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StephanieVaronePhotos
Participating Frequently
August 12, 2024
Question

Lightroom Classic files disappearing - Unable to export, import or purge cache

  • August 12, 2024
  • 3 replies
  • 4768 views

Hi all, 

 

My lightroom classic catalog has run into some major issues and im hoping to find a way to fix it ASAP. 

 

My lightroom has of the past few months started to run slow. I know my laptop is old but I was not able to update my computer at this moment. For the most part I could deal with it lagging a bit because it wasnt major and there was never any issues that was concerning.

 

Recently I imported photos in, added it to a collection and started to rate them. I noticed as I was rating them 1 star or changing some back to 0 rating. It wouldn't take away the 1 star. I didnt think much of it because when I do a second round of selecting it would go away. When I clicked on the fliters section to see all of the photos I rated 1 star it woudn't show me and said there were no photos in this collection even though on the side it showed 258 images in the collection. Additionally the "previously imported" section also said 258 photos and when I clicked on that it said there were no photos. It also no longer shows an amount of photos next to the "All Photographs" section. 

 

Additionally, I can not important any new files or export any images. I made edits within a collection that need to be exported for a client and I am unable to export them. I tried to purge the cache and create space within my computer but lightroom wont even let me purge the cache. Nothing runs. 

 

I made a new catalog and that allowed me to work fine but I need the photos in the older catalog and would like to know why this has happened and how to fix it. If anyone knows anything that would help please let me know ASAP!!

 

Thank you. 

This topic has been closed for replies.

3 replies

GoldingD
GoldingD
Legend
August 12, 2024

/Edited/(blue)

Starting to think that this catalog may be corrupted, or at the least have some  structure (within the database) issues. I wonder if checking the catalogs integrity will help, or hurt. I recommend that you make sure you have a backup before accomplishing what follows below. And I recommend that you DO NOT check the integrity as part of the lrC Backup procedure upon LrC closure. Instead I recommend that you check the integrity upon opening the catalog.

 

To check the integrity of a catalog when opening a catalog, use this alternate method of starting LrC.

 

  • On a MAC, press and hold down on the OPTION key and click on the LrC startup icon
  • On Windows, press and hold down on the ALT key and click on the LrC startup icon (In the Taskbar). Or hold down the SHIFT key and double click on an LrC Startup Shortcut in the Desktop (single click on Shortcut in Taskbar)

A Catalog prompt screen should appear, select the desired catalog and check the integrity box

 

 

and see:

 

 

S
StephanieVaronePhotosAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 13, 2024

Hi,

 

Thank you so much for your help. It is definitely a corrupted catalog. When I went to open up the first catalog that wasn't working it automatically said there was an error and repaired it. Unsure why it only did this now and not the other times I attempted to open it. That being said it is working now.

 

The other catalog that is corrupted is still not working and I am not sure how to find the select catalog option to open and repair. When I click alt and open it this select catalog screen does not come up. Within lightroom classic itself I am also not finding anything to check or repair. 

 

Please let me know if there is another way I can check the integrity and trouble shoot this catalog.

 

Thank you!!

GoldingD
GoldingD
Legend
August 13, 2024

"When I click alt and open it this select catalog screen does not come up."

 

Ahh, went in and tested  the instruction to see if I could see an issue. I see that this method works IF you click on a LrC startup Shortcut Icon, that is in the Taskbar. Not if the shortcut is on the Desktop. OR, hold down the SHIFT key, and use either LrC Startup Shortcut Icon (click or double clcik). Video  on KBS ALT+Mouse Click:

 

 

Alternate way. If you can start LrC, you could bring up in LrC /Preferences/General/  and change the default catalog to "Prompt me when starting Lightroom" then close and restart LrC.

 

 

Another alternate way. If you know you have a catalog, including one that you think or know is corrupt. And they are not showing up in either method. You could always go old school. Use your Operating systems File Browser, In this case Windows File Explorer, navigate to the hard drive and the folder the catalog is in, and double click on it. Windows will know when double clicking on a file ending in .lrcat, to start LrC to open that file

GoldingD
GoldingD
Legend
August 12, 2024

Perhaps I am overlloking something in the reply by motivated_zephyr2607.

 

So I will go ahead with the workflow I was about to send in a reply anyhow. This one from some old lessons learned when LrC was acting a bit odd (I do not know if it involved a bug, corrupt preference file, a corrupt catalog, or Gremlins I failed to bribe)

 

First up your screenshot with some annotations

 

And then a workflow to check out. Could be fully, completely, wrong, but???

 

 

I have found that occasionally one of those Filters  (Flag, Rating, or Color) may be set, despite Filters Off.

 

S
StephanieVaronePhotosAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 12, 2024

Hi, 

 

Thank you for your input. Unfortunetly this still did not change anything within the collections. 

S
StephanieVaronePhotosAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 12, 2024

Update: I can no export or edit within the new catalog either. The catalogs are on a hard drive and I have a windows HP laptop. Please let me know how to proceed. 

dj_paige
dj_paige
Legend
August 12, 2024

Some basic information would help. What version NUMBER of LrC? What version NUMBER of Windows? We need version NUMBERs and not words like "latest" or "up-to-date".

 

What happens when you try to export? Please describe in detail. If there is an error message, please quote the exact unedited word-for-word error message.

 

PS: I cannot view your (or anyone's) attachment; please use the "Insert Photos" icon to include screen captures in your reply and do NOT attach files.

S
StephanieVaronePhotosAuthor
Participating Frequently
August 12, 2024

Windows 11 computer

Lightroom Classic 13.4

 

When I hit export nothing happens. No window will come up to export. Ive troed file export, right click then export and the export botton. It is like I didnt click on it even though I have. 

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