Image shows broken link, yet "Show in Finder" properly reveals it

[aafisher]

I have a few images from a photo shoot that have an exclamation point in the upper-right corner in Library view. When I mouse-over it, it says: Photo is missing. Synching Metadata with Lightroom. 

Although I cannot export it, If I right-click the photo and select "Show in Finder," a Finder window popus open with the correct RAW file selected. If I click the Lightroom Classic "!" icon on the image, I'm told that the file could not be used becuase the originial file could not be found, and I'm asked if I want to locate it. If I locate the file, I'm told that it's already in the catalog, so it can't be used.

First of all, how could LRC be able to find the file correctly yet tell me that it can't be found?

Second, if I search my catalog, there's only the single copy with the link error.

I should mention that I renamed the photos in this catalog via LRC's Library > Rename Photos command. Is it possible that the file is still somehow located in the library database under the original name? Also, all the files with errors are rated at 4 stars. 

I tried the folder synchronize command, but that didn't do anything.

I did a test where I duplicated one of the "missing" raw files, then I imported it, then I copied all the adjustments and keywords to it from the missing one. This works, but it is a long workaround, especially since there are dozens of these problem files in this shoot, and I would probably have to do them one-by-one. I cannot save metadata to the "missing" files before I do this. Also, I don't know of any way to filter for only the missing files. The whole shoot has 1400 files in it total.

[GoldingD]

See: https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

I suspect that in the Folders Panel, you will see some ? marks, indicating an issue with the folder, try fixing that first if it is occurring.

[aafisher]

No ?-marks or !-points in the folders panel

[dj_paige]

Please check the name of the file name to see if it has extra periods or special characters in the file name. There should be only 1 period in the file name, such as something.JPG or something.NEF

[aafisher]

Only a single period in the filenames. The names are in the exact same format as the other 1300+ working files in the folder. I've used the same standard naming convention that I've been using for more than a decade. I cannot discern an visual difference between the files that work and the ones that are "broken."

[dj_paige]

What about special characters in the file name, are there any?

 I cannot discern an visual difference between the files that work and the ones that are "broken."

Sometimes a different set of eyes finds things that you missed. Please show us screen captures of the problem in LrC, and other screen captures of the same images in your operating system. Please use the "Insert Photos" icon to include your scree captures in your reply. Do NOT attach files.

[GoldingD]

Please post a screen capture of your folders panel, with as much as possible, visible (i.e. minimize other panels, expand folders panel) Perhaps with a grid view visible.

Looking to see indicators of issues, ? marks, ! marks.

Also looking for any oddities such as duplicate patent folders.

[Conrad_C]

I should mention that I renamed the photos in this catalog via LRC's Library > Rename Photos command. Is it possible that the file is still somehow located in the library database under the original name?

By @aafisher

Yes, it’s possible that renaming is related to the problem. I’ve occasionally (not regularly) seen similar errors after renaming a file. It seems possible for the Lightroom Classic database to become confused about whether an image is using its current filename or its previous filename, especially when another file immediately takes the first file’s previous name. For example, if I originally had Image00 and Image01, and I realize they should have been numbered Image01 and Image02 and renumber them. Lightroom may become confused about whether the Image01 entry in its database is still associated with the file that used to be Image01 but is now Image00. I have also sometimes seen it related to files I thought I deleted, like if I scan an image to a certain filename, decide to re-do the scan with different settings but to the same filename, but after I delete the old file within Lightroom Classic (which moves it to the Trash) and then scan the new one to the same filename and folder, somehow they get confused in the database.

Another time it might happen is when two files (different files, or a file and a duplicate of it), are cataloged using the same filename but under different folder locations. I usually don’t see this one because I have Don’t Import Suspected Duplicates enabled.

I don’t have an exact solution, but some things to try, in increasing degrees of desparation, are:

• Exit Lightroom Classic and restart it (you probably already tried this). 
• Empty the Mac Trash (or Windows Recycle Bin) to make sure any intentionally deleted files can no longer be referred to. 
• Run File > Optimize Catalog to see if this clears up any related database inconsistencies. 
• Delete the affected files (from the catalog, not the computer), exit Lightroom Classic, empty the Trash/Recycle Bin, start Lightroom Classic and re-import the files. 

Hopefully, after doing those things, the next time Lightroom Classic is directed to the correct image, it will accept it and use it. But there is no guarantee they will resolve it.

[aafisher · Accepted solution]

I renamed the folder from within LRC, and now everything seems to work correctly.

This cannot be easily confirmed because there's no way to sort or filter for files with an error, and there are 1400 files in this folder. This is also odd because if something were wrong with the folder name, I would expect all files to have an error, not just a few percent. Also, this still doesn't explain why "Show in Finder" was able to find each "missing" file I tried.

Thanks for directing me to the folder names for potential culprits. (Note that there was no visible error there, however.)

I'll monitor the problem and report back if it starts malfunctioning again.