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terrys16344968
Participant
June 2, 2026
Answered

Lightroom Classic won’t start due to a corrupted file that can’t be deleted

something has corrupted a LRC file   I can not delete the corrupt file and I can not open Lightroom because it says it is in use.  ????  help please    <removed for privacy>

    Rob_Cullen
    Rob_CullenCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    June 2, 2026

    “ it says it is in use.”  This error message can appear in circumstances where a catalog is not closed correctly (eg. corruption or computer failure). It leaves behind a file with the file-type suffix of .LOCK  (eg.  Catalog Name.lrcat.lock ). 

    Search in the folders where you store your catalog and Delete only the .LOCK file and try re-opening a catalog by [Double-clicking] the Catalog Name.lrcat file.

     

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.6, Photoshop 27.8, ACR 18.7, Lightroom 9.4, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
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    4 replies

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    June 3, 2026

    Please provide the exact word-for-word unedited error message, verbatim.

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    Community Expert
    AxelMattCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 3, 2026

    Which file is corrupt? Try to reboot (cold boot) your machine and then try to delete this file.

     

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    My System: Intel i7-8700K - 64GB RAM - NVidia Geforce RTX 3060 - Windows 11 Pro 26H2 -- LR-Classic 15 - Photoshop 27 - Nik Collection 9 - PureRAW 6 - Topaz Photo AI
    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    June 2, 2026

    “ it says it is in use.”  This error message can appear in circumstances where a catalog is not closed correctly (eg. corruption or computer failure). It leaves behind a file with the file-type suffix of .LOCK  (eg.  Catalog Name.lrcat.lock ). 

    Search in the folders where you store your catalog and Delete only the .LOCK file and try re-opening a catalog by [Double-clicking] the Catalog Name.lrcat file.

     

    Translate
    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.6, Photoshop 27.8, ACR 18.7, Lightroom 9.4, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
    Srishti Bali
    Community Manager
    Srishti BaliCommunity Manager
    Community Manager
    June 2, 2026

    Hi ​@terrys16344968 

     

    Sorry to hear you're running into this issue. A few things I'd like to request so we can investigate further:

    1. What operating system are you using, and which version of Lightroom/Lightroom Classic is installed?
    2. What happens when you force quit Lightroom Classic using Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS)? Does Lightroom Classic shut down successfully?
    3. If Lightroom Classic closes successfully, can you try launching Lightroom Classic again? If it opens, please create a new catalog and confirm whether the application itself is working correctly.
    4. How did you determine that the file/catalog is corrupted?
    5. Could you share screenshots or a small recording of the errors or behavior you're seeing on your screen?
    6. Where is the catalog/file stored (local drive, external drive, network location, or cloud storage)?
    7. You can also simply try resetting preferences for Lightroom Classic. Try the manual method after creating a backup and let us know how it goes. 

    Once we have this information, we'll be able to assist you further.

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    Thanks, Srishti Bali | Community & Engagement Strategist, Digital Imaging | Adobe
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