# Fixing catalog confusion due to mobile sync



## Win (Feb 27, 2017)

I have created a bit of a muddle in my Lightroom catalog due to mobile sync. I have all of the files on my hard drive so there is no risk of losing pictures (and I have backups), I just need help figuring out the best way to straighten things out.

The summary of the problem:
1. Mobile sync is auto-enabled for my phone. There are 243 pictures in that folder in my Lightroom catalog. 
2. I store my picture files in a dated-folder system and the data files for the 243 mobile pictures are all in that dated-folder system on my hard drive (I manually copied over the pictures from my phone to the computer hard drive).
3. When I went to import the dated-folder that I want to work on, it would not import the pictures taken with my phone as they are seen as suspected duplicates in the catalog. I poked around and that is when I realized that they are in my catalog because of the auto-enabled mobile sync from my phone.

What I want to do:
1. I want the pictures from my phone to be a part of the catalog for the dated folder. I tried to move the pictures from the folder created from the mobile sync but it warned me that it would move the file on the disk and as the file already exists on the disk, that isn't what I really want to do.

The only thing I can think to do, is to delete from LR the auto-imported mobile sync pictures and then import from my dated folder on the hard drive. But maybe there is a better way?

Appreciate the assistance.
Win


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## DGStinner (Feb 27, 2017)

It sounds like you just need to fix your preferences so that the synced images are automatically put into dated folders.




If Lightroom thinks the images you're trying to import are suspected duplicates, the synced images are somewhere on your computer, just not in the same folders you manually copied over.


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## Win (Feb 27, 2017)

Dave - where do I find this option? I'll go check it out.


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## Win (Feb 27, 2017)

I found it! Under Preferences (a reasonable location  )
Thanks


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## DGStinner (Feb 27, 2017)

Win said:


> Dave - where do I find this option? I'll go check it out.


It under Preferences->Lightroom Mobile tab.  I'm on Mac but I think it's under Edit on Windows.


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## Jim Wilde (Feb 27, 2017)

Win said:


> What I want to do:
> 1. I want the pictures from my phone to be a part of the catalog for the dated folder. I tried to move the pictures from the folder created from the mobile sync but it warned me that it would move the file on the disk and as the file already exists on the disk, *that isn't what I really want to do.*


Yes it is! If you want the photos in your dated folder scheme, then you drag them from the default LR Mobile Sync folder that was initially used (changing the preferences to select a different location only affects new pictures synced from the phone, it doesn't affect existing ones) and drop them into the appropriate dated folder. Yes it will move them from one location to the other, but that's exactly what you are trying to achieve, isn't it?


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## Win (Feb 27, 2017)

Jim, it is except that the pictures are already in the dated folder because I manually copied them there on my computer hard drive. (So they are on my hard drive twice -once from work that I did manually and once from the auto-sync process from Lightroom mobile). I think I need a better handle on Lightroom mobile to figure out the best workflow in the future, but I've figured out how to take care of the issue that I had run into. I also changed my preferences to put the auto-sync files in a better place so I can move them just as you suggested on a regular basis.

Appreciate all the help.
Win


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## DGStinner (Feb 27, 2017)

If you changed your preferences so that they're automatically put into dated folders, you won't have to move them going forward.  Manually copying the images from your phone to your computer is what's complicating everything and defeats the purpose of having mobile sync.


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