Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Lightroom files missing  (Read 1181 times)

KeithR

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 759
Lightroom files missing
« on: July 18, 2022, 03:37:08 pm »

Last week when I went to shut down my Win10-64, it shut down after a win update (update & shut down). when I turned on the computer the next morning, and went to open LR, I clicked on the library module and all my folders were missing. I do have all my images on a separate drive, but do I have to import all those files once again? I'm not sure what happened to cause this. I also have the back-ups and catalogs on separate drive as well, so I know everything is recoverable.
Logged
The destination is our goal but it’s the journey we experience

mcbroomf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1534
    • Mike Broomfield
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2022, 05:37:25 pm »

I seems like LR opened a new catalog (empty) rather than your normal one.  the odd thing is that usually a dialog opens for a new catalog.

Do you know where the normal .lrcat file is located?  If so I suggest going there and double clicking on it and see if your normal cat opens.

If this still opens an empty catalog then I suggest opening the last backed up catalog.  How often did you run the LR cat backup?  Every time you close Lr I hope ...
Logged

mcbroomf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1534
    • Mike Broomfield
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2022, 06:32:59 pm »

One other thought.

Presumably you were describing LR Classic.  Did the update fudge with your startup icons and have you open Lightroom instead?  If LR is not installed then of course it can't be that.
Logged

Alan Klein

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 15850
    • Flicker photos
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2022, 06:42:14 pm »

Last week when I went to shut down my Win10-64, it shut down after a win update (update & shut down). when I turned on the computer the next morning, and went to open LR, I clicked on the library module and all my folders were missing. I do have all my images on a separate drive, but do I have to import all those files once again? I'm not sure what happened to cause this. I also have the back-ups and catalogs on separate drive as well, so I know everything is recoverable.
Are the actual photo files still in the folders in your computer and it is just that the LR module doesn't show the LR Library Folders?  IF this is the case, shouldn't a simple install the photos again just re-create all the pictures in the LR library?

john beardsworth

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4755
    • My photography site
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2022, 03:43:16 am »

I seems like LR opened a new catalog (empty) rather than your normal one.  the odd thing is that usually a dialog opens for a new catalog.

Do you know where the normal .lrcat file is located?  If so I suggest going there and double clicking on it and see if your normal cat opens.

If this still opens an empty catalog then I suggest opening the last backed up catalog.  How often did you run the LR cat backup?  Every time you close Lr I hope ...

This - a new catalogue - is the most likely explanation and could be caused by the preference file having been trashed. LR would then open the default catalogue, not the one you've been using. So:
 
  • first verify the name of the catalogue that is opening (Edit>Catalog Settings)
  • then check in File > Open Recent if the correct catalogue is listed (probably not if preference file corruption was the cause)
  • and then use Explorer to look through your hard drive for the correct catalogue.


If you really can't find it, then restore a backup and try that.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2022, 07:35:03 am by john beardsworth »
Logged

KeithR

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 759
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2022, 12:35:00 pm »

When I opened the LR Catalog folder (on a different drive) I noticed these that I don't recall seeing before:

LightRoom Catalog-2-v10-v11 Helper.lrdata, 7/11/2022 3:41pm File folder
LightRoom Catalog-2-v10-v11.lrcat.lock, 7/11/2022 3:41pm LOCK File
LightRoom Catalog-2-v10-v11.lrcat-shm, 7/11/2022 3:41pm LRCAT-SHM File
LightRoom Catalog-2-v10-v11-wal 7/11/2022 3:41pm LRCAT-WAL File

There are the usual folders, but these are new to me.
Logged
The destination is our goal but it’s the journey we experience

mcbroomf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1534
    • Mike Broomfield
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2022, 07:58:15 pm »

Normal.  Helper is always there but LOCK, SHM and WAL only appear when LR is opened.

So did the LRcat from 7-11 open OK with the library showing your images?
Logged

KeithR

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 759
Re: Lightroom files missing
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2022, 12:17:52 pm »

....but LOCK, SHM and WAL only appear when LR is opened.

I did not have LR opened when I looked at my LR catalog folder. LR is NOT open now & I checked the folder just now and those files are there. I just now deleted those. I clicked on a LR Cat-2-v10-v11 dated 9JULY22 (i had done a backup on the 9th as well as the 11th). LR opened and everything seems to be where it should be. I closed out LR & the dialog box came up asking to do a backup, which I did. Reopened LR and it came up normally.
Logged
The destination is our goal but it’s the journey we experience
Pages: [1]   Go Up