don't need. I then place the finished folder where I want it on the hard drive. I then synchronize the top folder in LR and this imports everything that has been added. Then I go to work in LR.

If this is your first import just import that folder.
 
Kent,

Glad you got it to work without having to go back to square one.

I keep all my files on an external drive (my laptop is my work computer, so I don't want it cluttered up with thousands of personal images), and I've had to tell LR that I've moved my files (to a different / bigger drive) twice in the past. Thankfully Adobe was smart to build in this feature: you just tell LR that the files have moved instead of having to delete and re-import -- which wouldn't be so bad when it's just a CD or two, but when it's some 20,000 images, well, starting over from scratch really isn't a viable option (it would require having to re-do all the adjustments for each image -- what a nightmare!).

Enjoy LR -- it's a fabulous program. I've hardly opened Photoshop since I started using it (version 2).

Papercut, your suggestion did the trick! russeljtdyer, I tried to delete the images first and start over but it wouldn't let me as the files were offline or missing. Thanks to both of you for the quick response! Now, to learn some more about lightroom. Previously I,ve used iPhoto and some Aperture, but have no PS or LR experience.
 
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