Edits no longer present even though photos are

[Mac25971067276g]

I have a catalog of several hundred photos I have been editing for the last three months. I thought I finished today, but when I scrolled back, an entire section was no longer edited, even though I know I edited them previously. The photos are still there but show no record of being edited. I went looking for backups and realized the catalog had not been backed up, even though it was set to back up once a week. I am using Lightroom Classic and updated today to v 14.5.1. I have no idea if the edits were there before I updated it or not. I would really appreciate any advice!

[JohanElzenga]

All I can think of is that somewhere in your timeline you opened an old catalog copy, which made you lose the edits of these photos. As catalog backups are set in the catalog settings, not in the general preferences, that could also explain why the regular catalog backups changed.

[Mac25971067276g]

Thank you for your response! I only have one copy of the catalog - is it possible for that to happen in that case? 

When I went to the catalog setting for backups (on this particular catalog, as well as the previous one I had worked on), both had back up weekly selected, yet had not ever backed up.

[JohanElzenga]

Thank you for your response! I only have one copy of the catalog - is it possible for that to happen in that case? 

By @Mac25971067276g

I don't see how that could happen in one single catalog.

When I went to the catalog setting for backups (on this particular catalog, as well as the previous one I had worked on), both had back up weekly selected, yet had not ever backed up.

This might indicate a problem with the general preferences. You could try if resetting them solves this issue.

[Mac25971067276g · Accepted solution]

Maybe I need a nap. I found them, and I should've been able to do so earlier - I searched two hardrives and my computer, but I think I only searched one drive on the computer and they were on the other. I so appreciate your time and help!!

[Mac25971067276g]

And thank you for the link about the general preferences. I will give that a try!

[dj_paige]

The History Panel shows no edits. The reason people often think LrC has lost their edits is either

1. You have (accidentally?) imported the photo twice, and one copy has no edits.
2. You have (accidentally?) imported the photo into two different catalogs, and the edits are in the other catalog (not the one you are looking at)

For problem 1, please do a search in LrC. Please follow all four of these steps in order, and report what you find.

1. Click on All Photographs (its on the left under Catalog)
2. Turn off all filters (Ctrl-L once or twice)
3. Expand All Stacks (Photo->Stacking->Expand All Stacks)
4. In the Filter Bar, search for a photo by File name

For problem 2, use your operating system's search feature to search all folders on all disks for your catalog files, which are files whose name ends in .LRCAT; open each one found until you find the one you want.

[Mac25971067276g]

Thank you for your response! I went through each one of these steps and could not find any other copies of the photos or of the catalog. I haven't opened many other catalogs the last three months, so it was not hard to check that.

[dj_paige]

I went through each one of these steps

Just to clarify ... you need to do all four steps the last of which is a search, not one of the steps and then search. Is that what you did?

Did you use your operating system's search feature to search for catalogs?

[Mac25971067276g]

Correct, I did all four steps and then searched using my computer's system for other catalogs.

[Mac25971067276g]

Never mind. I promise I did all the things and am not sure how I messed it up - I had even seen a similar post before I shared mine and went through the steps suggested on it as well. But you are correct, and I found them. I'm sorry, and I so appreciate your time and help!!

[Mac25971067276g]

I think when I searched my computer, I must have only searched one of the drives and they were on the other.