LrC Windows-10 Users external HD

[gegjr]

Lightroom Version Number

LrC (folder based) 10.4

Operating System

1. Windows 10

This really isn't a LrC question so I apologize upfront and if moderators wish to delete or move I understand.
Anyway, after latest Windows-10 update when I opened LrC then attached the drive (I usually do it other way around) where I keep my catalog and images, Windows didn't display the drive in Explorer but LrC did find the catalog. I shut down LrC and and went into disk management where I had point to a folder on the external hard drive (establish path) to make the drive visible in Explorer. I've had same issue with any USB drives too.
Anyway, fellow Windows-10 and LrC users, have you experienced the issue, too? Just curious.

 

[kelvinjouhar]

You said in your post that you “usually do it the other way round”…… I am no expert but if it were me, I would establish a workflow and then do it consistently each time, and in this instance I would ensure that any external drives were plugged in or switched on (or both) BEFORE I even turned on my computer.

 

[GaryG]

I'm using LrC 10.3 and Windows 10 Version 21H1 with my LrC catalog and photos on an external hard drive. When I take my laptop to another room to do non-LrC work, I use Windows to eject the external hard drive. When I want to do LrC work, I usually attach the external hard drive first before starting LrC, but this week I started LrC and noticed the hard drive wasn't connected. When I connected it, LrC took about a minute for the question marks to go away from the folders and the exclamations to disappear from the photos. I just did another test and everything worked the same plus File Explorer did display my external drive. I always try to use Windows eject or put the laptop to sleep before disconnecting external hard drives.

 

[gegjr]

You said in your post that you “usually do it the other way round”…… I am no expert but if it were me, I would establish a workflow and then do it consistently each time, and in this instance I would ensure that any external drives were plugged in or switched on (or both) BEFORE I even turned on my computer.

No, I don't like plugging in my external drives before opening my computer. In my opinion the computer has enough going on during startup without having to recognize external devices. So to get a faster startup I do not add external devices before startup. I do however usually add my external drive prior to starting Lightroom but occasionally will forget which is why I have Lightroom set to "always" open the specific catalog at the specific location (on named external drive). That way if I don't have the drive connected Lightroom will tell me if the location is not available, and I can then connect it.

 

[clee01l]

No, I don't like plugging in my external drives before opening my computer. In my opinion the computer has enough going on during startup without having to recognize external devices. So to get a faster startup I do not add external devices before startup. I do however usually add my external drive prior to starting Lightroom but occasionally will forget which is why I have Lightroom set to "always" open the specific catalog at the specific location (on named external drive). That way if I don't have the drive connected Lightroom will tell me if the location is not available, and I can then connect it.

This is exactly the wrong approach. Windows (and I expect MacOS) inspects connected volumes at a specific point in its boot process. Windows determines the Drive letter assignment in the order that it detects and mounts the volume unless the volume has previously been assigned a drive letter. I think Microsoft expects most people to keep EHDs attached and available on boot up. A permanently mounted internal volume is no different in regard to an EHD except that it is buss mounted. You can change the boot order and boot from 0, 1, 2 or any other connected volume or volume partition.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[gegjr]

This is exactly the wrong approach. Windows (and I expect MacOS) inspects connected volumes at a specific point in its boot process. Windows determines the Drive letter assignment in the order that it detects and mounts the volume unless the volume has previously been assigned a drive letter. I think Microsoft expects most people to keep EHDs attached and available on boot up. A permanently mounted internal volume is no different in regard to an EHD except that it is buss mounted. You can change the boot order and boot from 0, 1, 2 or any other connected volume or volume partition.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We'll agree to disagree on this one. In my opinion waiting to attach my external drives after booting up is how I choose to do it. My primary and probably only computer going forward, is now my laptop. (If I ever go back to using a desktop as my primary computer I may consider keeping external drives connected.) So, keeping my external hard drives always connected is not a viable option. Secondly, I have assigned and named each of my external hard drives. Thirdly, I don't care what sequence externals are loaded just that the drive letters don't change so Lightroom and any other programs that use them such as GoodSync can find them.

 

[gegjr]

I'm using LrC 10.3 and Windows 10 Version 21H1 with my LrC catalog and photos on an external hard drive. When I take my laptop to another room to do non-LrC work, I use Windows to eject the external hard drive. When I want to do LrC work, I usually attach the external hard drive first before starting LrC, but this week I started LrC and noticed the hard drive wasn't connected. When I connected it, LrC took about a minute for the question marks to go away from the folders and the exclamations to disappear from the photos. I just did another test and everything worked the same plus File Explorer did display my external drive. I always try to use Windows eject or put the laptop to sleep before disconnecting external hard drives.

