Skip to main content
G
gmroczek
Participant
November 8, 2016
Question

lost catalog

  • November 8, 2016
  • 1 reply
  • 702 views

I upgraded from LR3 to LR5 in August of 2015.

I subscribed to the creative cloud photography plan in April of 2016.

I store my photos on an external drive.

I was using a separate external hard drive to do time machine backups -- a drive that seems to have failed.

I am not sure where I kept my catalog -- I know, I know...this is boneheaded that I don't know. I don't see it on the external drive that my photos are on. I can't find it on my internal hard drive.

I upgraded my home computer from a 2007 iMac to a MacBook Pro about a month ago.

I had the Apple store do a data transfer from my old iMac to the macBook pro.

I can't find the catalog for LR CC. This is a big problem right now.

Phone support has not helped solve the problem.

Can anyone help me find my catalog?

If not, what do I do now? How do I create a new catalog?

Greg Mroczek

groman1951@gmail.com

    This topic has been closed for replies.

    1 reply

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 8, 2016

    The obvious first question- You have searched all drives (internal & external) for any catalog files that have the suffix  { *.LRCAT }

    and you don't have Time Machine backups?

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
    G
    gmroczekAuthor
    Participant
    November 8, 2016

    The obvious first question- You have searched all drives (internal & external) for any catalog files that have the suffix  { *.LRCAT } -- yes

    and you don't have Time Machine backups? -- I have a wonky LaCie drive with TM backups that sends an error message when I plug it into my MacBook. But even so, if my catalog was on my internal drive and I did a data transfer from my old iMac to my new MacBook, why would I need to refer to a TM backup? Why wouldn't the catalog have moved over with all the other data?

    Rob_Cullen
    Community Expert
    Rob_CullenCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    November 8, 2016

    If you have searched all drives and not found any  xxx.LRCAT  files.  You do not have a Catalog!

    Have you searched for  xxx.LRCAT.ZIP   files on all drives?  Lr6 versions create backup catalogs in ZIP format.

    Have you been making regular catalog backups since April 2016 ?

    Why wouldn't the catalog have moved over with all the other data?

    I do not have an answer for that. It is not a Lightroom problem. Maybe the Apple Store can give an answer. The Apple Store data transfer may not have been 'complete'.

    How do I create a new catalog?

    Lightroom may automatically ask you to start a new catalog when you run Lr.

    Or- on the Lr Menu>File>New Catalog...

    Or- hold down the [Alt] key when you start Lr and a dialog opens showing all existing catalogs and an option to [Create a new catalog...]

    A new catalog will require you to import all your photos by using the "ADD" option in the import window, and choose the top-most folder of your images on the external drive. (or just choose the Drive as the 'source')

    "ADD" will leave all you photo files in their exact same location and folder structure.

    A new catalog will not show any edits you previously did to photos unless you exported some developed images. (or possibly saved .XMP sidecar files to your images.)

    Regards. My System: Windows-11, Lightroom-Classic 15.3, Photoshop 27.5, ACR 18.3, Lightroom 9.3, Lr-iOS 10.4.0, Bridge 16.0.3 .
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
    Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices