Lightroom taking forever to import from external

[Meister]

A recent thread in the photo section made me reorganize my photo libary.
I am using a 2tb external with 4 equal partitions.
On one partition I dissolved all folders with .nef raw images (~200gb)
Now when I try to import those into Lightroom the importing screen stays there forever.
I copied the files to my internal ssd and they imported fine and immedately.
Any idea whats going on?

 

[Bending Pixels]

If you're using a USB 2 drive, that's the reason it takes forever. A USB 3 drive will be much faster at importing.

 

[Meister]

If you're using a USB 2 drive, that's the reason it takes forever. A USB 3 drive will be much faster at importing.

It is a usb3 drive and it used to import almost instantely before I dissolved the folders.

 

[Bending Pixels]

"dissolved the folders"?

If you're using the latest version of Lr (i.e. Lr 5.6), then you should be able to leave the images on the external HD and add them to your Lr catalog. That's what Scott Kelby and a lot of other people recommend doing.

It sounds like you're trying to copy the images from the external drive to your internal drive - if so, that may be why it's taking so long. 200gb is a lot of "stuff" to move from one drive to another.

 

[Meister]

"dissolved the folders"?

If you're using the latest version of Lr (i.e. Lr 5.6), then you should be able to leave the images on the external HD and add them to your Lr catalog. That's what Scott Kelby and a lot of other people recommend doing.

It sounds like you're trying to copy the images from the external drive to your internal drive - if so, that may be why it's taking so long. 200gb is a lot of "stuff" to move from one drive to another.

Lr 5.6 it is. And I do leave the images on the external.

Dissolve the folders = taking the photos out of the folders and just putting them on the partition without folders.

I was just trying to import a single photo and that used to work fine before.

I copied a few photos to my internal only to troubleshoot where the problem is and it seems to be with the external.

But I am still not sure what's wrong.

 

[Meister]

So nobody has any troubleshooting ideas?
Com'on!

 

[Bending Pixels]

You answered your own question. Without physically seeing what you did in restructuring that external drive, it sounds like somehow the partitioning is messed up.

I've had this happen once or twice to a 1TB drive. What I did was to copy everything over to my MBP, and then re-partition the external drive, and then copy everything back.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend partitioning into four separate partitions as you did. Just use one.

If that doesn't speed up the import process, then there's an issue with the external drive itself. If it's under warranty, get it replaced. If not, external USB 3 drives are extremely inexpensive, so just replace it.

 

[Meister]

You answered your own question. Without physically seeing what you did in restructuring that external drive, it sounds like somehow the partitioning is messed up.

I've had this happen once or twice to a 1TB drive. What I did was to copy everything over to my MBP, and then re-partition the external drive, and then copy everything back.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend partitioning into four separate partitions as you did. Just use one.

If that doesn't speed up the import process, then there's an issue with the external drive itself. If it's under warranty, get it replaced. If not, external USB 3 drives are extremely inexpensive, so just replace it.

I copied the files onto another external. Same problem

I can still import files by moving them into a seperate folder and then --> open in Lr.

Wtf is going on here?

 

[robgendreau]

Hmm. Is it only files at root level that cause the problem?

And can we assume you're importing them into a new catalog, so LR isn't trying to see if you've got them in a catalog already?

And, from inside LR, can you move photos to the same problematic partition?

 

[kenoh]

Sounds like your USB3 drive is not running at USB3 speed.

What is it? does it need power to run at full speed and have you got that supplied?

and... I apologise for insulting your intelligence on this one, you have got it plugged into a USB3 port on your machine right?

I dont use an external drive, I use a NAS and I do see LR taking an age to import over WiFi verses plugging it in with a cable to a Gbit switch (yes I know obvious) but what I am illustrating is that LR will not be the issue I dont think. It is potentially something about the chain to the harddrive.

 

[Meister]

Hmm. Is it only files at root level that cause the problem?

I just tried to import a small jpeg file in Lr on my other mac and it had the same problem.

Since this problem occurs on two different macs with two externals and one internal hd, and different images from different cameras (canon/nikon) and different formats .jpeg/.nef I assume it's Lr.

It also occurs when i am not trying to import from the root.

Importing works fine as soon as I copy a small amount of photos in an extra folder and import them one by one.

So i conclude that Lr does not import any pictures if the folder/hd conains a lot of pictures? ... ?

Again: I am not talking about importing a lot of pictures, i am only importing one by one.
But the folder the images is in contains several thousand images.
I just recently started this since before all my images where in subfolders.
Is my conclusion correct that Lr doesnt like folders with lots of pics?


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Sounds like your USB3 drive is not running at USB3 speed.

all my drives are usb3 and the macs also take usb3.
it's not usb/hd speed related since it happens even over an internal sata3 hdd.

