(macOS) LightroomC doesn't read photos from external drive (which I have been using for years)

Question

I have a Western Digital My passport for Mac that I use as mass storage for most of my Lightroom catalog. When I want to edit photos I simply plug in this external drive and get to work. Today it has stopped functioning. 
 
The contents of all the folders is unavailable, as if I moved the location of the files, but I haven't!
I cannot import anything from this drive as Lightroom is telling me there are no pictures on this drive even though I have YEARS worth of photos on this drive. 
 
Please help, I'm at the end of my rope here and I just want to fix this.
 
P.S clicking the conversation type deletes everything you just wrote and I just nearly died from frustration I had to retype everything. Oh my god please.
 
{Thread title updated by moderator}

Sameer K · Answer

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. We're sorry for the trouble with Lightroom. I'd love to help you figure this out.

Could you please share the version of Lightroom Classic & the macOS you are working on?

Please try this step on the external drive.

Search for Disk Utility from Finder's spotlight search or magnifying glass.
Run 'First Aid' diagnostic on the external drive. Check this to learn more: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210898
Restart the computer

If this does not help, please check this thread and ensure Lightroom Classic is added under Full Disk Access & Accessibility in the macOS preferences: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/quick-tips-how-to-give-full-disk-access-to-lightroom-classic-on-macos/td-p/12913413

Let us know how it goes.
Thanks!
Sameer K

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