# "File already exists at the destination" (except it doesn't)



## rads (May 3, 2019)

My files in Lightroom are organized in folders by date. I import photos into Lightroom from my iPhone and from a dSLr. I am trying to move photos that I took with my iPhone into a folder of photos I took on the same date with my dSLR. I keep getting an error message saying "File already exists at the destination." However, the photos in question are NOT present in the destination folder, nor does the destination folder have identically named photos. In fact, the iPhone photos have JPG extensions and the dSLR photos have CR2 extensions, and are named accordingly. 

Not sure if this is relevant, but I keep my photos on an external hard drive. I only move them around in Lightroom, never in Finder.

How can I correct this? I have tried restarting Lightroom and restarting my Mac to no avail.


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## Califdan (May 3, 2019)

Did you check the destination folder for those images using Finder (Mac) or File Manager (Windows) or just the folders panel in LR?


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## rads (May 3, 2019)

Thank you for the suggestion! The relevant folder in fact DOES contain the images when I check in Finder. How can I make them appear in the folders panel in Lightroom?


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## jjlad (May 3, 2019)

Hi ..I want to 'follow' this thread but haven't seen a 'follow' button so just adding this so it comes up when I search for my stuff. 
Gets me remembering something from a year or so ago though ...
I've had a similar problem on my Windows laptop where i've moved all the files from one folder to another using LR and then tried to delete that folder, but LR reported some files were still in it. Opening the folder in LR confirmed it was empty but there seemed to be no way to get LR to believe that. 
As I recall that time I went back to my most recent backup and started again and had to point LR to the folder in Explorer to sync them up properly.


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## Califdan (May 3, 2019)

Rads,

 Use the import dialog in LR Classic, but choose the images from that folder rather than from you iPhone.  Use the "Add" option in the import dialog as the images are already in the folder you want them to be in.  Also check "New Photos" at the top left of the grid, "New Photos" above the grid in the center, and check "Don't import suspected duplicates" in the "File handling" panel on the right.  This should then only show you images in that folder that LR does not know about.


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## Johan Elzenga (May 3, 2019)

Another way of doing this is to right-click on the folder in Lightroom and choose 'Synchronize Folder'. This is exactly what 'Synchronize Folder' is for: to add images to the catalog that are in a folder that Lightroom already knows, but are not yet in the catalog.


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## Califdan (May 3, 2019)

Yes, Synchronize folder can also be used, but that method does not provide as many options as does the import dialog (unless you check that box). 

It has a check box to import new photos with a subordinate check box to show the import dialog for those images, a check box to remove missing images from catalog and a checkbox to scan for metadata updates.


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## Victoria Bampton (May 4, 2019)

jjlad said:


> Hi ..I want to 'follow' this thread but haven't seen a 'follow' button so just adding this so it comes up when I search for my stuff.


The one you want is called Watch, top right just above the thread.


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## Johan Elzenga (May 4, 2019)

Califdan said:


> Yes, Synchronize folder can also be used, but that method does not provide as many options as does the import dialog (unless you check that box).
> 
> It has a check box to import new photos with a subordinate check box to show the import dialog for those images, a check box to remove missing images from catalog and a checkbox to scan for metadata updates.


So we agree that ‘Synchronize Folder’ actually has *more* options than ‘Import’, not fewer.


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## Jim Wilde (May 4, 2019)

My understanding is that the images in question actually physically exist in two folders, with one set of them already cataloged. The OP now wants to move them, using Lightroom, from current cataloged location to the other folder, but cannot because of the second copy of the images in the destination folder. So if Synchronize Folder or an Add import is attempted, that will only work if "Don't Import Suspected Duplicates" is *unchecked*, resulting in the files being duplicated in the catalog. In that case the OP would need to remove the first set from the catalog (or remove them first, before using either of the options).

If any processing has already been done on the images, that work would be lost....so a better option would be to use "Update Folder Location" on the first set, pointing Lightroom to the second set and thus preserving any existing work.


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## Johan Elzenga (May 4, 2019)

Good point, you might be right. In that case I agree that 'Update Folder Location' would be the best choice. The OP will probably get a warning about existing folders with the question would he like to merge the folders. He should click 'Merge'.


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## jjlad (May 4, 2019)

Victoria Bampton said:


> The one you want is called Watch, top right just above the thread.


Arrrggghhh! I was too far down the thread when I started looking for it! Thanks!


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## rads (May 8, 2019)

Johan Elzenga said:


> Another way of doing this is to right-click on the folder in Lightroom and choose 'Synchronize Folder'. This is exactly what 'Synchronize Folder' is for: to add images to the catalog that are in a folder that Lightroom already knows, but are not yet in the catalog.





Johan Elzenga said:


> Good point, you might be right. In that case I agree that 'Update Folder Location' would be the best choice. The OP will probably get a warning about existing folders with the question would he like to merge the folders. He should click 'Merge'.



I apologize for being away from this thread. I have a young baby and this is the first chance I have had to get back to my computer!

Thanks for your reply. I tried to sync the folder, and then I tried "update folder location", but I still cannot see the missing photos. I must be doing something wrong. Any further ideas?


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## Johan Elzenga (May 8, 2019)

It’s better to use a different approach after all. Just open the destination folder in the Finder, not in Lightroom, and remove the offending images from that folder. Then you can move the images in Lightroom the way you tried.


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## rads (May 8, 2019)

Are you also in the Adobe forums? I am getting a bit confused as I got a very similar response to yours in the Adobe forums.


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## Johan Elzenga (May 8, 2019)

Yes, I am. I am not the one who posted the same question in two forums...


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## rads (May 8, 2019)

It wasn't meant to be an attack. I am just trying to get answers.


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## Johan Elzenga (May 8, 2019)

No worries, I didn’t take it as an attack. I hope it’s clear by now what I propose you do, and why.


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