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R
ras527
Known Participant
December 27, 2023
Question

Lightroom Classic Catalog Issues

  • December 27, 2023
  • 4 replies
  • 432 views

I had to reinstall Windows 11. Now Lightroom Classic says I need to reimport all of my photos. It cannot find them even though they are located on the same drives with the same file folder names. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

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    4 replies

    Suzanne Mathia
    Community Expert
    Suzanne MathiaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 28, 2023

    If you right click on PHOTO LIBRARY and update folder location it might jog LT's memory

     

    .....Suzanne Mathia
    Per Berntsen
    Community Expert
    Per BerntsenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 27, 2023

    Drive letters may have changed when you reinstalled Windows.

    If the photos were originally on drive E (for instance), this could now be drive D.

    If this is the case, rename the drive(s) back to what they were originally, and LrC will find the photos.

    To rename drives, right click This PC in the File manager, choose Manage, then choose Disk management.

     

    R
    ras527Author
    Known Participant
    December 27, 2023
    The drive letters were the same because I knew they could change. Once
    Windows 11 reloaded, I changed all drive letters back to their previous
    designation.
    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    December 27, 2023
     Now Lightroom Classic says I need to reimport all of my photos. I

    By that, do you mean LrC shows the photos as missing?

    above image from: https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

     

    R
    ras527Author
    Known Participant
    December 27, 2023
    Yes, it shows them missing, but they are there.
    GoldingD
    GoldingD
    Legend
    December 27, 2023

    THe fact that you see previews in the grid view, in the filmstrip, in the Navigator panel, and you may edit them in the develop module. Does not mean they are not missing in the LrC catalog.

     

    I should have also included a photo of the histogram, In the histogram does it say you have the original?

     

     

     

    Above could have also mentioned a SmartPreview.

     

     

    At any rate, see:

    https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

     

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 27, 2023

    Sounds like Lightroom created a new catalog rather than opening the existing one. Search for your existing catalog by searching for files with an .lrcat extension. By default, the catalog folder is located in your Pictures folder.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    R
    ras527Author
    Known Participant
    December 27, 2023
    No, a new catalog was not created.
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