Catalog corrupt after disk crash

Report · Jul 23, 2023

Hi,

I am running Lightroom Classic on a Mac OS X. Some days ago I had a problem with the disk that was hosting the catalog and the most recent photographs. The disk crashed while lightroom was running.

I used a tool to recover the content and succesfully got back all the files. While the photographs (all the original raw files) were succeesfully recovered the catalog appears to be in a corrupt state. The files are present and when I try to open the catalog in the application the message states that it must be repaired. The process completes without any problem, but I cannot see any of the folders that contained the photographs.

If I add manuallly the photograph folders, Lightroom treats them as new imported folders. This way I am loosing all the modifications that were contained in the catalogue.

The catalog contains all the files (more than 19Gb) but it seems that it has forgoten everything. Is there any way of recovering the work done?

Thanks

[moved from bugs to discussions according to community rules - Mod.]

Report · Jul 23, 2023

Maybe it's best to restore the latest backup.

Do you see any folder at all? Do you see any information in the catalog?

Important, as you already figured yourself: Do NOT re-import.

--- Got your issue resolved? Please label the response as 'Correct Answer' to help your fellow community members find a solution to similar problems. ---

Report · Jul 23, 2023

Hi,

Thanks for your answer.

In the latest backup I do not have the recent work (yes, I know...).

In the recovered catalog I can see all the files (previews, lrdata, CURRENT, MANIFEST...) but something seems to be wrong with all of it. Recovering process gives no error, but it seems unable to recover the data. I see some references to collections I created, so I would say that the info is there. Main problem looks like it is not capable of seeing the folders that contained the photographs.

Other times I had problems, when recovering data, the catalog would ask for the actual location of a folder it can not locate. But this time it is not searching for it.

Report · Jul 23, 2023

Main problem looks like it is not capable of seeing the folders that contained the photographs.

What does this mean? Show us a screen capture. Use the "Insert Photos" icon; do NOT attach files.

Report · Jul 23, 2023

This what I see when I open the restored catalog.

When the process endes, without any error I get the Folders section empty. I see Collections has some info from work I have done previous to the problems.

This is an example of what I am expecting, where folders from two different disks are available. If I import them, as said, the development I did to the photos is not available.