Folder missing from Lightroom and external hard drive.

Report · Jun 22, 2023

LRcc 6 2 2 v12

Mac Mini Monteray

A folder of images has disappeared from both Lightroom cc and my external
hard drive which is where I store all my images. The folder in question was there and had been been
worked on and then suddenly it didn't exist. No warnings about deleting anything in LR.
It is very much there in LR backups and fortunately I back up all RAW files to a separate HD as I import them.
I also have another back up drive for weekly backups of everything plus a drive for Time Machine.
Even though I could reimport the files it is worrying that this could happen and I have absolutely no idea why.
The only unusual thing is that I used the image external hard drive with LR and a tether for a studio shoot.
Nothing notable there. Backtracking with computer issues is rather like trying to remember what you had for dinner two weeks ago. When did I last see this folder, when did I last access it, was there a system upgrade etc.?
I would be very interested to hear if anyone else has had a similar problem lately.

Report · Jun 23, 2023

Does the folder and files still exist on your hard drive? If yes, then it's just a case of LrC losing track of it and its contents. This can happen when the user accidently drags a folder from one location to another. In which case, you can use the Folders 'filter' (see attached screesnhot) to check whether it's still in the catalog somewhere.

Report · Jun 23, 2023

Thanks for your reply.

No. completely disappeared from the Hard Drive which is what really has me
bothered.
I had RAW Backups and other backups to I could put it all back together but
spent a couple of hours
looking for the files and then re importing them etc.

It is quite possibly a slip up on my part but I have been using this
combination of LR CC and an external drive for years and have never lost a
folder from the hard drive before.

Report · Jun 23, 2023

Not sure what you mean by

LRcc 6 2 2 v12

You don't say if you are using Lightroom CLASSIC — are you?

Folders disappearing by itself (or because LrC did it by itself) should not happen. LrC or your operating system deletes folders unless you specifically ask for it to happen. Folders disappearing is almost never reported, and so when it does happen, my first thought is user error. As you indicate, its hard to recall what actually was done, and it could have been done entirely by accident and so you'd never know you did it anyway.

Report · Jun 23, 2023

Thanks for your reply.
Yes I am using LR classic.
I have never had this happen before. I tend to agree it is probably user
error
but I can't begin to imagine how. A single file I can understand but
deleting
an entire folder a bit of a worry. I would prefer it to be my error than
something really odd happening with LR or the drive.