Keywords not visible in Keyword box & all external editors greyed out (edit-in)

[Tinger17]

I'm running LRC 14.1.1 on a Macbook Pro M1 Max / OS Sequoia 15.3. Three issues are recurring, all tied to Helper.lrdata file.

1) Keywords are still in the catalog (I can search on them), but they don't show in the Keywording box when selecting an image.

2) I am unable to do ANY Edit-in from Library, even tho the images are on the internal SSD where they've been fine to edit in PS / Topaz, etc. by invoking the Edit-in command. The files are NOT missing, and are NOT Smart anythings. They're just RAW files.

3) assigning a color green to an image previously assigned a color doesn't change the color of the frame around the image. Instead of green or red, etc.  it remains blue.

4) Auto-tone in Quck Develop / library module doesn't work. But DOES in Develop module

I deleted the Helper.lrdata file as recommended, and the keywords and external editing options came back but then disappeared again after some time, but not sure what triggers this, but it can happen within an editing session.

Anyone else seeing this issue?

[JohanElzenga]

That sounds like catalog corruption. Do you have a catalog backup from before this started to happen?

[Tinger17]

I do, but have done a bunch of work since that I need to be able to access? I don't use .XMP's.... But I'm not sure when this started exactly, but I think after the last LRC update, which would have been when it was released.

Every time I delete the Helper.lrdata file, things are fine. Until they're not....

I will try saving the catalog first thing after deleting that file again. 

[JohanElzenga]

First try if that backup catalog doesn't have the same problem. If it doesn't, then you could use this catalog and add the extra work to it by exporting that as a (temporary) catalog from the original catalog, and importing it into the backup catalog. Another way of doing it is saving the metadata of the new images in the original catalog to XMP, and then importing these images into the backup catalog. The fact that you do not use XMP right now, doesn't mean you can't write the metadata to XMP manually via the metadata menu.

[Tinger17]

This appeared to fix the problem, BUT ONLY TEMPORARILY. It still is a problem, same as before.

- close LR Classic

- deleting the Helper.lrdata file

- Re-open LR Classic

- close and back up the catalog

- Re-open LR Classic with that backup catalog

It took 2 days for this to recur, having opened/closed LR a couple of times.

[JohanElzenga]

Is your catalog synced with the cloud in any way, for example because it is in a folder that is synced with iCloud, or Dropbox or any other cloud service?

[Tinger17]

No. It's local. Cloud backup, but not via Adobe.

[JohanElzenga]

Of course it's local, but local files can be synced with a cloud server. That is what iCloud and Dropbox do. What kind of cloud backup?

[Tinger17]

I run Backblaze for the data files, and Time Machine periodically for the entire machine. The catalog is on the macbook's SSD, single partition.

Just noticed something. The last saved date of the Helper.lrdata file is 2/9. The problem showed up after that file was saved. With the new catalog, the re-created helper.lrdata file no longer restores the missing information to be viewable.

[JohanElzenga]

Blackblaze shouldn't be a problem, although I should remove the helper file from its backup if I were you. Double check that the catalog is not in a folder that is synced with iCloud, because that could be a problem:

[Tinger17]

Icloud drive is on, but LR is not one of the apps. There's a tiny amount of data being sent from this computer. Apps "on" for icloud are Automator, Control Center, Photos , Spotlight, weather. 

[JohanElzenga]

I'm out of ideas. Like I said, I would exclude the Helper file from the Blackblaze backups, and probably also from the Time Machine backup, just to make sure that the backup software does not interfere with it when Lightroom Classic tries to use it. Lightroom Classic can rebuild this file, so there is no need to back it up.

[Tinger17]

I really appreciate your assistance, Johan. Not sure what to try next. I'm very reluctant to go back in time to a prior catalog, but will do so once I get a couple of active projects out of the way.

[Tinger17]

So... I created a new catalog and imported my informaiton from the problem catalog. It all seemed fine for a couple of hours, and then the same thing happened with the new catalog. I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. LR has now become usable for about 10 minutes at a time, then I have to quite, delete the Helper.lrdata file and reopen again. I have no idea what has happened, or what to try next. Is anyone from Adobe monitoring this forum? 150K image catalog in danger.

[Tinger17]

How do I get actual support with this issue? Is there a support phone line? I have tried a bunch of different things, and there's something in this set of images that hoses the helper.lrdata file after just minutes using the catalog.... Quit, delete that file, restart. Repeat every 6 minutes or so... Not a great situation. Thank you!

[pcallan01 · Accepted solution]

I have same issue for a couple of months now. On one computer only. Done everything. Helpline with Adobe for hours. Seems unfixable

[Tinger17]

ARGH, this platform.... I wrote out a long reply with the solution and apparently clicked on something that made it vanish. SO here it is again:

Tech support tried several things, but all failed. They indicated it MIGHT be a corrupted file of some sort.

Conceptually, here's what you need to do: find that file and isolate it from your catalog(s). To do that, you're going to start with a good, working backup of your current catalog  that doesn't have the issue, and progressively add folders from the corrupted catalog until you find the issue. You will document each step, and back up the new catalog you're building from that backup after each step that doesn't introduce the problem. Take notes and be sure to wait long enough after each new batch is added to the catalog you're rebuilding. 

Diagram below shows the logic, assuming you have a working backup. if you don't have that, you'll have to remove stuff and work backwards. But backup, go slow, and keep good notes.  GOOD LUCK. 

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