Just migrated computers and import not working properly - please help

[livinsales]

Lightroom Version Number

15.5.1

Operating System

1. macOS 26 Tahoe

Bottom Line Up Front... After a clean macOS Tahoe install and then using CC to install latest LrC to my new M5, I manually copied all LrC files over to the M5 from a SuperDuper created bootable backup to an external SSD of my previous M1 computer. When I try to import photos from a Desktop folder on the new M5 desktop, LrC is trying to install all the new photos into subfolders of my existing year 1930 folder (see attached pic).

Toggling "Into Subfolder" on or off has no effect on the behavior though it was off when I first tried to import. I also checked that my current import settings in LrC on the new M5 appear identical to the long-term settings used on my previous M1 (see attached pic).

Just to confirm the M1 was still importing as it always had in the past, particularly after all the "clean up" that was recommended prior to transferring to a new computer (including "Optimize Catalog" and a few other things), I tried to import a photo into LrC on the M1 and it worked as it always has, identifying there is an existing year, month, and day for the photo and appropriately assigning that as the destination.

How do I get LrC to recognize year, month, day folders that already exist as the appropriate destination for import and only creating any new required folders within the proper date location of the existing folder structure?

 

[livinsales]

Well, that took me 3 minutes to figure out and thank goodness it was so easy

It appears for some reason (I never touch this area so no idea how or why it happened) the 1930 folder had been clicked/selected, rather than "Lightroom" folder as the destination, hence it wasn't seeing existing folders within 1930 and was appropriately creating them. When I clicked the Lightroom folder Lrc found all the existing folders and put photos into date folders where they existing and created date folders where they did not and is now importing properly.

Puzzled how the 1930 folder got selected...? Glad it was that easy to fix!

 

[Califdan]

Well, that took me 3 minutes to figure out and thank goodness it was so easy

It appears for some reason (I never touch this area so no idea how or why it happened) the 1930 folder had been clicked/selected, rather than "Lightroom" folder as the destination, hence it wasn't seeing existing folders within 1930 and was appropriately creating them. When I clicked the Lightroom folder Lrc found all the existing folders and put photos into date folders where they existing and created date folders where they did not and is now importing properly.

Puzzled how the 1930 folder got selected...? Glad it was that easy to fix!

You are talking about importing new photos not previously in the catalog, right? Hopefully you are not re-importing images that were in the catalog on the old computer.

 

[livinsales]

Yes, it was a new batch of photos I'd taken on my iPhone. I don't have sufficient storage on the phone to keep them all there, plug it in, and use that as the import device. So, I export the original unmodified files from Photos on the Mac to a desktop folder, then import them using LrC. I've never had an import issue in all the time I've used LrC so I suppose that's fortunate. But, how the 1930 folder got selected is very puzzling. Perhaps I did it, but I can't recall ever touching those year/month/day folders during the import process. Mostly deciding which photos to select or unselect then just click import. It's not area in the window I ever fiddle with. Weird.

 

[Califdan]

Maybe the cat walked over your keyboard while you weren't looking?

 

[livinsales]

Maybe the cat walked over your keyboard while you weren't looking?

Hadn't even considered it. But, that's actually a possibility.

I usually keep him out but the first thing he does, per standard feline behavior, is head for stroll on the keyboard