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sandra 8
Known Participant
April 19, 2019
Question

Deleted images from Lightroom Classic not found in Recycle Bin

  • April 19, 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 3724 views

HI - I am using Lightroom Classic CC and suddenly when I delete my images they are not showing in the recycle bin.  What has happened and how do I put it right please?

Many thanks

      5 replies

      GoldingD
      GoldingD
      Legend
      May 10, 2025

      What Operating System? I suspect MACOS.

      M
      monique_1898
      Participant
      May 10, 2025

      No I use Windows.  Thanks for replying.

      M
      monique_1898
      Participant
      May 10, 2025

      Hello  All and thanks in advance for the help   🙂  I delete files in Lightroom Classic (using "remove from Lightroom" not the "delete from disc" option) Then I find the following in OneDrive Recycle bin.  Are they OK to delete permanently to reduce the size of my OneDrive Recyle Bin please?  TIA!

       

      Rikk Flohr_Photography
      Community Manager
      Rikk Flohr_PhotographyCommunity Manager
      May 11, 2025

      You’ve posted to an ancient thread. It is highly unlikely that the issue described in this thread, though not impossible, is the same one you are currently experiencing. Rather than resurrect an old thread that is seemingly similar, you are better off posting to a new thread with fresh, complete information, including system information, a complete description of the problem, and step-by-step instructions for reproduction. 

       

      If the issue is the same, we will merge you back into the appropriate location. 

This thread will be locked. 

       

      Thank you!

       

      Rikk Flohr: Adobe Photography Org
      B
      brucel39102157
      Participant
      August 29, 2020

      I know some people are trying to help, but I am often surprised by the fact that someone answers a quesdtion that wasn't asked or they assume basic steps were not taken. I'm having the same issue that Sandra_b discusses here. For the last 2 1/2 years I've deleted from disc my lightroom files I do not wish to keep. They are always in the Recycle Bin to be restored if I want. Now, in Lightroom, when I delete from disc I get the same message I always do "Moving files to the recycle bin" but then nothing is in the recycle bin. This has never happened before and I haven't performed a reboot (not going to) but it's very odd when it happens all of a sudden (and no, the option on the recycle bin to immediately delete the files without placement in the recycle bin is not checked. The problem is not unique to Lightroom as I deleted files from elsewhere and they are not appearing in the Recycle bin either. Curious what the windows issue is. 

        JP Hess
        JP Hess
        Inspiring
        April 19, 2019

        Which option did you choose, removed from Lightroom or delete from disk?

        S
        sandra 8Author
        Known Participant
        April 19, 2019

        Hi

        Delete from disk as I normally would as I just dont need them. It was fine

        this morning and now I have now idea where they have gone

        Kind Regards

        Sandra

        JP Hess
        JP Hess
        Inspiring
        April 19, 2019

        Have you looked at the folder where they were to see if they are there just in case you inadvertently selected the other option?

        Akash Sharma
        Akash Sharma
        Legend
        April 19, 2019

        Hi Sandra208,

        When you delete them from the Lightroom, that removes them from the catalog, and that removes all the editing as well. It will be necessary for you to import the images again and edit them again. The same would have been true even if you had just removed them from Lightroom. Doing so removes the images from the catalog, and that removes all of the edit history for those images.

        If you have a backup catalog that you can restore that has those images in place. But then, any images that were added after that back up would not be included. And if you do have the backup catalog that you can restore, it would be well if you can restore the images to the same folder they were in before they were deleted.

        You may refer this similar discussion Recover deleted photos back to original lightroom catalog

        Thanks,

        Akash

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