Problem with Supposedly-Missing Images

Question

I've imported some images from my camera's SD card into the Lightroom catelog in the past, and I know that the process was successful in that I was able to export a few of those images. Now, though, when I go back to them, I inexplicably get a "the file could not be a found" message (despite the fact that I'm literally looking at the file). I don't understand why this happened because, again, it's not like the import process originally failed, and it's not like I did anything to them which should, at least one some level, have deleted them. I completely left them alone.

But it gets even worse! Since fortunately they're still on my card, I thought I would just re-import them. But when I try to do so, this time I get this message: "this appears to be a duplicate of another photo in the catelog." Which is a total contradiction in that, again, it just said that it could not be found. It's like it's both there and not there! It sure seems to me like some kind of bug. Any clarification (in terms of how this happened but especially how to resolve it) would obviously be appreciated. Thank you.

Jordan26437343lemp · Accepted Answer

Yes, there is, in fact, a llittle ! at the top-right of the images.

Honestly, there is no way I'm going to be follow along with what's written on that page. I've asked this before but I'll try again. Rather than just trying to recover the missing images, as I still have access to them on my SD card, si there ANY to just start over again? That is, import them off the card again? It just seems like that shouldn't be that hard. But, again, I've tried this, and so far I just get the "this appears to be a duplicate of another photo in the catelog" message, which I find weird because, again, it's like it's recognizes it's there but then also says it's missing. Is there any way around this? Maybe that's the specific question I should be asking here. Thanks.

Actually, I'll just answer my own question here. Yes, there IS a way around it. After right-clicking on one of the missing images again, I noticed the "Remove Photo" option. For that one sample image, I selected it and it, of course, removed it from Lightroom. Then, when I connected the SD card again, located it on the card and clicked in Import, voila, it showed up in the Catelog again and is this time fully recognized.

So, that's the solution -- selecting Remove Photo for the missing images, finding them again on the SD card, and then re-importing them. I have to be careful here, as I truly am grateful for the responses, but part of me also kind of wonders why no one just suggested this. I mean, I'm almost certainly the least experienced person here and I'm the only one who came up with a solution. At any rate, I guess this can be marked as "resolved" now -- I hope at some point it helps someone else.

GoldingD · Answer

In the Library module, up in the All Photographs. Select one of the missing images, right click on the preview, select the option to view the image in Explorer or Finder. Point being to determine where LrC thinks the image should be. Then fix that.

Oh, and see:

https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

and

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/photos.html

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