Lightroom Classic and the last update.

Can any one advise whether the latest Lightrrom update has changed the filing system in Lightroom. Previously the folder highlighted in the left hand panel i.e. an external disc used only for photos, would list the file system and when you clicked on a specific folder it would show all the photos in that folder even tho they may be in different folders inside the main folder. (Sorry it sounds a bit complicated) But a main folder containing all the other folders but when you highlight the main folder all the photos are shown in the thumbnails section in the middle of the screen. My computer developed a black screen last Friday and I could do nothing to resurrect it. I called in a 'computer expert' who has freed the computer of its black screen but everything seems to have become 'confused' in the process, so now when I plug in an external disc holding only photos lightroom is saying no photos although 'File Explorer' tells me they are all still there and still in their right folders. So? confused I am.

Can any one advise whether the latest Lightrrom update has changed the filing system in Lightroom. Previously the folder highlighted in the left hand panel i.e. an external disc used only for photos, would list the file system and when you clicked on a specific folder it would show all the photos in that folder even tho they may be in different folders inside the main folder. (Sorry it sounds a bit complicated) But a main folder containing all the other folders but when you highlight the main folder all the photos are shown in the thumbnails section in the middle of the screen.

My computer developed a black screen last Friday and I could do nothing to resurrect it. I called in a 'computer expert' who has freed the computer of its black screen but everything seems to have become 'confused' in the process, so now when I plug in an external disc holding only photos lightroom is saying no photos although 'File Explorer' tells me they are all still there and still in their right folders. So? confused I am.

ISn't there an LRCAT file you backup on exiting LR - i've need mine get corrupted before and then i've had to find and old versions and then start re-syncing files or similar. Did LR complain when started after the recovery and then create a new one that did not know where the files actually were?

ISn't there an LRCAT file you backup on exiting LR - i've need mine get corrupted before and then i've had to find and old versions and then start re-syncing files or similar.
Did LR complain when started after the recovery and then create a new one that did not know where the files actually were?

My problems I'm afraid Stuart are rather greater. I have been in Lockdown so long I forgot how the real world works (Almost!) The guy who had my computer to fix it has made me a million and one problems - one is that he deleted all my set-up of programs, I haven't actually lost any work (I don't think) but I think he has just muddled the whole of the hard drive, which means (I think!) that no programs that are used to working logically are able to do so and find themselves completely lost and unable to track what they want to. I am just about to transfer all my work onto an external drive - a blank external drive - and then try reloading a section at a time to see if it regains the order it is used to. I suspect that he was more of a mechanic than a software guy but my problems didn't need screwdrivers it needed someone with expert knowledge of Windows and all its controlling habits. Thanks for your answer - I think one of the problems is that he must have backed up something in the wrong place and now nothing can find where they are or where they are supposed to be - hence the problem in Lightroom, Drive G doesn't know that all the images belong to it - G is the parent and thinks it is childless!! I thought perhaps Lightroom had changed but now I am pretty sure it is the chaos inside which is to blame. He deleted all the programmes!!!! so they have no back memory to help. I made a new catalogue but it also doesn't know that G is the parent.

My problems I'm afraid Stuart are rather greater. I have been in Lockdown so long I forgot how the real world works (Almost!) The guy who had my computer to fix it has made me a million and one problems - one is that he deleted all my set-up of programs, I haven't actually lost any work (I don't think) but I think he has just muddled the whole of the hard drive, which means (I think!) that no programs that are used to working logically are able to do so and find themselves completely lost and unable to track what they want to. I am just about to transfer all my work onto an external drive - a blank external drive - and then try reloading a section at a time to see if it regains the order it is used to. I suspect that he was more of a mechanic than a software guy but my problems didn't need screwdrivers it needed someone with expert knowledge of Windows and all its controlling habits. Thanks for your answer - I think one of the problems is that he must have backed up something in the wrong place and now nothing can find where they are or where they are supposed to be - hence the problem in Lightroom, Drive G doesn't know that all the images belong to it - G is the parent and thinks it is childless!! I thought perhaps Lightroom had changed but now I am pretty sure it is the chaos inside which is to blame. He deleted all the programmes!!!! so they have no back memory to help. I made a new catalogue but it also doesn't know that G is the parent.

