Lightroom preferences?

Is there a way to set LR 5 so that it doesn't immediately turn on and upload when I insert a CF or SD card into the computer?

I want to turn it on myself and then "import" from the card at my convenience.

Sounds like you need to turn off the Windows autoplay setting. It's a Windows setting, not LR's.

If you use Win 7 go to the Start Button -> Default Programs -> Change AutoPlay settings. You can then pick what options you want when a removable drive is inserted. I have mine set to "Open Folder to View Files" and have "Choose what to do with each type of media" unchecked.

I don't have LR in front of me right now but I believe auto import setting is somewhere in LR Preferences. This article is for LR4.

morph2_7 wrote in post #16311784
I don't have LR in front of me right now but I believe auto import setting is somewhere in LR Preferences. This article is for LR4.

Auto import is a setting for when LR is already open. To make it work you have to first identify a "watch" folder to auto import from. If no watch folder is selected then auto import is greyed out. In the menus it's something like File -> Import -> Auto Import.

The OP's post sounded more like an issue where LR is opened every time a CF card is inserted into a card reader. If that's the case it's a Windows setting (assuming a Windows machine is being used) as I described above, not a LR setting.

Under Preferences -> General I believe there's another setting where you can select whether or not the import dialog pops up when a CF card is inserted.

I have a feeling that to have everything go directly to the LR import dialog when inserting a card when LR isn't running Windows would have to be set to open LR and the Preferences -> General setting would need to be checked.

take a look at this help article, particularly the following:

If Lightroom starts automatically when you attach a camera or card reader to your computer and you want to turn off this functionality, change your import preferences. See Set import and file-handling preferences.

If I understand the above article correctly, it answers OP's question. However, as I said earlier, I don't have LR right now so I can't test it myself.

Thanks, guys, it was a simple settings change in Preferences in LR.

Yea thought so, I remember it annoyed me when I first started using it and I immediately had to figure out how to turn that feature off! Just couldnt remember exactly how I did it.

Bob_A wrote in post #16311379
Sounds like you need to turn off the Windows autoplay setting. It's a Windows setting, not LR's.

If you use Win 7 go to the Start Button -> Default Programs -> Change AutoPlay settings. You can then pick what options you want when a removable drive is inserted. I have mine set to "Open Folder to View Files" and have "Choose what to do with each type of media" unchecked.

I finally have LR in front of me to check on Auto import settings. We're both right. I have Windows 7 PC so my observation is based on this OS. Let me start by saying I'm not very good at explaining things. Here's my best shot.

LR Preferences - Show import dialog when a memory card is detected option directly affects Windows AutoPlay settings (Pictures section). You can enable/disable auto import either from Windows AutoPlay settings or LR Preferences. They're interconnected. A change in one place (LR Preferences) directly changes Windows 7 AutoPlay setting.

Mine is enabled which means auto launch LR and auto import pictures when a memory card is detected. I believe that's the default setting.

However, on my PC, LR never launches automatically. Why? Because I hate Windows AutoPlay feature so I disabled it right after installing Windows 7 (ie. uncheck Use AutoPlay for all media and devices). That the reason why LR setting to auto launch and auto import is ignored.