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jureu51242455
jureu51242455
Participant
October 31, 2018
Question

Lightroom Library sync with newly formatted External Hard Drive

  • October 31, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 255 views

Hi All

So I have a pretty complicated question. I get my external hard drive from rapier as I accidentally format the whole hard drive. They restore all my files 250.000 RAW images/pictures but the names of this files have been changed in a different name as I have before. So the link between Lightroom library and file structure is totaly broken. I can rearrange files structure will take some time but I willing to do it what I'm afraid that I need to change the name of every file to the same name as i have before so the link with Lightroom library will work again.

My first question is someone, has this kind of problem and what he did to get back everything in place?

Second questions I'm thinking as well to export Lightroom library (preview files or just empty files with names if possible?) and after if there is any program out there to find similar RAW files (the look of the image I mean) and then merge them together in the same name as Lightroom export preview will give you.. That's how I think I can restore my file structure as it was before in Lightroom.

If the questions are not clear please I can explain further on, but I really need help on this!

Thank you,


Jure

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

Just Shoot Me
Just Shoot Me
Legend
October 31, 2018

If I read your original post correctly you somehow formatted your external drive that held "ALL" of the images that had been imported into LR.

You then Sent that drive to a Data Recovery company to see if they could recover your image files. They send it back with what "LOOKS" like all, or some/most, of the image files.

Have you tried to open any of them with some other piece of software to see if those files actually contain all the data? It has been my experience, through reading other posts and the like, that even though these data recovery places seem to get some of the data back most of the time the files aren't totally complete. Which mean for image files means they are corrupted and can't be displayed properly.

As for Relinking them to the original file data stored in the LR database file, the catalog file, I'm not sure what method is best or even they even can be.

jureu51242455
jureu51242455Author
Participant
November 1, 2018

Hi Just Shoot Me

Yes, you read correctly only thing is that I still didn't get from Data Recovery my hard drive. They send me just update with screenshots how the recovering is going on.  I still didn't open any of those files. Thank god I have one more disk saved back home from the year 2016 and down...

Yes usually from some SD cards when I was recovering files on my own with Smart Data recovery app or similar they war corrupted especially RAW format with 50mpix size. But this company is taking now more than 2 weeks to recover everything, I'm hoping for the best if I'm honest, let's see.

Johan

Yea will wait hopefully if this will be the case I can strip of the camera name and relink back with original name, that will be awesome. Yes this JPEG is probably my exports I assume.

Guys thanks for the feedback will update you when I get back my hard drive!

Regards,

Jure

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 31, 2018

You can't export just preview files if the images are missing. You will get an error message that the original could not be found.

Can you give an example of how the rescued files are named and how the corresponding file in Lightroom was named?

-- Johan W. Elzenga
jureu51242455
jureu51242455Author
Participant
October 31, 2018

Hi Johan

They still didn't rescue but they send me a few screenshots of how it looks like

This is rescue files

and this is how I have before

Folder structure (second picture) I all ready export from Lightroom Library and yes I get an error message that the original could not be found but I get at least folder structure so I can sort back rescue pictures. Questions are how then I can change the files name of each image so I can link back.

And thanks mate for quick respond!

Regards,

Jure

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 31, 2018

You should wait till you have the images back and then compare them. These screenshots say very little, because different folders have been selected in both screenshots. It looks like maybe the rescued picture has a file name that is the same as the original file name, but the camera name added to it. That is something that can easily be stripped again by some renaming utility. It also looks like they have rescued the embedded jpeg previews separately, which you could simply ignore.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
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