Hi Angie, If you can use the windows [b]file [/b]explorer and look for any file with a lrcat extension this may help you pull it all together. [epzimg]97593_1594330964.jpg[/epzimg] Good luck, Stuart

Hi Angie,
If you can use the windows file explorer and look for any file with a lrcat extension this may help you pull it all together.



Good luck,
Stuart

Thanks Stuart - I will have a look for that.

Thanks Stuart - I will have a look for that.

Angie, If you have established a new catalogue then you will effectively have lost any connection with history and processing in your original catalogue. For some that might not be too bad, but I suspect that for you it is more important. Evaluating what you have and where it is, will be a necessary step in deciding the next steps. Your pictures are all still there on a different drive, although I understand that Lightroom doesn't see the drive. Is this correct? You know where your Lightroom Catalogues are located?....the older ones I mean. If the answer to both questions is Yes, then all is recoverable. If you would like to develop that notion (no pun intended) then please send me a personal message Regards Pat

Angie, If you have established a new catalogue then you will effectively have lost any connection with history and processing in your original catalogue. For some that might not be too bad, but I suspect that for you it is more important.
Evaluating what you have and where it is, will be a necessary step in deciding the next steps.
Your pictures are all still there on a different drive, although I understand that Lightroom doesn't see the drive. Is this correct?
You know where your Lightroom Catalogues are located?....the older ones I mean.
If the answer to both questions is Yes, then all is recoverable.
If you would like to develop that notion (no pun intended) then please send me a personal message

Regards Pat

Thanks for those thoughts Pat. When I came to examine my computer in more depth this 'computer' guy had deleted my programs and everything that went with them. I also think that he jumbled the external disc by adding stuff to it without any partition or any idea of what he was actually doing, so I'm afraid the old catalogue has gone. But I have reloaded all my programs, I have just transferred all my photographic files from the external drive to a clean external drive and I am about to try and set up Lightroom as a new user would. If you have any thoughts about that I would be delighted to hear them.

Thanks for those thoughts Pat. When I came to examine my computer in more depth this 'computer' guy had deleted my programs and everything that went with them. I also think that he jumbled the external disc by adding stuff to it without any partition or any idea of what he was actually doing, so I'm afraid the old catalogue has gone. But I have reloaded all my programs, I have just transferred all my photographic files from the external drive to a clean external drive and I am about to try and set up Lightroom as a new user would. If you have any thoughts about that I would be delighted to hear them.

That sounds as though the main disk has hit a problem and Windows reinstalled with the instructions to wipe out everything on there before installing windows. The upgrade path would be the one that should have been chosen as this would have kept all your files, programs etc. But we can only move forward. It is not clear what disks you have in your computer. Is there more than one? I understand too, from your earlier comment that your pictures are safe on a portable hard dive. That is good news as they cannot be replaced. However whilst your pictures are all there I wonder did lightroom put your catalogue file(s) on there as well. It is certainly a possibility and should be checked out. If your only option is to create a brand new catalogue, then I think that you already started that process. Lightroom will not see your portable hard drive or any other until you add a drive in the Library module, Folders and click on the plus sign to Add a drive. Then select your portable hard drive and if appropriate the master folder containing your images. This is often called Pictures, but doesn't have to be. Once you have completed that, then you will need to import all of your images into Lightroom's catalogue. Previews will need creating too, so depending upon the number and sizes of file involved this could take some time. But you are moving forward into a final state, so can sit back and enjoy a cup of tea. (No alcohol allowed before dark!!!) Hope this helps Regards Pat

That sounds as though the main disk has hit a problem and Windows reinstalled with the instructions to wipe out everything on there before installing windows. The upgrade path would be the one that should have been chosen as this would have kept all your files, programs etc.
But we can only move forward. It is not clear what disks you have in your computer. Is there more than one?
I understand too, from your earlier comment that your pictures are safe on a portable hard dive. That is good news as they cannot be replaced. However whilst your pictures are all there I wonder did lightroom put your catalogue file(s) on there as well. It is certainly a possibility and should be checked out.
If your only option is to create a brand new catalogue, then I think that you already started that process.
Lightroom will not see your portable hard drive or any other until you add a drive in the Library module, Folders and click on the plus sign to Add a drive. Then select your portable hard drive and if appropriate the master folder containing your images. This is often called Pictures, but doesn't have to be.
Once you have completed that, then you will need to import all of your images into Lightroom's catalogue. Previews will need creating too, so depending upon the number and sizes of file involved this could take some time. But you are moving forward into a final state, so can sit back and enjoy a cup of tea. (No alcohol allowed before dark!!!)
Hope this helps
Regards Pat

