Lightroom Classic: Connecting to Dynamic Link server failed while importing videos

I'm a new user to Lightroom CC Classic and am going through importing my photo and video library from a hard drive. When it gets to videos, it fails, both on mp4 and movs with the error message about "Connecting to Dynamic Link server failed. (1)".

Peter Filias

11 Posts
3 Reply Likes
disappointed I am paying for this.

Posted 2 years ago

2 years ago

Sunil Bhaskaran, Official Rep

471 Posts
171 Reply Likes

Peter,
Which operating system are you using?
On Windows, could you please try ending the dynamic link manager process?

1. Close Lightroom.
2. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Start Task Manager > Process.
3. Select Dynamic Link Manager > End Process.
4. Start Lightroom.

Thanks,
Sunil

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1 person likes this

2019-01-06T19:15:27+00:00

David Arthurs

10 Posts
1 Reply Like

Sunil! I'm very happy to say that your simple process worked like a charm. Thank you x 14,067 (number of files initially unable to import)!

2 years ago

Peter Filias

11 Posts
3 Reply Likes

Windows 10, version 1709 Build 16299.309).

Doing what you suggested now.

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2 years ago

Erica Cave Burns

1 Post
1 Reply Like

Did this work? I am getting the same error message but on a MAC

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1 person likes this

2 years ago

seanhoyt-dot-art

387 Posts
62 Reply Likes

I have this same issue on iMac. Very annoying and potentially disastrous if my work video files are being imported sporadically/unreliably. I have to eject the card, reinsert memory card and do a second import to get the files. Fix now!

(Edited)

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1 person likes this

2 years ago

Nathaniel Woosley

1 Post
3 Reply Likes

I have this same issue, and have been encountering it for a little while. I had temporarily solved my problem a few weeks ago by removing the limits on the video cache memory (in preferences) but it was short lived, allowing me only one more import.
Digging through forums has shown this type of complication (with the video cache filling up and unable to be purged, the failure to connect to dynamic link server) has been an issue FOR YEARS now and still not fixed. I'm not asking for Lightroom to support full video editing, I just want to be able to import and catalog video files along with the photos, without worrying about whether some were missed or cannot be read, etc.

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3 people like this

2 years ago

Robert Howe

1 Post
1 Reply Like

Got the same problem...

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1 person likes this

2 years ago

Josselin Cornou

9 Posts
1 Reply Like

Same issue here aswell. Been happening for over a year. Unacceptable!

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1 person likes this

2 years ago

Ramona Boston

36 Posts
2 Reply Likes

Same issue

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1 year ago

Stephen De Saulles

1 Post
2 Reply Likes

For those experiencing the same issue on a Mac, as I was, try:
1.Quit Lightroom.

2. Opening "Activity Monitor" and look for those same processes as on Windows. i.e "dynamiclinkmanager" ( I picked "dynamiclinkserver" too)

3.With those selected click the top left octagonal icon - (it was nice clear red stop sign previously but is now just another oh so cool but unclear grey Mac graphic) that should kill those processes,

4. Reopen Lightroom Classic and try importing the MP4 videos, this worked for me.

Image httpsd2r1vs3d9006apcloudfrontnets3_images1759128RackMultipart20181027-120376-1xxhu3-kill_to_import_MP4_vidoe_to_lightroom_inlinepng1540643429

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2 people like this

2019-01-28T08:25:22+00:00

Garry Pycroft

2 Posts
1 Reply Like

Great ! That worked for me. Any ideas what triggers these "Dynamic" processes ?

2019-07-07T22:09:58+00:00

Bruno Rousseau

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

Worked for me too. Thanks a lot.

1 year ago

Sean Breslin

4 Posts
3 Reply Likes

I've tried everything posted on this forum and one or two more and nothing works.

1. Uninstalled and reinstalled the latest Lightroom Classic

2. Deleted the Dynamic Server folder

3. Opened Activity Monitor and quit the Dynamic Server processes

4. Disabled the Splash screen when starting Lightroom Classic

5. Changed all my .MP4 files from opening with Quicktime by default to now open with VLC

6. Tried to open the video files directly with Lightroom via 'Open With' in the Finder

7. Used Clean My Mac 3 to see if that helped. It didn't.

Nothing works. All my software is up to date. The files are from a Lumix G9 & GX8.

Adobe are you working on this problem?

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3 people like this

2019-02-02T18:09:02+00:00

Kenneth C Barber

2 Posts
1 Reply Like

I am experiencing the same problem and tried EVERYTHING on you list as well!! This is so frustrating.

2019-02-15T01:59:28+00:00

Zetton

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

me, too!
I'm using LUMIX G9.
(I did everything, too.)

LR classic CC must have some compatibility issue with Panasonic's MP4 format.

2019-06-11T22:11:39+00:00

burkemt

6 Posts
2 Reply Likes

I've been having the same problem, and first thought it was an issue with MP4 files imported from my G9. But no - I now have a problem importing iPhone videos to LR, as well. It works intermittently, and usually only with a small number of files. I think the root cause is the Dynamic Link Server, as others have suggested. I'm on a 2018 Mac Mini, with everything up to date. Hey, Adobe - I don't want to edit my videos in LR - I just want to import them to the Library! How hard is that to fix?

2019-09-04T12:17:36+00:00

Jenny Keith

1 Post
1 Reply Like

same issue here....has Adobe not addressed this issue yet? So many having this same problem

2020-01-30T00:40:27+00:00

DigitalOxygen.ca

31 Posts
11 Reply Likes

Same issue. None of the steps have worked. Anyone find a solution?

