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michellee61462637
michellee61462637
Participant
July 9, 2019
Question

New Laptop - Tech has lost all catalogues

  • July 9, 2019
  • 1 reply
  • 193 views

Hello! Just a last desperate attempt - I recently got a new laptop, with instructions that the old one be returned in its original condition.

However, my computer technician has merged folders and made a bit of a mess, and somehow all of my Lightroom catalogues - and backups - have completely vanished off both computers. Everything else is intact (albeit in in new folders so I have to refind photos).

He is assuring me he hasn't deleted anything but obviously has unknowingly, and won't tell me how he deleted it.

I have run full deep scans of my first computer and found 'unrecoverable' catalogue backups in the recycle bin...

I have searched every part of the computer for *.lrcat and Lightroom files. The folders above and below are where they should be, but no Lightroom.

I do have a backup from March that I had saved onto an external drive but have taken over 3000 photos since then so would rather not redo all of that work.

If anybody has any other ideas on where to search to try and find them please share these! Thank you in advance.

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    1 reply

    dj_paige
    dj_paige
    Legend
    July 9, 2019

    Use your operating system's search feature to search all hard disks for files whose name ends with .LRCAT.

    If any of these are found, then double-click on each one to open it in Lightroom to see if it is the catalog you want.

    Making regular and automated backups of your catalog file and photos, to a different disk than the originals is mandatory. Making backups whenever you feel like it is never a good strategy.

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