 

[robgendreau]

I doubt it. I've imported hundreds of photos in one folder with 5.6.

To summarize, you cannot import on either Mac from the hard drive with LR unless there are a small number of files in the folder.

You can import a large number of photos in one folder from other hard drives, though? Or not from ANY hard drive?

And you are importing into an empty, newly created catalog? And not copying?

If LR always chokes on many files in one folder from anywhere, I'd suspect a memory problem. But since you mention that neither Mac can import even one file, perhaps a permissions issue.

Have you checked logs to see where LR hangs up?

 

[Meister]

You can import a large number of photos in one folder from other hard drives, though? Or not from ANY hard drive?
And you are importing into an empty, newly created catalog? And not copying?

yes, it does not work from ANY hd. I am importing into an existing catalog that does not contian many photos.

If LR always chokes on many files in one folder from anywhere, I'd suspect a memory problem. But since you mention that neither Mac can import even one file, perhaps a permissions issue.
Have you checked logs to see where LR hangs up?

How do i check logs?
I monitor my macs closely. Memory is no problem, especially with only one tiny file.
I used the two macs in my signature.
I might add that the two folders I tried to import from where not even remotely connected.
On different macs, different hds (internal/external) and different formats and cameras (canon/nikon , jpeg/nef)
My mini runs the latest version of Lr, the rmbp has a slightly older version.
They are not synced via creative cloud.

I really appreciate your suggestions!

 

[robgendreau]

Logs are in the Console application in Utilities.

I can only think that if the files are accessible and usable by all other applications, then there is something wrong with your LR database itself.

If you never get any error messages, there might not be any console logs.

Have you tried different import settings? Like copying instead of adding?

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

Only thing I can think of is to look at your ownership and permissions of the external drive. Do a "Get Info" on the external drive and make sure you have read and write privileges, as well as the system having that also. You could try repairing permissions with Disk Utility on the external drives too.

 

[Meister]

Only thing I can think of is to look at your ownership and permissions of the external drive. Do a "Get Info" on the external drive and make sure you have read and write privileges, as well as the system having that also. You could try repairing permissions with Disk Utility on the external drives too.

It also does it on another external and internal drive.

Very odd ...
I am starting to think its a Lr bug, but it must be a general bug since it happens on two seperate macs.

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

Is it the time for the previews to be created? If you have it set to high quality previews, it takes a bit to get them created on import.

 

[1k9]

Have you tried importing to a new catalog?

 

[robgendreau]

It's highly unlikely to be a bug in LR. Importing as you describe works fine for me, and most others.

What are the permissions on the nef files?

Have you set the partition to ignore ownership?

Permissions could be an issue since you reformatted the drive and created new partitions.

Again, have you tried an import with copying to another location as a test instead of leave in place?

 

[Meister]

Again, have you tried an import with copying to another location as a test instead of leave in place?

I've tried much more than that. I've tried a tiny jpeg on a different mac, from the internal hd into a different catalog. Same problem. The only thing these two incidents have in common is the app Lightroom. I am utterly baffled.

I will try some things tomorrow and see how it goes. Thank you for your suggestions!

 

[simonsi]

Since this problem occurs on two different macs with two externals and one internal hd, and different images from different cameras (canon/nikon) and different formats .jpeg/.nef I assume it's Lr.

If you restore the folder structure does the import run as normal?

Since you appear to know the change that caused it (and it was in the folder structure change, not a change in LR), then that is the place to start.

You diagnostics steps this far actually point to it not being a LR bug, or it would at least be one that affects current and at least one older version by your own tests.

 

[Meister]

Since you appear to know the change that caused it (and it was in the folder structure change, not a change in LR), then that is the place to start.
You diagnostics steps this far actually point to it not being a LR bug, or it would at least be one that affects current and at least one older version by your own tests.

When I try to import on my mini there was no folder structure change!
That was only at first on my external.

 

[simonsi]

When I try to import on my mini there was no folder structure change!
That was only at first on my external.

The files on the Mini import had no folders though right? The "change" was that was the first time you had dissolved folders then imported? Previously you had always had subfolders?

 

[needfx]

hello IT, have you tried turning it off and on again?

sorry mate, no idea ref Lr

on a side note, I am really weary of partitions and I avoid them at all costs. A catastrophic meltdown in the olden days scarred me for life. I still see a psychologist about it.

how many folders did you dissolve, and how much in the beyond is restructuring them as they were before? Do you have millions of photos? maybe that could help. big maybe, with lots of work for a minuscule potentiality for luck. Haven't gone through all the propositions above, sorry, maybe someone already suggested it.

edit
Simonsi suggested it, nevermind

 

[Meister]

Update: Importing into a new catalog doesn't work either