Lightroom 4 help please

[rookie]

Hi
Dont know what I've done wrong but I have lost the ability to load photos to LR 4 when I plug in camera.It should do it automatically but not now.
Hope this makes sense.Im pulling my hair out (whats left ).Have plugged camera into sons mac and works ok.HELPPPPPPPPP
Wayne

[fess67]

Same here with LR5 - there is a setting under edit, preferences that says show import dialogue when memory card is detected...that used to work for me but not now.

Not a problem, just click file, import photos and videos and you will be back at the point you used to be.

Not sure why it has stopped for me but with such an easy workaround I have not bothered looking deeper.

[rookie]

Hi fess cant even get photos doing what you've suggested

[ricktas]

Can you access the card via file explorer? What OS are you using?

It could be LR, your computer, the card reader, the card. eliminate each possibility to find the cause

[rookie]

Rick I think Ive done something to the settings it works perfectly well when I connect the camera to the sons mac.My problem is that im not very computer savvy.

[ameerat42]

I guess you're using a version of Windows.
Can you go to My Computer and SEE if the camera (ie, the card in it) is showing as a valid (disk) drive?
Keep us posted.
Am.

[rookie]

Hi Am yes I can see CF card.Dont know if this helps but I can load photos to elements then from lightroom I can import them.Yes windows 7

[ameerat42]

Then I don't know what part of the system is NOT working properly. In the meantime, you might have to move them about manually.
Am.

[rookie]

Do you think if I uninstalled then reinstalled lightroom would that work or a dumb idea.

[ameerat42]

It's NOT a dumb idea. It may well solve your problem, but you may not know what it was. And if it DOES NOT solve it, then it will have taken your time.
If you - look, I don't have Win 7 or Lightroom, so I'm just going on what I might do - do not get any specific answers from LR users,
try Googling the likes of "Lightroom will not download images".

There may be a simple fix in your settings.

(Come on LR users...!)
Am.

PS: Yep. There are heaps of references to that search.

[nardes]

Is it as simple as “ticking” the checkbox in Preferences as shown in the attached image?:confused013

Cheers

Dennis

[rookie]

Thanks Dennis but that is ticked

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for your input Am much appreciated.I have looked at some of the youtube tutorials but they show to load but not much about settings.Will keep looking and again thanks.

[fess67]

Have you tried a card reader rather than just plugging the camera in?

[nardes]

It looks like you have to manually set up Auto Import settings first.

File.
Auto Import Settings.

When I completed Steps 1 & 2 in the attached screen copy, the checkbox at 3 became active.

I stopped there and have not tested a real, live import from a CF Card via my USB3 attached card Reader.

Cheers

Dennis

[ricktas]

My guess is you have changed the actual Windows Settings for what it does when it sees a memory card.

Click Start, Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, Under Auto-Play, is an option "Change what happens when you insert each type of media or device"

In the menu that pops-up, for the one that says 'pictures' what is that set to? Use the drop down box to select 'import into Lightroom' (or however it is worded).

[rookie]

My guess is you have changed the actual Windows Settings for what it does when it sees a memory card.

Click Start, Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, Under Auto-Play, is an option "Change what happens when you insert each type of media or device"

In the menu that pops-up, for the one that says 'pictures' what is that set to? Use the drop down box to select 'import into Lightroom' (or however it is worded).
Done this (didnt make a differance) but pop-up says lightroom 4.0 but i have awhile ago updated to 4.4 would that make a differance.Thanks so much for your input rick.
I done the uninstall reinstall thing but no differance

[nardes]

I just tested my LR4 installation and by “ticking” the checkbox shown in Msg#11 the LR4 Import Dialog Panel automatically launched when I inserted a CF Card.

Normally I have this “un-ticked” as I use ACDSee to import my image files before adding them to my LR4 Catalogue by manual import.

I am running LR4 64bit under Win 7 Pro.

Cheers

Dennis

[rookie]

What Ive got now is when downloading in lightroom it takes a very long time (40min for 50 jpegs and longer for RAW)and all that comes up after this time is PREVIEW UNAVAILABLE FOR THIS FILE and when I download (same files) into Elements it takes just a long to download but I do get all the photos (jpep or CR2) any thoughts its got me stumped.

[nardes]

What Ive got now is when downloading in lightroom it takes a very long time (40min for 50 jpegs and longer for RAW)and all that comes up after this time is PREVIEW UNAVAILABLE FOR THIS FILE and when I download (same files) into Elements it takes just a long to download but I do get all the photos (jpep or CR2) any thoughts its got me stumped.

Have you got USB 2 or 3 ports on your PC? Those upload speeds sounds like the files from the card reader are being transferred at the (older) USB1 speeds?:confused013

Cheers

Dennis

[ricktas]

How old is this computer?

How full is the HDD you are using?

Have you installed/updated any software recently. Say installed Microsoft Office, or MYOB or something. It could be related to a recent installation?

Is the HDD where the photos are being placed, the same drive as your windows directory, other programmes are installed on?

If this was working before, and suddenly importing even in Elements is slow, then there is the possibility that your HDD or that particular memory card is about to fail.

When was the last time the HDD was checked for errors, defragmented?

Do you format your memory card after each use, or do you delete the photos off it?

If you use a different memory card, does the same thing happen?

If you plug the card reader into a different USB port, is it any faster?

If you plug your camera straight into a USB port and import them that way, is it faster?

If the USB cable can be changed, (it is not a fixed cable at the reader end) try using a different USB cable.

All of the above are just possibilities as to the cause of your issue. The only way to find the answer is to slowly eliminate each thing as being the cause of the problem, tick it off the list as OK, and then proceed to the next thing. Somewhere along the way you will find the cause.

[rookie]

1.2yo 2.only 1/3 used HDD 3.No 4.Yes 5.? 6.yesterday 7.format in camera regularly 8.used 2 different ones 9.pludd usb cable in diff ports no diff 10.only use camera via usb cable 11.tried new cable no diff.
I was in the middle of changing my organising of photos from element 11 to organising by lightroom 4.4 when all this hit the fan.

[ricktas]

Sounds like you have thought of most things.

[rookie]

Thanks again Rick for you efforts I think i will have to get someone to have a look at it.