Hi,
Try using Capture One Session instead of Catalogue, and browse for your folder with photos on your laptop, you dont need to import files. Then try if it works. There is lots of tutorials on Capture One Youtube Channel. I switched from Lightroom about 6 m ago, since the default raw rendering is much better in CO especially Sharpness of RAF. Please give it a second chance, you will not regret. I dont know if LR rendering of RAF has improved meanwhile, i doubt.
Cheers,
V