Files/folders not appearing in the correct place.

[johncee]

Hi Everybody

I have a problem with Lightroom 1.4.1 I know its a bit old but up until now it has for filled all my requirements.

So the problem is when I import images from my cards I choose there destination as follows. In Lightroom I have folders named after clients I choose one of these and I check box "Put in Sub folder" and name that with the job title.
Up until now this has worked great the files are imported to the correct location, Client folder/Job sub folder/files.

What's happening now is within Lightroom on the Library page under folders the sub folder is appearing outside the client folder as a new folder. If I try to drag ether the Job folder of just the files to the client folder I get a message "The file named 5921.CR2 could not be moved, Perhaps it is marked read-only?" And yet when I check on the hard drive where I store my Lightroom files they are all in the correct place "Lightroom folder/client folder/job folder/files". It seems to be a problem with Lightroom interface. With regard to "The file named 5921.CR2 could not be moved, Perhaps it is marked read-only?" How would I have marked files as read-only?
Can anybody help it becoming very messy.

Cheers John

 

[Mark Sirota]

Could you post a screen shot of your Folders panel?

 

[johncee]

Screen grab

I think I have attached the grab.

Cheers John

 

[Mark Sirota]

So the folders shown there are your "client folders"? Which is the misplaced "job folder"?

I'm reaching back for LR 1.4.1, but if you right-click on the job folder that's in the wrong place and choose "Show in Finder" or "Reveal in Explorer" or whatever the menu item is called, does it bring you to the place you expect?

 

[johncee]

There are loads of misplaced folders in the list but as an example K2 is a client folder and Family Calender 2'1' is a job folder.
When I imported the files they should have gone into K2 folder in a sub folder named Family Calendar 2'1' but the Family Calendar 2'1' folder appeared where it is now.
If you right click and ask to show in finder it is in the correct place. K2 folder/Family Calendar 2'1' folder/files. Its just screwed up in the library list in Lightroom.

 

[Mark Sirota]

That does sound strange... I don't remember any known problems related to this in LR 1.4.1.

Are all your "client folders" within the same parent folder on disk? If so, here's something to try. You might want to try it on a copy of your catalog, just to be safe...

Put an image file in the parent folder, and then import that image. This will force LR to show the parent folder in the Folders panel, and perhaps it will then have to show the proper hierarchy underneath the parent folder. You can then delete the image file; this technique is just to trick LR into showing the parent folder. (This is much simpler in LR 2.x.)

If you try that, please let us know whether it helps!

 

[johncee]

Yes they are. When you say try it on a copy of my catalog how do I create this. If I thought upgrading to the latest version would cure the problem I would do this. But I will try your suggestion once I created a copy of my catalog.

 

[Mark Sirota]

Just copy the .lrcat file (or .lrdb file, if it's really old) and double-click on the copy to open it. You might also want to copy the previews database that sits alongside, though this isn't strictly necessary.

I would guess that upgrading to 2.3 would fix the problem. You could also download the free 2.3 3'-day trial and see; it will automatically create a copy of your catalog because it will need to upgrade it.

 

[johncee]

I have just tried moving a file from a folder made before the problem. I have moved it into Family Calendar 2'1' with no problem. I have then moved it from there into K2 no problem. I then tried moving from Family Calendar 2'1' folder with one of the new files, the older file moved happily but the new file didn't with the message "5916.CR2 could not be moved. Perhaps it is marked read-only?" Any idea what this means and can I change it.

 

[Mark Sirota]

It's probably worth checking whether it is read-only. Select the file in Finder and hit Command-I. At the bottom of the Info window there's a section for Ownership & Permissions. Make sure you can "Read & Write" the file.

You might check the same thing for the folder and the parent folder. Also check the "Locked" checkbox in the General section (should be unlocked).

(I'm assuming you're on a Mac because you said that the context menu in LR included "show in Finder". If I'm wrong, we'll have to ask a Windows person to step in and help.)

 

[johncee]

OK the folders were unlocked and the files were read-write. So I did what you suggested and it did place the parent folder

named "Negs" into the library list but and theirs always a but. In this new Negs folder it has created new client folders and

placed the relevant job folders that were floating about inside each correct client folder. In the library folder list were the Negs

folder is the original client folders are as well see grab. If you open the Negs folder all that is inside are client folders that

relate to the floating job folders. So I have two folders named K2 one in the main list, this has jobs before the problem and

another inside Negs this has the jobs after the problem. I have tried to drag the jobs from K2 in the main list to K2 in Negs and

I get a message "Cannot move the folder. A folder named (folder name) already exists at the destination." It doesn't no visually anyway.

If I try the reverse it wont work at all. Its not perfect but its a lot tidier. If I'm looking for a job it has to be in one of two places.

If I can get them altogether great but I can live with this.

Thanks for all your help Mark if you have any other susjestions please let me know.

Cheers John

 

[Denis Pagé]

Suppose you want to have the K2 with 58' images at the K2 with 33 images location:

1. Select the K2 with 58' images then select all (Ctrl/Cmd-A).
2. Drag the selected images by their thumbnail and not the gray space around to the K2 folder containing 33 images.

Now, The K2 folder wich had 58' images should show ' images and the one which was 33 images should show 613. You can now delete the empty folder.

You can do it the other way if you want to add to the 58'...