1 year ago

seanhoyt-dot-art

387 Posts
62 Reply Likes

Are we going to see this fixed?

Image httpsd2r1vs3d9006apcloudfrontnets3_images1766166RackMultipart20181208-93466-1ugkqog-Screenshot_2018-12-08_090530_inlineJPG1544288868

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3 people like this

1 year ago

Doug Bardwell

4 Posts
1 Reply Like

Just started having the problem again today. Used to be a major pain, then it started working. Now it's back to preventing me from archiving videos with photos. Damn it, Adobe. This has been going on way too long for you to ignore it. I bet if I stopped paying my $69 per month, you wouldn't ignore that - would you?

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1 year ago

Kenneth C Barber

2 Posts
1 Reply Like

I am having the SAME PROBLEM!!! I did not have this issue until recently. I was able to import videos and images with no problem. NOW . . . I am unable to do so! Why has this issue not been resolved??

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1 year ago

Garry Pycroft

2 Posts
1 Reply Like

I managed to fix the issue I had, you need to shut down Lightroom and then delete the files , this is the process I used on a Mac

1.Quit Lightroom.

2. Opening "Activity Monitor" and look for those same processes as on Windows. i.e "dynamiclinkmanager" ( I picked "dynamiclinkserver" too)

3.With those selected click the top left octagonal icon - (it was nice clear red stop sign previously but is now just another oh so cool but unclear grey Mac graphic) that should kill those processes,

4. Reopen Lightroom Classic and try importing the MP4 videos, this worked for me.

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1 person likes this

1 year ago

Yuga Kurita

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

Thank you Garry. That worked for me!

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1 year ago

Rafal Przondo

7 Posts
1 Reply Like

Adobe, really? Since years the only solution (I have the same problem now) is to dig into process manager ???

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1 person likes this

1 year ago

Julie Lee

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

I have been experiencing this issue too. It is beyond frustrating. I have tried to contact Adobe but of course unless it is a sales question then I can't get a live person. On a separate but related note I have also had issues for almost a year importing from my iPhone X and have needed to create a workaround in order to get them into Lightroom. I'm paying more money and the product doesn't work now.

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1 year ago

blackswan

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

Same here, did all of the mentioned things above. Regardless of the movie size (usually MP4) it's not working with error "An unknown error has occurred while reading the video file. Connecting to Dynamic Link server failed."

(Edited)

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1 year ago

Tom Fiddaman

61 Posts
16 Reply Likes

Same problem here.

Some forum threads about this problem are SIX YEARS OLD! https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1235999?start=40&tstart=0

I think the basic problem is that the dynamiclinkmediaserver architecture sucks. This is clearly similar to the out-of-control media cache problem, which has been around for years with only a partial fix. https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/lightroom-6-2-1-video-cache-is-out-of-conttro...

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10 months ago

Wolfgang Kaml

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

Went down many rat holes trying to resolve this problem. Uninstalled the entire Adobe Creative Suite, ran the Adobe CS Clean Up tool and removed everything from the machine - still would not resolve the issue; changed cache settings within Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic and still no resolution; uninstalled NVidia drivers and reinstalled, reset default config - sill no resolution.

BTW: I think that the Adobe CS removal tool wiped clean all version numbers and installation dates of all my Windows application - when I go into Windows Control Panel for Programs, all that information is cleared blank and it was clearly there prior to the uninstall.

Long story short - Resolved the issue with uninstalling VLC media player.

Addition 5h later: While I thought the issue was resolved as I tried adding a few singular files, overall I still suffered the problem and realized that some of the DJI Mavic Air video recordings, where the MP4 had less than a Megabyte, were the issue. I renamed the MP4s in question to .MP4~ (to mark them deleted for myself without physically deleting yet) and the import worked. Need to test more.

(Edited)

Comment

2 months ago

Doug Bardwell

4 Posts
1 Reply Like

Seems to happen when closing Lightroom without letting previews completely build. The Adobe Dynamic Link Manager shows up in Task Manager.

Solution:

1. Close Lightroom.

2. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete > Start Task Manager > Process.

3. Select Dynamic Link Manager > End Process.

4. Start Lightroom.

Comment

2 months ago

Andrew Trites

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

Here is what worked for me on a Windows 10 machine...

Go to C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Adobe and look for the following three folders:

dynamiclinkmediaserver

dynamiclinkmanager

DyanmicLinkMediaServer

[Note that you will have to show hidden files (View > Hidden items in File Explorer) in order to see that AppData folder]

Rename these three folders with a .old

Dynamiclinkmediaserver.old

Dynamiclinkmanager.old

DyanmicLinkMediaServer.old

Now relaunch LR and Import your Videos.

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2 months ago

DigitalOxygen.ca

32 Posts
12 Reply Likes

I am on macOS. None of the steps here worked for me and I noticed that dynamiclinkserver was not running, ever (only dynamiclinkmanager). Nothing I did would get the process to run.

Support spent several hours trying to troubleshooting (most of the time ignoring the fact that the server process wasn't running and just went through basics steps or steps from this thread).

Final solution was a complete re-install of the Adobe suite. Fixed whatever was causing dynamiclinkserver to not run.

(Edited)

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1 month ago

pr teh

1 Post
0 Reply Likes

I am having the same issue. the dynamicmediaserver is not running in the activity app. I am running on a MacBook Pro 2019 on MacOS 10.15.3 with the latest version of Lightroom. this only happened after upgrading to the latest version