# Merging Folders



## crockny (Dec 25, 2017)

Operating System: Windows 10
Exact Lightroom Version (Help menu > System Info):  LR Classic CC

I created a Smart Collection but when I click on an image to Go to Folder it goes to an old folder which is no longer on my system instead of the new folder which is already in LR.  If I go to find missing folder it wants me to merge the folders.  There are the same number of images in both folders - so are there any drawbacks to doing this?  What really happens when you merge folders?


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## Johan Elzenga (Dec 25, 2017)

Merging is necessary if you select a folder via 'Find Missing Folder', but that folder is also already in Lightroom. Lightroom needs to be told that this is really one and the same folder (assuming it is indeed). If you know that you've selected the correct folder, then just go ahead and let Lightroom merge them.


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## crockny (Dec 26, 2017)

What would happen if I just hit "remove" on the "ghost" folder?  And then redirect LR to the correct folder?


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## Johan Elzenga (Dec 26, 2017)

crockny said:


> What would happen if I just hit "remove" on the "ghost" folder?  And then redirect LR to the correct folder?


That depends. The fact that Lightroom already knows this folder probably means that there are one or more images in that folder that Lightroom has in its catalog. If you remove this folder from Lightroom, then you'll remove those images from Lightroom. Why don't you just merge them?


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## crockny (Dec 26, 2017)

I guess I will - it just seems weird - I'm not sure what I'm merging - they are the same number of photos in both folders ... thanks for your advice ...


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## Johan Elzenga (Dec 27, 2017)

Make a catalog backup first. The worst that could happen is that you end up with duplicates. That's not so difficult to fix.


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## crockny (Dec 27, 2017)

It seems to have worked - thanks again!


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