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Jsalter
Participant
April 28, 2026
Question

Updated Lightroom Classic and lost my catalog

  • April 28, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 53 views

I just updated my lightroom classic app and lost all of my photos that I have uploaded. Not all of them were saved to my hard drive. I am incredibly upset and have no clue what to do. I was paid for this photoshoot.

    2 replies

    dj_paige
    Legend
    April 28, 2026

    Use your operating system’s search feature to find all files in all folders on all disk(s) whose name ends with .LRCAT 

     

    One of those .LRCAT files found (probably the largest one) is the catalog you want, double-click on it to open it in LrC (and LrC will probably want to upgrade the catalog, which you should agree to).

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    April 28, 2026

    When you update Lightroom Classic, it sometimes loses track of its catalog. If that happens, it will create a new empty catalog. That is why you think you lost all your photos, but they will still be where they were. Look in your Pictures folder for catalog files (extension .lrcat). If you think you found the correct file, then double click on it. Lightroom Classic will launch, open the catalog and from now on it knows again where that catalog is.

    -- Johan W. Elzenga