Thanks Pat - it is the solution that I had come to and it is now underway so I am hopeful that it will be fine. Of course it will take ages as I think there are in the region of 48,000 images but so far it seems to be providing parent and children - very disconcerting when you click on a drive and it says 'there are no pictures here'. I have two drives in the computer - an SSD and a Hard drive but I also had an external drive which was for the older stuff - before 2019 - and foolishly I allowed him to take that as well. My mistake there but really if he had known what he was doing he would have said 'I don't need this'. A time consuming error and that's just the photographs!!! And although I bank online the password for that is in my head - the only one I think that I remember. But strangely I had a phone call from the HMRC yesterday!! Fortunately I was well aware that it was a scam and told him not to be so stupid and hung up.

Thanks Pat - it is the solution that I had come to and it is now underway so I am hopeful that it will be fine. Of course it will take ages as I think there are in the region of 48,000 images but so far it seems to be providing parent and children - very disconcerting when you click on a drive and it says 'there are no pictures here'.

I have two drives in the computer - an SSD and a Hard drive but I also had an external drive which was for the older stuff - before 2019 - and foolishly I allowed him to take that as well. My mistake there but really if he had known what he was doing he would have said 'I don't need this'. A time consuming error and that's just the photographs!!! And although I bank online the password for that is in my head - the only one I think that I remember. But strangely I had a phone call from the HMRC yesterday!! Fortunately I was well aware that it was a scam and told him not to be so stupid and hung up.

Well that is good, it seems that you are well on the way out of this little catastrophe. If you have allowed Lightroom to save various settings to xmp files then these could / should be with your images and get picked up by lightroom again. You will of course have to develop your raw files again, but the auto process in Lightroom has come on such a long way now it gives an excellent start point, then move on into the new presets and profiles you can be more than half way there in a few clicks. Then the creative mind has to kick in to finish off. Glad it is working through Regards Pat

Well that is good, it seems that you are well on the way out of this little catastrophe. If you have allowed Lightroom to save various settings to xmp files then these could / should be with your images and get picked up by lightroom again.
You will of course have to develop your raw files again, but the auto process in Lightroom has come on such a long way now it gives an excellent start point, then move on into the new presets and profiles you can be more than half way there in a few clicks. Then the creative mind has to kick in to finish off.
Glad it is working through
Regards Pat

Thanks Pat - I'm a person who is very short on patience - and this needs patience! But doing odd chores in the mean time does help to feel less 'itchy'. I also needed some encouragement - which you have been excellent in providing. :)

Thanks Pat - I'm a person who is very short on patience - and this needs patience! But doing odd chores in the mean time does help to feel less 'itchy'. I also needed some encouragement - which you have been excellent in providing.

[quote] When I came to examine my computer in more depth this 'computer' guy had deleted my programs and everything that went with them. I also think that he jumbled the external disc by adding stuff to it without any partition or any idea of what he was actually doing[/quote]The sheer brass nerve of some of these computer people, so called experts! A woman friend of mine had one re-install the OS for her and the guy passworded the settings so that she would have to go to him even to change icon size on the desktop.

Quote: When I came to examine my computer in more depth this 'computer' guy had deleted my programs and everything that went with them. I also think that he jumbled the external disc by adding stuff to it without any partition or any idea of what he was actually doing
The sheer brass nerve of some of these computer people, so called experts! A woman friend of mine had one re-install the OS for her and the guy passworded the settings so that she would have to go to him even to change icon size on the desktop.

Yes I had forgotten that that sort of thing happened - having been locked away so long. I am pleased that I told him to bring it back to me on the monday morning as I dread to think what sort of mess it would have been in if I left it with him any longer. I should have been alerted when he got a case of screwdrivers etc. out!!!!

Yes I had forgotten that that sort of thing happened - having been locked away so long. I am pleased that I told him to bring it back to me on the monday morning as I dread to think what sort of mess it would have been in if I left it with him any longer. I should have been alerted when he got a case of screwdrivers etc. out!!!!