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Pix renamed outside LR now have 2 of each (1 !)

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fbx33

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Simple (but dumb) problem. Last night used Better File Renamer to rename 25K photos in MAC OS X. Today I have "missing" duplicates of all in LR. I can't find a specific remedy for this problem. Can't rename back because many had different names to start with. Thought I could find all Missing Files and delete them (since the exclamation pointed pix are the missing ones [previous names] and the others are the real ones [same pix, new names]). But reluctant to try that w/o confirmation from seasoned LR vet.

Thanks & apologies if I've made an error in posting here. First time.
 
I'm guessing that after doing the rename, you then compounded the error by re-importing those 25k photos with their new name, is that correct? The problem with that is that all the work you may have done in the past to those images (editing, adding metadata such as keywords, ratings, titles, captions, copyright, etc.) is all associated with the "missing" images. Once you remove those missing images from the catalog, then all that work goes with it and you will be left with 25k unedited images.

So the first question is: is my supposition about the re-import correct?
Next: how big a disaster would it be to lose all the work associated with those images?
Next: do you have a backup of the original (i.e. not renamed) images, and a backup of the catalog prior to the batch rename? Because restoring both to the pre-renamed state would be the easiest (maybe only realistic) way out of the problem.
 
I'm guessing that after doing the rename, you then compounded the error by re-importing those 25k photos with their new name, is that correct? The problem with that is that all the work you may have done in the past to those images (editing, adding metadata such as keywords, ratings, titles, captions, copyright, etc.) is all associated with the "missing" images. Once you remove those missing images from the catalog, then all that work goes with it and you will be left with 25k unedited images.

So the first question is: is my supposition about the re-import correct?
Next: how big a disaster would it be to lose all the work associated with those images?
Next: do you have a backup of the original (i.e. not renamed) images, and a backup of the catalog prior to the batch rename? Because restoring both to the pre-renamed state would be the easiest (maybe only realistic) way out of the problem.

Hi Jim and thanks for the reply. As it turns out I did not re-import, but since the renamed photos are in the same directory Lightroom apparently did (which is why there are duplicates). Anyway, after much reflection and study I got rid of the Missing Photos and (oddly) some of the remaining pix that were edited remain (I think I may have made duplicates while working on them). Some are gone of course, but I can live with that.

Only a hundred or so of the 25K had work done in LR. Many more were edited BEFORE they were brought into LR. I just started messing with LR a month or so ago.

Anyway, sorry to be chatty. I think all is OK and I appreciate your response. I do have recent backups so if necessary I could go and re-import those. All is well. Sorry to be a bother.
 
As it turns out I did not re-import, but since the renamed photos are in the same directory Lightroom apparently did
This can't really happen, i.e. Lightroom cannot import without being directed to do so by the user (there is an "auto-import" capability, but that has to be setup by the user using an initially empty folder). Did you perhaps use the "synchronise folder" option after doing the batch rename in an attempt to get Lightroom to connect to the renamed files? That is effectively an "import" with some additional functionality and would also explain the duplicates.
 
This can't really happen, i.e. Lightroom cannot import without being directed to do so by the user (there is an "auto-import" capability, but that has to be setup by the user using an initially empty folder). Did you perhaps use the "synchronise folder" option after doing the batch rename in an attempt to get Lightroom to connect to the renamed files? That is effectively an "import" with some additional functionality and would also explain the duplicates.

That sounds right. (Sorry, telephone reply.) Yes, I did a "synchronize folder" so that explains the situation. I'm not quite clear today on HOW I got rid of the duplicate "missing" files. I remember doing a search for all missing pictures, then I removed them somehow. I think when they were selected in the main Catalog they could be removed or deleted. Prior to that I'd tried to delete them in a "collection" I'd made and that didn't work.

Anyway, I think everything is OK now. Back to my real number of photos (25K) and none missing. I may have lost some edits and may try doing a new catalog in a different folder after copying the most recent backup back to the main HD.

Or I may just forget about the editing losses which were minimal as previously reported. Thanks again for your attention and help.
 
Last edited:
Why did you rename in betterfinderrename and not lightroom?

Out of interest, why did you rename the files?
 
Why did you rename in betterfinderrename and not lightroom?

Out of interest, why did you rename the files?

Habit, I guess. Wasn't thinking. Not that familiar with LR yet so I'm not even sure I knew you could do wholesale rename of all files inside Lr. Finally, I have been trying to get all my pictures named as the EXIF date so they are easy to keep in order in Mac OS X. Before I used LR I did this with A Better Finder Attributes and A Better Finder Renamer. So, habit & wasn't thinking, in equal measures. Since then I have re-renamed all inside LR with grand success. Also was able to recover most edited files from backup so no significant losses.

I've been trying lots of different editors/managers over the last few weeks, so generally things are a bit out of whack.
 
That sounds right. (Sorry, telephone reply.) Yes, I did a "synchronize folder" so that explains the situation. I'm not quite clear today on HOW I got rid of the duplicate "missing" files. I remember doing a search for all missing pictures, then I removed them somehow. I think when they were selected in the main Catalog they could be removed or deleted. Prior to that I'd tried to delete them in a "collection" I'd made and that didn't work.

Anyway, I think everything is OK now. Back to my real number of photos (25K) and none missing. I may have lost some edits and may try doing a new catalog in a different folder after copying the most recent backup back to the main HD.

Or I may just forget about the editing losses which were minimal as previously reported. Thanks again for your attention and help.

NOTE TO SELF & OTHERS: In fact, upon further review, I did NOT "synchronize" but I DID "optimize," though I can't remember what that actually does. But everything seems fine now as stated above. Thanks.
 
NOTE TO SELF & OTHERS: In fact, upon further review, I did NOT "synchronize" but I DID "optimize," though I can't remember what that actually does. But everything seems fine now as stated above. Thanks.

Optimize does not do anything like importing images, so that can't be the reason.
 
Fairly sure I did NOT synchronize since, as I sit here now, I could not tell you where the "synchronize" selection is in the menus or elsewhere in LR.
 
Fairly sure I did NOT synchronize since, as I sit here now, I could not tell you where the "synchronize" selection is in the menus or elsewhere in LR.

You right-click on the folder and choose it from the contextual menu.
 
Thanks. Will do. And thanks for these forums, too. Great resource for a person starting out with LR.
 
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