# Send to vs copy. Backup from one external to another



## Sodapop (Aug 31, 2013)

Hope this is the correct area for this question.

I would like to to backup all my photos, (~10,000) from one external drive to another. Is "send to" the same as "copy", ie does "send to"  put a copy on the second drive but leave them exactly were they were on the original drive. Can send to or copy to be done in Windows without having any effect on Lightroom's files, (like I won't be able to find them)? I would hate to discover little "?" cannot fine file marks on all the files in LR(5)  I am a little paranoid, don't want to make a mess.

Or maybe just tell me how you would go about it.

Thanks for your help for this not-to-savvy computer guy.

soda


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## erro (Sep 1, 2013)

Right-clicking and "Send to" in Windows should be pretty much like drag-and-drop using the mouse. If sending to a folder on the same disk, then it becomes a "move". Sending to another disk creates a copy (leaving the original left).

As long as you copy, LR will have no problems.


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## Sodapop (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks, this is a big help. In my non computer mind "send to" meant like if you send something from one point to another it goes to another and is no longer where it was. In windows send to means send an exact copy to the other destination. Can light room can find it at the new destination as well as the old, or would it have to be re imported??





erro said:


> Right-clicking and "Send to" in Windows should be pretty much like drag-and-drop using the mouse. If sending to a folder on the same disk, then it becomes a "move". Sending to another disk creates a copy (leaving the original left).
> 
> As long as you copy, LR will have no problems.


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## Jim Wilde (Sep 1, 2013)

"Send to" is an extremely limited and thus ineffectual way to create a backup, as you have very little control over the target device/folder. Much better to use "Copy" instead.

And no, Lightroom will not be able to automatically find the copy that you've made......*unless/until you tell it. *However, you don't tell Lightroom by re-importing, that would be a major mistake....instead you can simply tell Lightroom that you've copied the pictures someplace else by right-clicking on the top-level folder(s) and selecting "Update Folder Location". That gives you a browser window which allows you to select the copy of the folder in it's new location. Lightroom will them promptly forget all about the current location and start using the images in the new location instead.


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