Hundreds of images wiped off the catalog without warning.

[aude.au]

Steps: I had a folder named "Projects" in the Folders' panel of Lightroom. After exporting a few new images in to this Projects' folder; Lightroom has created a duplicate path to the Projects' folder (meaning, now the Projects' folder appears twice in the Folders' panel) & has wiped off hundreds of images that was already in that folder, from the catalog.

I've lost months of work I've put-in editing those images.

Does anyone know how this could have accrued, particularly without warnings???

An adobe support representative remotely access my computer & atempted to trouble-shoot, he said he needed to check more resources from his side & would call me back in 2 hours, but never heard from him again.

[dj_paige]

First, you want to search the whole catalog, not just the folder, for those images. Please perform all four (not one or two of them, but ALL 4) of these steps in order:

1.   In the Lightroom Library Module, on the left, under Catalog, click on All Photographs

2.   Turn off all filters (Ctrl-L once or twice)

3.   Turn off all stacking (Photo->Stacking->Expand All Stacks)

4.   Search for at least one of these photos by file name using the Lightroom Filter Bar

[aude.au]

Thanks very much for the reply. Please see attached screenshots. I've performed the requested search/steps, the images appear blank.

I back-up the Catalog regularly, therefore I'm thinking I may be able go back in time & recover the images.  Will contact Adobe again on Monday.

It will be helpful to know how the folder duplicates (please see attached screenshot) might have occurred & in the processed wiping off close to 1000 images from the catalogue.

A big headache & hours an hours of time wasted trying to resolve this, that shouldn't have happened to being with.

Potentially a defect?

Lightroom Classic CC has not been very stable on Mac computers.

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

These files are missing, as Lightroom cannot find the original photos. This is indicated by the exclamation point icon on the photos. This happens because the photos (or folders that contain them) have been moved, renamed or deleted outside of Lightroom.

You need to now search for one or more of these photos using your operating system's search feature.

Once you find them in your operating system, you can reconnect them in Lightroom by following these instructions: Adobe Lightroom - Find moved or missing files and folders

[aude.au]

Hi Dj, I photograph professionally, & I carefully date my folders & files, therefore I know where exactly they are in the operating system, have been doing this over 10 years. This time the issue was that, they were erased from the Catalog, I can easily "Find the missing folders" or "synchronise the folders", but what I've lost is the moths worth of edits that I've made to the images.

An Adobe staff member spent over an hour trying to work it out, & to bring them back, but he couldn't. I'll be speaking with them again today.

[dj_paige]

So you are not going to fix the exclamation point icons on your photos? I think that' a mistake.

[aude.au]

Ha Ha, thanks dj, I've done it. Once you find one image, is there a way to bring back the rest? should I synchronise' the folder or is there another way.

Because, we are taking about close to 1000 images in different folders. Therefore if I find one image in each folder/album, then can I synchronise the folder to bring back the rest of the images with the Lightroom edits I've done?

By the way, the conclusion by Adobe staff today was that the Catalog is corrupted & to create a new catalogue & that they cannot help any further.

[aude.au]

Because the situation right now is: once I locate one image, Lightroom displays that folder in the Folders' panel, but with only 5 or 6 images, then when I right click the same folder and select "Synchronise Folder" the rest of the 200+ images load-up, but not with the edits/adjustments I've made, just the raw files.

[bob frost]

If you had selected in Prefs to copy out your edits to xmp sidecar files, your edits would be there alongside your original files. Of if you had backed up your catalog weekly, you wouldn't have lost a months work.

I know it is easy to be wise after the event, but if you haven't been doing either of these backups, you should start now!

Bob frost

[dj_paige]

When you locate one image, there is a check box at the bottom of the dialog box to select the image that says something like "Find Nearby Photos", which allows you to reconnect all of the photos in that folder.

Synchronizing folders is not the solution.

[aude.au]

Thanks Bob & Dj,

1. Yes I backup after every photoshoot/edit. The issue was that I had done other edits in between the time I released some images/folders were missing. Unless if you can go back & forth between backups, to recover the missing edits?

The "Automatically write changes into XMP" is such an important feature that I've tuned on now, thanks!

Dj, I couldn't find the "Find Nearby Photos" option?

2. After deleting the duplicate folder that was causing the issue, everything else appears to be ok. I'm not sure if to create a new catalogue or not, because If I create a new catalog & move all photos/data in to it, then that will make no difference to the health of it, isn't it?

3.The current size of Catalog is 1.54 GB, Is there a recommended maximum size?

Thanks!

[dj_paige]

When you are selecting the file to reconnect, it is at the bottom of that dialog box, I'm not sure of the exact wording.

If things are working properly, creating a new catalog will not make any difference.

The size of your Catalog file is fine. There is no known maximum, other than limits which may be imposed by your operating system (again, I don't think this is an issue) or if you run out of space on the disk.

[aude.au]

Ok, thanks very much!