Can't transfer photos after buying new computer

[Krista Aman-Widgren]

Hi I need help! I purchased a new computer (Dell with Windows 10). My old Lightroom photos are on a Silicon Power external hard drive. I can see the photos on the external, but they don't show up on Lightroom. I have tried numerous times to import or transfer but no joy.
I think the problem is they are in a folder that the computer does not recognize as a "photo folder".

I have Lightroom 4, btw.

I thank you in advance.

 

[Roelof Moorlag]

Does the Lightroom catalog also resides on the external harddisk?
You can open it by doubleclick the lrcat file

 

[unionscum]

If you say they don't show up, are they in the catalog but with a question mark? If so, click on that question mark and you need to show LR where the photos in the catalog are now. If you kept the same file structure, just go to the "highest" file and pick that question mark, LR should find all other underlying files automatically

 

[Krista Aman-Widgren]

Well some I found but they are compressed in a zip file. Some have a question mark, but most just refuse to import into Lightroom. I open up Lightroom and some have the years, but have only a few pictures, instead of hundreds or thousands. I am unable to find a lrcat file, but that doesn't mean it isn't there. I hate computers....

 

[Roelof Moorlag]

Did you take a look at this?
How do I move Lightroom to a new computer? | The Lightroom Queen

 

[unionscum]

I can't quite make up the steps you took when leaving old pc and migrate to a new one. The images are on an external hard drive. Was that already the case on your old pc? If so, leave them as they are. If not, to make things easy, all folders have to be in the same file structure as on your old pc.

On your old pc, you have or should have a file containing all data from the catalog of your old pc. You need to import that file in LR on your new PC. It is not enough to just install LR and connect your harddrive. LR will not find the files because it simply doesn't exist in the new catalog. You need your catalog from the old PC. If you found and copied it, import it by clicking "new catalog" in the "File" tab

 

[Roelof Moorlag]

You need your catalog from the old PC. If you found and copied it, import it by clicking "new catalog" in the "File" tab

This is not good advice. Importing again is almost always a bad idea. Follow the steps in the link i provided earlier and you should be good.

 

[unionscum]

This is not good advice. Importing again is almost always a bad idea. Follow the steps in the link i provided earlier and you should be good.

You're right, my bad. If you've already imported the cat, no need do do twice but as I said, I can't make out the steps that have been taken for migrating.

 

[Roelof Moorlag]

Indeed, it's not clear what steps are taken by the OP. If she's following the steps in the provided link than she can describe where it is going wrong.