Folder structure does not show in Folder panel

[KenB57]

After using Lightroom classic without significant problems for 15-20 years,today when I started the app, the Folder panel was empty. I am currently on a photography subscription and always keep my apps up to date. Apps are running on Mac mini M4 MacOS 15 Sequoia. LRC version 14.5.1. My pictures and catalog files are stored on an external ssd. All of the files and folders are findable using Mac Finder, and when I am in the Catalog panel, viewing All photographs, I can select any photograph and right-click and choose Show in Finder and there is no problem, the photos are present and in the correct folders and subfolders.
However, if I right click on a photo and choose Go to Photo in Library, I get a message "No Photos in selected Folder".

I also attempted to import some recent photos from my camera and got an error message:
"An Internal error has occured.
AgPathUtils.getStandardFilePath: can't create directory at: /Users/kenberean/Pictures. Error message = %@"

Clearly, these two problems are related. I have attempted the following:
1. Restart Lightroom with a backup catalog from a few days ago.
2. Restart with a backup from a few months ago.
3. Restart Mac.
4. Uninstall Lightroom and re-install.
5. Delete some other files from the ssd (1 tb) - I have received a couple of messages recently that it was getting full (from Clean My Mac app), but still had 80 gb free so I didn't think it was too important. Deleted about 100 gb of files (unrelated to Lightroom) and now there is close to 200 GB free. 

6. Reset preferences in LR.

7. Took the external ssd with LR catalog and photos, plugged into MacBook Air running same OS and same LRC version - catalog opened fine, folder structure intact and visible, able to import photos, all working normally.
8. Gave LRC and Creative Cloud full disc access on the Mac mini.

None of these manouvers was successful I'm not sure what to do now. Any thoughts?

[Aleke · Accepted solution]

Hi @KenB57, thanks for reaching out and for the clear explanation of what’s going on.

Could you check if the folder at /Users/kenberean/Pictures exists on your machine? Also, make sure it’s an actual folder and not a shortcut or alias. If it’s missing, you can go ahead and create it manually.

Let me know how it goes!

Alek

[KenB57]

Hi @Aleke, thank you so much for this idea. I guess it was right there in the error message, but I didn't understand the significance. There was an alias named Pictures at that location, so I created a folder as you said. Problem solved. Amazing. I spent the past day and a half on the problem and fixed it in 2 minutes.

Thank you again. 

[Ian Lyons]

@KenB57 

I've marked answer provided by @Aleke as 'Correct'. Marking answers as correct can be helpful to other customers who may experience a similar issue in the future.

[dj_paige]

Please show us a screen capture (of the relevant parts) of your folder structure in MAC Finder. Please show us another screen capture of the entire Library Module in Grid mode, with the Metadata Panel (with the dropdown set at default) showing on the right, for one of these photos that should appear in LrC but doesn't.

Please use the Insert Photos icon to include your screen captures in your reply. Please DO NOT attach files.

[KenB57]

Hi @dj_paige , Thanks for responding but the problem was solved as you can see in the other reply from Aleke and response.

Ken