Copy photos to another harddrive /SSD within LR

[Nadine]

Lightroom Version Number

LR Classic 11.1

Operating System

1. Windows 11

Hi there,
I bought a SSD as a new storage place for my photos. However, I would like to COPY - and not MOVE - the photos to the new location. So that in case the SSD breaks, I can temporarily use the old external harddrive and LR will still "know" where my images are on that drive. How can I copy my images/folders from my exernal harddrive to my new SSD within LR? Cheers, Nadine

 

[Y.K]

You cannot do it within LrC - The folder panel allows you only to move photos between locations.

It’s also a bad idea to have the same photos as duplicates, referenced twice within LrC.

You should use a backup app that regularly copies the folder structure from one disk to the other disk, outside LrC. All your photo folders should be ideally be under a master parent folder: for example SSDdisk\MyPHOTOS
LrC should reference just this folder and its subfolders. The backup app will sync everything to BackUpDisk\MyPhotos.

If the SSDdisk stops working you will right click on the “missing” MyPhotos folder in LrC’s folder panel and set it to point to the BackUpDisk\MyPhotos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nadine]

You cannot do it within LrC - The folder panel allows you only to move photos between locations.

It’s also a bad idea to have the same photos as duplicates, referenced twice within LrC.

You should use a backup app that regularly copies the folder structure from one disk to the other disk, outside LrC. All your photo folders should be ideally be under a master parent folder: for example SSDdisk\MyPHOTOS
LrC should reference just this folder and its subfolders. The backup app will sync everything to BackUpDisk\MyPhotos.

If the SSDdisk stops working you will right click on the “missing” MyPhotos folder in LrC’s folder panel and set it to point to the BackUpDisk\MyPhotos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, thanks, that makes sense! Is there a backup app that you can recommend? Thanks again, Nadine

 

[Y.K]

Are you on macOS or Windows?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Y.K]

You can use Chronosync https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html if you use a Mac or Syncback Pro https://www.2brightsparks.com/syncback/sbpro.html if you use windows.

Both can be set to verify that the files where copied correctly and that any deleted files in the source are kept (for some time) in the backup destination.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nadine]

This is brilliant advice - thank you!
Nadine