Transitioning LR library from mac to windows

[Witt]

I'm in the transition from Mac to Windows and have a quick question about making the transition seamlessly

First some quick background:
- My files are stored on an external drive (same location/structure as when managing my library on Mac)
- I copied my LR library file from the Mac to the PC

When I launch my LR library on the PC it says it cannot locate my photos.

It appears that, on the Mac, the file path appeared as \volumes\working drive\......
Whereas, on the PC, the equivalent file path appears as D:\

The drive is still titled 'working drive' but it seems that Mac and Windows interpret/name the file path differently.

Does anyone have a quick workaround for this to redirect LR to the new naming convention?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Johan Elzenga]

It depends if this is a one time operation, or if you want to keep using Lightroom on both systems. If it's a one time operation the solution is simple. Open Lightroom on the PC, right-click on the top most folder that show the question mark and choose 'Find Missing Folder'. Navigate to the folder on the external disk and select it. Done, Lightroom will update the path of this folder and all its subfolders.

If you want to continue to use Lightroom on both computers, you will need another approach.

 

[tspear]

If you want to continue to use Lightroom on both computers, you will need another approach.

I have not tried this, but Lr stores both the absolute and relative paths in the database. So if you store both the catalog and all images on a single drive with the same relative path locations, then you can switch between platforms.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

I have not tried this, but Lr stores both the absolute and relative paths in the database. So if you store both the catalog and all images on a single drive with the same relative path locations, then you can switch between platforms.

Yes, but AFAIK, you will have to store the images inside the Lightroom catalog folder (like what happens when you export as catalog and include the originals). That's what I meant with 'another approach', because it means you have to store the catalog folder on the external disk rather than on the internal disk(s).

 

[clee01l]

Yes, but AFAIK, you will have to store the images inside the Lightroom catalog folder (like what happens when you export as catalog and include the originals). That's what I meant with 'another approach', because it means you have to store the catalog folder on the external disk rather than on the internal disk(s).

If you want portability between computers, especially between operating systems, then you have to store the catalog on the EHD and the cataloged images in a subfolder of the folder that contains the catalog file. Further if you want portability (even for a one time move), you need to have the EHD formatted for a filesystem that is compatible to Mac & Windows which is exFAT.

 

[tspear]

Yes, but AFAIK, you will have to store the images inside the Lightroom catalog folder (like what happens when you export as catalog and include the originals). That's what I meant with 'another approach', because it means you have to store the catalog folder on the external disk rather than on the internal disk(s).

If you want portability between computers, especially between operating systems, then you have to store the catalog on the EHD and the cataloged images in a subfolder of the folder that contains the catalog file. Further if you want portability (even for a one time move), you need to have the EHD formatted for a filesystem that is compatible to Mac & Windows which is exFAT.

Ah, I missed the detail of a sub directory. I will have to recall that next time.

 

[Lowell Montgomery]

… you need to have the EHD formatted for a filesystem that is compatible to Mac & Windows which is exFAT.

I think you may also be able to install drivers on one or the other, although the best ones are not free. You can get various options for read/write of NTFS from Mac and for Mac-formatted (HFS+) drives there are also free (e.g. Apple Bootcamp drivers) and paid (e.g. MacDrive) options.

I do like exFAT, but I've also had some issues with it… some which could have been avoided had I been using a HFS+. I use exFAT for drives I plug into my TV (which has a built-in media player and limited options for drive format, but not sure I'd suggest it for cross-platform (Mac/Windows) compatibility.