Question: How to move photos to another drive while retaining the Digikam database

[Maik Qualmann]

It is better to copy the images externally, in order to avoid unnecessarily 
bloating the database with duplicate image information.

Maik

Am Mittwoch, 1. Oktober 2025, 21:40:49 Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit schrieb 
Sebastian Beer:
> You can perform the copy task within DigiKam. Then the database will be
> correct afterwards without any further action.
> 
> Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
> 
> Sebastian Beer
> 
> > Am 01.10.2025 um 21:35 schrieb Maik Qualmann <metzpinguin at gmail.com>:
> > 
> > Yes, of course, the collection must be copied to the new drive
> > beforehand, and the folder structure must be the same. The root path can
> > be different, but the underlying folders must be the same as before.
> > 
> > Maik
> > 
> > Am Mittwoch, 1. Oktober 2025, 21:26:51 Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit
> > schrieb
> > 
> > Sveinn í Felli:
> >> Yo would first copy the files over, isn't it?
> >> 
> >> Sveinn í Felli
> >> 
> >> Þann 1.10.2025 19:07, skrifaði Maik Qualmann:
> >>> Simply go to the digiKam settings under Collections and use the "update"
> >>> function for the relevant collection (tool button with the round circle
> >>> icon). Process the dialogs according to the new collection; usually,
> >>> only
> >>> the new path needs to be set. Even if the path doesn't change, process
> >>> the dialogs; the drive UUID will be updated accordingly.
> >>> 
> >>> If you are unsure, make a copy of the digikam4.db file beforehand.
> >>> 
> >>> Maik
> >>> 
> >>> Am Mittwoch, 1. Oktober 2025, 20:42:16 Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit
> >>> schrieb
> >>> 
> >>> Johannes Stephany:
> >>>> Hello,
> >>>> I'm new here and not sure if this is the right place to ask my
> >>>> question:
> >>>> I want to move my photos from one drive to another—a 1:1 copy. I want
> >>>> to
> >>>> keep the DigiKam database with everything in it. How do I go about
> >>>> reconfiguring DigiKam after copying without too much effort?
> >>>> 
> >>>> If this question isn't appropriate here, where can I ask it?
> >>>> Best regards,
> >>>> Johannes