Vista Ultimate & External hard drive problems

[flipstyle72]

Well, i'm not even sold that it's a conflict between the 2 but it's my only suspect as of yet...

Here's my problem -

I just got a new machine up and running. Using Vista Ultimate 64bit. Everything works perfect!! except my external HD.

If I open a LR catalog that is located on the external drive and then edit in cs3, it won't let me save the file. It says the file is closed. So I change the permissions from read only and apply. I go back to save the file and still says it's closed. I double check the properties again and it's back to read only.

I am logged in as admin and all the actual permissions are set to be full control for ANYONE...but no. I had to move the entire folder/catalog to the pc's drive to get it to work. But i'd rather keep doing what i've been doing and using the external.

Any have experience with this problem? Do you think it's an incompatible driver from the external HD? I wouldnt' thnk so as the drive seems to operate fine otherwise.

Also, has anyone ever installed the smugmug plugin for LR 1.4.1 on a Vista Ultimate 64 system? I can't seem to find the path to move the smumug plugin folder. It's not where it is in the regular Vista O/S version. I WANT THE LR/Smugmug feature to work!!! lol saves me time.

[MaxxuM]

Well, i'm not even sold that it's a conflict between the 2 but it's my only suspect as of yet...

Here's my problem -

I just got a new machine up and running. Using Vista Ultimate 64bit. Everything works perfect!! except my external HD.

If I open a LR catalog that is located on the external drive and then edit in cs3, it won't let me save the file. It says the file is closed. So I change the permissions from read only and apply. I go back to save the file and still says it's closed. I double check the properties again and it's back to read only.

I am logged in as admin and all the actual permissions are set to be full control for ANYONE...but no. I had to move the entire folder/catalog to the pc's drive to get it to work. But i'd rather keep doing what i've been doing and using the external.

Any have experience with this problem? Do you think it's an incompatible driver from the external HD? I wouldnt' thnk so as the drive seems to operate fine otherwise.

Also, has anyone ever installed the smugmug plugin for LR 1.4.1 on a Vista Ultimate 64 system? I can't seem to find the path to move the smumug plugin folder. It's not where it is in the regular Vista O/S version. I WANT THE LR/Smugmug feature to work!!! lol saves me time.

So, you cannot access the external drive? What type is it? Firewire, eSATA or USB? It appears that your drive is being locked for some reason. Can you see it in Disk Management? Drivers belong to Vista for "Mass Storage Device" and you can try to delete these drivers so they'll reinstall on bootup. Does the drive work on another computer? If it does, you probably have trouble with either the motherboard (hardware) or the Vista installation (software). It may just mean that the drive catalogue is corrupt; have you tried a chkdsk /f on the external drive? You may have to use the oridinal install DVD because Vista locks all drives after the OS boots to avoid corruption.

[tim]

Stop using external drives for anything except backup, there's no good reason too, and store those backups offsite. Internal hard drives are cheap and easy to install - unless you use a laptop - in which case buy a desktop.

[MaxxuM]

Stop using external drives for anything except backup, there's no good reason too, and store those backups offsite. Internal hard drives are cheap and easy to install - unless you use a laptop - in which case buy a desktop.

Actually, there are many good reasons to use on external drives, they just shouldn't be depended on as the 'only' copy for data and that is not because they are no less dependable than internal drives. Properly cooled, rugged designed and dependable brands make external drives very convent and a reliable way of keeping you at work.

What if your big-box small footprint computer doesn't have any expansion bays or limits you to just one? What if you need to move very large files between work and home so you may continue working on projects - 30+ GB work files makes for no other possibility. Then there are large arrays which require cases of their own or smaller NAS boxes.

Then there are the less used things (which I use mine for) like carrying around copies of iTune's libraries. One for sound & video fx for video production and the other for music - each surpassing 300GB of space each. Or how about to carry 2 or more boot images to boot from and push out images to stations that are not network connected?

I think it is a little premature to recommend the poster rid him/her self from using external drives for anything save backup - or to buy a desktop if they use a laptop. There are many viable and nessessary reasons for using external drives - just not as the soul sorce of that information in the case of mission critical work. I have yet to have an external drive go bad on me either - but I buy very well build and ventilated drives for work.

[flipstyle72]

actually, yes..i can see the drive and open files etc...but in LR, it won't let me open a catalog because it says file is locked.

so what or where is the rule to not use external Hard drives for anything other than backup?

(it's a usb hard drive and yes, it works on my XP and Vista Home machines)

Thanks guys!

[MaxxuM]

actually, yes..i can see the drive and open files etc...but in LR, it won't let me open a catalog because it says file is locked.

so what or where is the rule to not use external Hard drives for anything other than backup?

(it's a usb hard drive and yes, it works on my XP and Vista Home machines)

Thanks guys!

Look for a file with .lock at the end of the file name on that system and delete it - delete NO other files. It should work after that.

If I may ask, why are you using a USB external drive for working with photos? It's pretty slow and the bigger your catalogs get the slower it will go. At a minimum I would use FW400 at best eSATA.

[flipstyle72]

hmm....lock? ok...

