Help- imported duplicate libraries....

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Discovered I was missing 2 folder each containing a years-worth of photos, and stupidly imported older exported libraries to try and find them. This has resulted in triplicates of a couple of thousand photos, some unedited versions and some re-edited versions. Any ideas on how to sort this?!? Can I just delete the imported libraries?
Thanks
 
IF! You haven't imported any more images since the one you described. In the library module your folders will show on the left of the screen at the top of the folder list there should be a "previous" import folder. I've not tried this so try it at your risk, see if you can right click on it and delete that import.
However if you have imported other images after the one that created the duplicate images, there's a plugin for LR called something like telesheken that finds duplicate images. OK I found a link to it, my German language skills need a polish [emoji6]


Alternatively you could go back to a previous iteration of your Lightroom catalogue dated prior to the date when you created the duplicated catalogue entries. When you open Lightroom under the edit menu at the left side of the menu bar, go to catalogue settings, in there you have the ability to show in explorer where the catalogue is on the disk. At that same location you should find the catalogue backup folders (in date order).

Pick the backup folder prior to when you made the import error. The backup is in a zipped format, you need to extract the zipped file using (extract all) to the same folder.

Then go back to Lightroom, in the library module go to "File" drop down menu and chose open catalogue. Navigate to the folder that contains the unzipped older catalogue and chose that file. Lightroom will give you a prompt advising that it will restart.

When it opens using the older catalogue, check that you are happy with the contents of your catalogue folders, if so go back to the catalogue settings and there's an option in it to create a backup of the catalogue, choose "next time Lightroom is closed". Close that menu then close Lightroom. When you next open Lightroom it should open with the catalog that it backed up when you closed Lightroom.

All of the above is dependent on you creating catalogue backups. I have mine set to create a backup once a week. As I'm not a Pro, once a week is sufficient for the amount of images that I may have imported in a week.

However if I was a Pro, I would set the catalogue to backup every time I quit Lightroom.

IHTH, if you need any help sorting this out send me a PM and we can set up a video call to talk you through the required changes.
 
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Thanks very much folks. On restarting just now LR asked if I wanted to import a recent catalogue which has fixed things...! Thanks again!

Phew.

I swapped all my photos to a new hard drive yesterday. I don't have all my photos in my LR library, just the main stuff from the last few years. But I managed to reattach all the links and keep the edits etc!
 
Still annoyed that somehow have lost a tonne of photos from 2016 and 17, including Northern Lights...luckily I upoalded the best ones to Flickr and downloaded tham!
 
Still annoyed that somehow have lost a tonne of photos from 2016 and 17, including Northern Lights...luckily I upoalded the best ones to Flickr and downloaded tham!

Have you considered searching using the Library Filter Metadata in your catalogue for images with a shooting date of 2016 and 2017, just in case the year folders have been inadvertently nested inside another years folder.
Not that I've done that you understand :rolleyes:

LR_Library-Filter.JPG
 
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