Thank you so much for taking time to reply, but I am not sure I understand. I have LR open and then I hit the import button and then select my external hard drive and when I choose the folder in which the files are they show up in the main middle window - but all my CR2 files are 'greyed out' and I can't select them for import. I am able to bring them into Photoshop and convert them to a .jpeg file - which makes the file about a 5th of the size?? Waaay smaller - so that concerns me a bit, but better than losing them altogether.
Thanks for any further info you can offer. (I have been shooting in Raw and the smallest .jpeg file combination so I can at least see a thumbnail of the Raw files - do you think that is problem?)