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Participating Frequently
December 22, 2024
Question

OS (C:) missing from Folders in Lightroom Classic 2024; only question marks appear

  • December 22, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 618 views

I just installed Lightroom Classic 2024 on a new Windows 11 laptop. My images are stored on an external drive and appear in LR, however, the OS (C:) folder and subfolders are greyed out; each displaying a question mark. So, for example, I can't access the subfolder Pictures to import images into my Catalog. Thanks for yout help.

This topic has been closed for replies.

2 replies

JohanElzenga
Community Expert
Community Expert
December 22, 2024

Your C: drive is not missing. It's there and it's green, indicating that it is working just fine. It's just the folders that are missing. Did you use a different username on the new computer? Your screenshot (I repost it here for the sake of @dj_paige , who uses some obscure browser that can't display attached images) shows these folders as 'missing', probably because their full path contains a different user name than the new computer uses). You can 'reconnect' these folders using this method: 

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-photos-missing-fix/ , but the images shown in these missing folders won't be on your new computer, unless you copied them to the exact same folders on the new computer.

-- Johan W. Elzenga
Participating Frequently
December 22, 2024

Thank you, Johan, for your help. I followed the instructions in the link that you provided, but I could not find any of the folders, other than Desktop and Pictures. I searched everwhere for the various photos, but could not find even one. I searched my external drive and my C: drive. All I can think of is that these had been deleted at some point in the past. Not moved, of course, as searching would have turned them up. There weren't that many images (considering that I have nearly 200,000 in LRC), so I just deleted the folders and will move on. I spent way too much time on this already. Let's call this matter "closed."

dj_paige
Legend
December 22, 2024

Really confused by this explanation.

 

You just installed LrC on a new laptop and then what did you do? Somehow you are now looking in a catalog, but you don't say what this catalog is or where it comes from. Please explain the steps.

 

The question marks can be fixed via these instructions. https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

Participating Frequently
December 22, 2024

What I did: 

 

I opened  Lightroom Classic.

My catalog was not there. There was a new, empty catalog that was located on my C: drive. 

I opened Windows Explorer and navigated to my catalog, which is stored on my external E: drive

I doubled clicked it and the catalog opened in Lightroom

I wanted to import a few Photos that I had previously stored in Pictures on the C: drive, however, as you can see in the snag that I included, that part of LRC is greyed out and there are question marks at each subfolder.

 

I don't think I did anything else, but who knows, involuntary/spastic actions can happen. 

 

Thanks for your time.

dj_paige
Legend
December 22, 2024

I wanted to import a few Photos that I had previously stored in Pictures on the C: drive, however, as you can see in the snag that I included, that part of LRC is greyed out and there are question marks at each subfolder.

 

Still confused. Why would you need to import? There is no need to import any photos here if they are already in the catalog. But importing never ever ever ever solves question marks on the folders. The solution to the question marks on folders is given in the link I provided.