How to get my catalog fixed?

[dedalus]

Hi all! and  please help!

Somehow I have managed to corrupt my catalog. Luckily I have plenty of bacups,
but cannot figure out how to use them. So witch folder from where should I copy
(move) to where, to replace the corrupted catalog data with correct one?

Thank's a lot.

PS.
My system:

Windows XP
2,40 gigaherz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 G RAM
2  500 Gb local drives
4  500 Gb ext drives (for my about 40000 pics an backups, mostly RAW)

[picnic]

Hi all! and  please help!

Somehow I have managed to corrupt my catalog. Luckily I have plenty of bacups,
but cannot figure out how to use them. So witch folder from where should I copy
(move) to where, to replace the corrupted catalog data with correct one?

Thank's a lot.

PS.
My system:

Windows XP
2,40 gigaherz Intel Core 2 Duo
4 G RAM
2  500 Gb local drives
4  500 Gb ext drives (for my about 40000 pics an backups, mostly RAW)
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=168111\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I doubt mine is the 'correct' or easiest way, but I had a problem with LR  not recognizing my harddrives as I connected them for use--I have 6 externals also and my files are all archived by year--then  by month--and within month its date/folder title.  So my folders on each harddrive look like this

2008
   January 2008
      11408yadkinvalley

When I would find a file (by  keyword, etc.) that I wanted to rework or print, I would have it 'find folder' and then I would reconnect that drive.  However there were times LR just got plain confused--esp. if I had current drive connected and would connect 2000 for instance.  I had a 'meltdown' of sorts--couldn't get LR to locate the folders, saw my keywords disappear.  I asked here and was told to 'name' my harddrives in disk management.  I was unsure how to do that but found MS help plus a little assist in a PC forum--its actually easy.  The 'names' stick and all is fine--whenever I connect, LR automatically finds the correct folder if the drive is connected (I have mine named from K through P).

I did delete 2 years and reimported them however.  All my keywords, processing, etc. were intact--still not sure why, but need to figure out how/why (have checked preferences and not sure if any of my settings resulted in this).

Hopefully someone will recommend the best way to work to restore--but I can recommend that you 'name' each of your drives.
(If on PC, go to settings/control panel/admin tools/computer management and you will see 'disk management' in the dialog box.  Choose it, then actions from the file menu and select 'all tasks' and rename drive/paths.)

Diane

[David Sutton]

You could try this. I think the default location for the Lightroom catalogue is C/Documents and Settings/your user name/My Documents/My pictures/Lightroom database.lrcat.
I would move this file elsewhere and replace it with your back up.
Alternatively you could try repairing your existing catalogue. This has worked for me.
Start Lightroom while holding down the Control key. This brings up the select catalog dialogue. (by the way, this will also give you the path to your existing catalogue if the above location is not correct). Choose "create new catalog" and put it somewhere handy, say the desktop or My Documents. This will allow you to open Lightroom. Go to Edit-Preferences and under the General tab choose: default catalog-prompt me when starting Lightroom.
Go to: File-Catalog Settings, and under the General tab select "Relaunch and optimize". When it relaunches you should get the "select catalog" dialogue. Select your original catalogue. Good luck, David

[dedalus]

You could try this. I think the default location for the Lightroom catalogue is C/Documents and Settings/your user name/My Documents/My pictures/Lightroom database.lrcat.
I would move this file elsewhere and replace it with your back up.
Alternatively you could try repairing your existing catalogue. This has worked for me.
Start Lightroom while holding down the Control key. This brings up the select catalog dialogue. (by the way, this will also give you the path to your existing catalogue if the above location is not correct). Choose "create new catalog" and put it somewhere handy, say the desktop or My Documents. This will allow you to open Lightroom. Go to Edit-Preferences and under the General tab choose: default catalog-prompt me when starting Lightroom.
Go to: File-Catalog Settings, and under the General tab select "Relaunch and optimize". When it relaunches you should get the "select catalog" dialogue. Select your original catalogue. Good luck, David
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=168241\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thank's everyone. Replaceing the original LR database.lrcat -file with one from the
backup folder fixed all.