Well, it was one i've been having and have older stuff on. Actually, I've not noticed any bogging down working with the files on that drive. But I'll definitely take the others into consideration when getting another external.

But I probably will starting using the machines hd. It's a 640gig. The only reason I had the external before was my older laptop was packed full of other stuff and work stuff.

[Pinto]

Stop using external drives for anything except backup, there's no good reason too, and store those backups offsite. Internal hard drives are cheap and easy to install - unless you use a laptop - in which case buy a desktop.

Now that is some mighty strange advice. Take it simply as one man's opinion.

[tim]

Can you tell me a good reason to use an external drive as a working drive? Portability is one possible reason, but there's so many downsides i'd use an internal then copy to external for backup/portability.

[flipstyle72]

I don't think it's the reasoning of why it's good...but more along the lines of why not? I've yet to experience any problems doing it. I might see a point if you are using large movie files or something where you need to constantly be moving data. But working with a photo file I've never experienced a problem with delay, loading or saving a file.

but yes, the main reason i used one was being able to work on my files when at home or at the office if i wanted.

but no one still really answered my question with certainty. lol

[Moppie]

If you can see and access the files with Vista and explorer then the problem is not with the drive or Vista, so I would say the problem is with lightroom.

It maybe the copy you used to export the catalouge has locked it, or the one you are trying to import it with, maybe a different version.

If others with a bit more knowledge agree, I can move this thread up to the PP forum for you, where a LR expert might be able to help.

[MaxxuM]

I don't think it's the reasoning of why it's good...but more along the lines of why not? I've yet to experience any problems doing it. I might see a point if you are using large movie files or something where you need to constantly be moving data. But working with a photo file I've never experienced a problem with delay, loading or saving a file.

but yes, the main reason i used one was being able to work on my files when at home or at the office if i wanted.

but no one still really answered my question with certainty. lol

So, you didn't find that file? Here is some more info on catalog corruption/locking -> http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=481004

The file looks like this:

Lightroom Catalog.lrcat.lock

Your problem sounds like exactly like this + if the USB cord is pulled while Lighroom is still active there is a very good chance it was corrupted.

[MaxxuM]

What I think you are saying is that internal drives are less prone to data loss, corruption and/or loss. What I'm saying is that despite the dangers there are many very good reasons to use them as work drives (non-backup). These are a few orgainizations that I know use external drives to do work with - not simply backup:

Police
FBI
Exxon
Many School Districts
and many more...

There should always be some form of redudancy, I'll admit that in a heartbeat, but working with external drives is just the only practical way to do many jobs.

[Moppie]

Last time I looked, the Police, FBI, Exxon and school districts were not photographers.

For a photographer, working from an external drive provides a portable solution, an extra drive when there is no internal space left, and a portable back up for off site storage.
However access times are slower (not good for large batch processing jobs), with out a good enclousre drive life can be compromised and the chance of failure increased, they are more expensive, and they take up more space.
And, as this thread shows, there is simply more potential for other problems, although in Flip's case it is the best solution as he needs to work on the same photos in 2 locations.

[flipstyle72]

Moppie, i'm beginning to think it may very well be a LR problem...but however, it works in Vista Home edition, does't mean it will work with Vista Ultimate 64 bit. I'll figure it out soon enough! lol

Thanks for the links guys!

[MaxxuM]

Moppie, i'm beginning to think it may very well be a LR problem...but however, it works in Vista Home edition, does't mean it will work with Vista Ultimate 64 bit. I'll figure it out soon enough! lol

Thanks for the links guys!

Is should work. Well, I still think LR has locked the file - there's one way to find out. Unistall LR, reboot, delete the remaining folder, run CCleaner (free) then reinstall LR and see what happens.

[MaxxuM]

Last time I looked, the Police, FBI, Exxon and school districts were not photographers.

I was just giving examples. Tim did not mention profession or type of work, simply that there was no good reason (save perhaps portability) to use external drives. Whereas I think other reasons should not be discounted - but portability is in essence the chief reason for [single] external drives.

In my daytime profession there simply is no affordable means besides external drives to get work home and back in a simple yet eloquent fashion. Had I the money I would surely get Xsan 2 - but there is no justification for it since I'm the main photographer/videographer and do not require collaboration with multiple entities save for when I hand over finished product.

Photography, namely the photos themselves, are only getting bigger and the storage medium more affordable (GB to $). Even the 5dMkII now has video - how long before most camera's have that ability in the SLR class? External storage devices is a booming market - though I agree that they are oft misused - with no end in sight for ever bigger storage mediums. iMac's, MB's and MBP's simply require external storage for serious work and Mac Pro's were designed with connectivity to take full advantage of this fact.

Then there are NAS for network sharing, computers with only one expansion bay and the need to share data between systems (such as limited user rights systems in schools). I'm not advocating external drives as the soul work drive, simply that they should not be discounted. I believe in the first, second and third rule of computing; backup, backup and backup. :)

[Moppie]

I wonder if LR saves a different format catalouge for 32bit and 64bit systems?

[charlesu]

Could this be because LR is the problem?

I've stopped using it.