The reason LrC did that is because you went ahead and loaded LrC and ignored or didn't see the warning from LrC that the catalog you normally use wasn't found. You need to go to LrC preferences and tell it to always look for the same catalog. That way you will get a warning the catalog you use isn't found and you can exit the program start then attach your external drive. See the attached screen shot. Maybe it will help.

 

[kelvinjouhar]

No, I don't like plugging in my external drives before opening my computer. In my opinion the computer has enough going on during startup without having to recognize external devices. So to get a faster startup I do not add external devices before startup. I do however usually add my external drive prior to starting Lightroom but occasionally will forget which is why I have Lightroom set to "always" open the specific catalog at the specific location (on named external drive). That way if I don't have the drive connected Lightroom will tell me if the location is not available, and I can then connect it.

Your opinion about the computer “having enough going on during startup etc.” is just that - YOUR opinion…… the facts are markedly different, and the computer boot process is designed to take account of connected drives when starting…. If your own process is determined by your desire to ”get a faster startup”, but in fact you are regularly having to spend time going to e.g. Disk Management to mount the external drive(s) then you will undoubtedly be taking more time to get to a fully functioning computer than if you had done it differently (properly ) in the first place.. Having said that, it’s entirely up to you how you do it…

 

[GaryG]

The reason LrC did that is because you went ahead and loaded LrC and ignored or didn't see the warning from LrC that the catalog you normally use wasn't found. You need to go to LrC preferences and tell it to always look for the same catalog. That way you will get a warning the catalog you use isn't found and you can exit the program start then attach your external drive. See the attached screen shot. Maybe it will help.

My mistake about the catalog. About six months ago I did some LR work for a friend and created a catalog for that work, and that is the catalog on the external hard drive. I planned to move my catalog to the external hard drive, but never did it. My catalog is still on the C drive.

I haven't noticed a difference between booting with my external hard drives connected or unconnected. I do check the drive letters that are assigned and cannot remember when I had a problem getting the wrong letter for my photos or videos drives. I could be lucky because I use letters at the high end of the alphabet, P & V.

 

[gegjr]

Your opinion about the computer “having enough going on during startup etc.” is just that - YOUR opinion…… the facts are markedly different, and the computer boot process is designed to take account of connected drives when starting…. If your own process is determined by your desire to ”get a faster startup”, but in fact you are regularly having to spend time going to e.g. Disk Management to mount the external drive(s) then you will undoubtedly be taking more time to get to a fully functioning computer than if you had done it differently (properly ) in the first place.. Having said that, it’s entirely up to you how you do it…

Once I got it (essd) setup in disk management, btw a Windows-10 issue not a LrC or drive issue, I've never had to go to back to disk management. Just as a side point, I had the same recognition issues with a regular flash drive and with my really old Apple iPod Nano. I just prefer not connecting my external drives prior to startup. It's primarily cause I don't trust Windows-10 and with all the other stuff that loads e.g., OneDrive, Dropbox, AV, and even MS Edge which is part of the Windows Ecosystem since Windows-8, not to mention fast startup which has been a part of Windows since Windows-8. I just don't want the extra strain no matter how negligible on my startup. To me since I carry my notebook around a lot and utilize cloud storage I ONLY need my external drives when I open a program that needs the data saved on them. But you said it right "its entirely up to me". I just took exception with you saying "This is exactly the wrong approach".

 

[kelvinjouhar]

Once I got it (essd) setup in disk management, btw a Windows-10 issue not a LrC or drive issue, I've never had to go to back to disk management. Just as a side point, I had the same recognition issues with a regular flash drive and with my really old Apple iPod Nano. I just prefer not connecting my external drives prior to startup. It's primarily cause I don't trust Windows-10 and with all the other stuff that loads e.g., OneDrive, Dropbox, AV, and even MS Edge which is part of the Windows Ecosystem since Windows-8, not to mention fast startup which has been a part of Windows since Windows-8. I just don't want the extra strain no matter how negligible on my startup. To me since I carry my notebook around a lot and utilize cloud storage I ONLY need my external drives when I open a program that needs the data saved on them. But you said it right "its entirely up to me". I just took exception with you saying "This is exactly the wrong approach".

You have conflated my response and the response from Cletus.
I said that “it‘s entirely up to you”…… but it was Cletus who said “This is exactly the wrong approach”.
However, I happen to agree with Cletus, so you can now take exception to BOTH of us.
Having said that, I do hope that you manage to sort the issues and continue enjoying your use of Lightroom.

 

[gegjr]

You have conflated my response and the response from Cletus.
I said that “it‘s entirely up to you”…… but it was Cletus who said “This is exactly the wrong approach”.
However, I happen to agree with Cletus, so you can now take exception to BOTH of us.
Having said that, I do hope that you manage to sort the issues and continue enjoying your use of Lightroom.

You got it.