# Moving Subfolder Files



## mak65 (Jan 2, 2012)

I searched for quite a while and even read some LR books but found no answer.  I apologize if it is here somewhere.

First off, when I save photos they go into a YEAR parent folder under a date subfolder (YYYYMMDD) based on the date the photo was taken.

During the holidays I took photos on two cameras and thus two separate cards that I downloaded to LR.  During import LR created two folders with the same name (20111218).   None of the images in either file share a common filename.  I thought I could merge the two by dragging one folder on top of the other (shows what I get for thinking).  I now have a subfolder with the same name as the parent.  I just want one folder.  I can't seem to figure out to move the images in the subfolder to the "parent" folder and then delete the current subfolder.

Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!!!

Michael


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## clee01l (Jan 2, 2012)

Open the sub folder in Grid View.  Select all of the image in the sub folder grid.  Drag the selected images into the parent (20111218) folder in the folder panel.  Note that you drag by clicking the thumbnail of one of the images not the surrounding border.

When the subfolder image count (in the folder panel) reads (0), you can remove this folder from the folder panel, LR, and HD.


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## erro (Jan 2, 2012)

So LR created two folders called 20111218 in the parent 2011-folder? That shouldn't even be possible. You can't have two folders (or files) with the same name in the same folder.


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## mak65 (Jan 2, 2012)

Cletus:

The subfolder 20111218 only holds one image.  When I did as you suggested I got a popup that says an error occurred due to a file already existing at the destination and it gives me the filename.  The filename is IMG_4855.cr2.  I looked in the parent and that filename does not exist in the parent.  Just to be sure I did a search for the same filename under "All Photographs" in LR.  I do have another image file with that exact filename but it was taken with my other camera and saved under a different subfolder name (20111203).   

Could the parent be treating the sub's filenames as its own?

Michael


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## clee01l (Jan 2, 2012)

Since you have two folders of the same name (20111218), it is possible that you tried to drag the images from the grid into the subfolder named 20111218. I just tried dragging an image from a subfolder to its parent and I get no message.


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## mak65 (Jan 3, 2012)

*Robert:
*
My error as I didn't give all the details the first time.  LR did create two folders with the same name but not on the same hard drive. So, your comments are correct.  I downloaded one card in LR and it correctly created the *subfolder* in the 2011 folder on my* external *hard drive.  When I downloaded the second card a few days later I somehow set it to save to my *internal* hard drive.  It was not a subfolder but only a folder on the drive.  I am still not sure how I switched this as I don't recall messing with my download setup lately.  But, that is my own issue.  I then physically moved within LR the internal drive folder to the external hardrive location but not under the 2011 folder (figuring as you stated it would not allow two folders with common names).

It was then I tried to merge the two 20111218 folders.  I dragged the former internal folder to the current external 20111218 subfolder.  Instead of merging it became a subfolder of the original subfolder.

My apologies for the lack of detail on the earlier posts.

*Cletus:
*
I actually tried it several times.  Again, just now.  Each time the same result.  

My steps - I click on the sub-subfolder and the one image appears.  Even though it is one image I click on the grid view as you said to do.  I left click on the image itself (not borders) and drag it (I see a small thumbnail image as I drag) until the original subfolder highlights and I drop it.  Then the message appears.  If I move over the sub-subfolder it gives a "circle with line through it" image to indicate the operation can't be performed.  The message does provide an OK button and a Save As button.  If I choose Save As it will allow me to save only as a .txt file.  

By the way, I did a "Show in Explorer".  This single image is clearly in the sub-subfolder path:  ... 2011 > 20111218 > *20111218*.  All other images are in the true 2011 > *20111218* subfolder.

I hope that helps somehow.

Michael


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## clee01l (Jan 3, 2012)

> an error occurred due to a file already existing at the destination and it gives me the filename. The filename is IMG_4855.cr2.


 Go to Windows Explorer and navigate to the parent folder (the one that you are trying to drop into) and check the files listed If there is already a file named IMG_4855.cr2 there. then that is the reason for your error message.

 A file named IMG_4855.cr2 can exist in the parent folder but not be cataloged by LR.  LR only shows files in the Folder panel that are cataloged.  It does not show any other files that might be in that folder. 

If the file IMG_4855.cr2 does exist in the parent folder, only you can explain how it got there.


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## mak65 (Jan 3, 2012)

Cletus:

I did as suggested and there is a file by that name there.  And, no, I can't say how it got there.  Since it doesn't show as an image in the subfolder could I not delete the file using Windows Explorer and then do the move as you suggested earlier so I can delete the sub-subfolder?

Michael


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## clee01l (Jan 3, 2012)

Yes, that file should be deleted in Windows Explorer if you want to move the one already in the catalog into that folder.


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## Jim Wilde (Jan 3, 2012)

mak65 said:


> It was then I tried to merge the two 20111218 folders.  I dragged the former internal folder to the current external 20111218 subfolder.  Instead of merging it became a subfolder of the original subfolder.



Just for clarification, the idea of 'merging' the two 20111218 sub-folders was fine, you just misunderstood how 'drag and drop' of folders works. Basically when you drag a folder and drop it on top of another, it does not try to add the *contents *of the dragged folder into the destination (as you hoped), instead it *adds *the dragged *folder *as a *child sub-folder* to the destination (which thus becomes a *parent* folder). 

Now, if you had dragged the 20111218 folder from the internal drive and dropped it on the *2011* *parent folder *on the external drive, Lightroom would have tried to add 20111218 as a sub-folder to the 2011 parent.....but of course it would have found that a 20111218 sub-folder already exists. *At that point it would have given you a Merge Folder dialog, telling you that a folder with the same name already exists and asking if you want to merge the contents.* Select the Merge option and job done.

Hope that clarifies how it works.


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## mak65 (Jan 3, 2012)

Cletus / Jim / Robert:

Thank you all for the help and clarifications.  I have learned so much just reading responses to other's inquiries.  This forum should be a requirement for learning LR.

Thanks again.

Michael


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## ipri (Aug 3, 2018)

Hi, I'm trying to create a series of year dates...2014
                                                                                                      2015 etc so I don't have sub folders in each year...cant seem to change sub folders into "Folder"...sorry if this sounds confused. I want to have a series of folders without any sub folders!!


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## Johan Elzenga (Aug 3, 2018)

You can do this manually.


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## ipri (Aug 4, 2018)

Many thanks for the clear explanation......now where's that manual fix button!


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