Help requested for image recovery and LRPREV files

[Natvander]

Some time ago the drive holding my images crashed (and wouldn't you know it, I was just about to back up that drive on a new drive...which also crashed due to another reason).

I still have the catalogues and a heap of LRPREV files.  Probably half the images in the catalogue don't appear in LR with a preview.

Does anyone know any way to open the LRPREV files, or direct the catalogue to use those files?  I've tried bitmaprip, which crashes every time I use it and all other methods I've come across rely on the preview being visible in LR.

I've been at this for quite some time and any assistance will be most appreciated.  And I now have my images on 2 drives and a Drobo

[eliedinur]

I think Rob Cole has a free plugin which will extract previews as jpgs when the original file no longer exists. Google for his site or ask on the LR Community Forum where he hangs out daily: http://forums.adobe.com/community/lightroom

[RikkFlohr]

This link: http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/preview-extraction#other list three options including Rob's.

[wolfnowl]

Rikk beat me to it! Jeffrey Friedl's site is great.
Mike.

[Natvander]

Thanks for the links guys.  Unfortunately I think those plug-ins need the preview to be visible in LR (none have worked so far).  The images I want to extract don't have a visible preview.  I was hoping for software or even a plug-in that can open the .lrprev file and extract from there.  I think something has screwed up the link between the catalogue and the .lrprev files, hence why the previews aren't showing.

[wolfnowl]

I still have the catalogues and a heap of LRPREV files.  Probably half the images in the catalogue don't appear in LR with a preview.

This may be a stupid question, but are the images showing as being present in the catalogue in the grid view, but just without a preview image?  Have you tried simply generating new previews?

Another possibility, and I don't know how to get around this one - if you open LR and ALL of your images in the Library grid show up as empty gray boxes, it's usually an indicator that your monitor profile is corrupt and you need to re-profile your monitor.  I've never seen that problem with only part of them before.  You mention that probably half the images don't appear in LR with a preview.  Are they all one file type - JPG or RAW or DNG or some combination thereof?

By default, LR doesn't right out any of the metadata in its catalogue to the image files/sidecar files, but you can force it to do so by selecting images and pressing Ctrl/Cmd-S.  What happens if you write out the metadata to some of the files that aren't showing with a preview, then create a new catalogue and import those images you've just updated into the new catalogue?  Being 'new' files for THAT catalogue, LR would generate new previews for them. If you've written out the metadata then LR should import any Develop settings, keywords, etc.  The only reason to use LRViewer and programs of that ilk is when the actual image files themselves have gone missing but that's not what you're describing.

Mike.

[john beardsworth]

Not sure I'd diagnose a monitor profile problem here. It sounds more like the previews weren't built when the drive crashed or they've been discarded as it's some time since the drive crashed.

It sounds too late, but Lightroom's import dialog allows you to copy new photos to a separate drive. A little backup often, rather than waiting. Easy to be wise after the event though.

[eliedinur]

Yes, I think the most obvious answer is the most likely one; if the previews are not displayed it is because there are no viable previews.