P: AI Masks Require updating and/or disappear

[Shelemiah]

Hello,

I recently had a call with Adobe support with no luck. I have found some threads on this but nothing presents a solution and it seems hard to find what the actual issue is.

If I edit a client gallery and use any healing brush tool or AI masking tool, the mask or healing brush/generative AI will get a red dot underneath after going back to the start of the gallery, my AI edits are gone....

I also noticed this happens 100% of the time when I quite and reopen lightroom, I can fix the mask, update ai settings but it just resets each time I open lightroom.

We tested a new catalogue, we tested a bunch of things with no luck. 

We really need a fix on this Adobe it is killing workflow, not sure what broke this setting. I can't revert to an old version because I have lots of photos (I do 1 catalogue per year) and can't go back weeks of client work.

Also this catalogue was started at the begining of 2025 so there is no version 13 of this catalogue to revert to and test.

PLEASE HELP ADOBE!

[johnrellis]

1. Do the menu command Help > System Info and verify you are running LR 14.2 (the latest). If not, do Help > Updates to install 14.2. Bugs with updating AI settings were fixed in a previous version.

2. Do the LR menu command Help > System Info and copy/paste the entire contents here so we can see exactly which versions of hardware and software LR thinks you're running and important LR options that are set.

3. "I created a new catalogue yesterday and worked on one shoot date with no issues with the AI remove and through the problem was fixed.  However, when I started on a new shoot date today the issues returned - AI remove needing updating constantly."

This rules out any problems that might have been created during the upgrade process from 13 to 14, so no need to try rolling back to 13 and re-upgrading.

This also very likely rules out permissions issues and corruption of the .lrcat-data file.

[esther_louise_6936]

John, thank you so much for your reply.  I am running LrC 14.2 and here's the contents of system info:

Lightroom Classic version: 14.2 [ 202502071718-3869eef7 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-GB
Operating system: Mac OS 14
Version: 14.6.1 [23G93]
Application architecture: arm64
Logical processor count: 10
Processor speed: NA
SqLite Version: 3.36.0
Power Source: Plugged In, 97%, Charging
Built-in memory: 16,384.0 MB
Dedicated GPU memory used by Lightroom: 3,166.3MB / 10,922.6MB (28%)
Real memory available to Lightroom: 16,384.0 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 2,167.6 MB (13.2%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 411,387.9 MB
Memory cache size: 30.5MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 17.2 [ 2155 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 306MB / 8191MB (3%)
Camera Raw real memory: 563MB / 16384MB (3%)

Cache1:
Final1- RAM:295.0MB, VRAM:2,436.0MB, 2B3A1664.CR3
NT- RAM:295.0MB, VRAM:2,436.0MB, Combined:2,731.0MB

Cache2:
m:30.5MB, n:158.3MB

U-main: 93.0MB

Standard Preview Size: 3456 pixels
Displays: 1) 3456x2234

Graphics Processor Info:
Metal: Apple M1 Pro
Init State: GPU for Export supported by default
User Preference: Auto
Enable HDR in Library: OFF

Application folder: /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: /Users/estherlouisetriffitt/Desktop/Lightroom Catalog-v15.lrcat
Settings Folder: /Users/estherlouisetriffitt/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) AdobeStock
2) Aperture/iPhoto Importer Plug-in
3) Flickr
4) Pic-Time

Config.lua flags:

[johnrellis]

I don't see anything suspicious in the System Info, so I'm out of ideas. 

[simone.schiess]

I am having the exact same issue and am BAFFLED that no one has a fix/that Adobe hasn't fixed this issue. I hope someone comes in and saves us from this AI remove helllll! 

[esther_louise_6936]

Hey Simone, have you managed to find a work around for this yet?  I have created a couple of new cataloges since this started happening and my latest cataloge is now working fine (but when I revisit the old catalogs they're still having this issue)

[heidih86621288]

Have you found a fix for this yet? I'm getting so frustrated!!

[johnrellis]

@heidih86621288, these symptoms can occur when LR can't write the .lrcat-data file for some reason, either because LR has corrupted it or there is a permissions issue. LR stores computed masks in that file. Try these steps:

1. In LR, do Edit > Catalog Settings > General > Show. That will open Windows File Explorer on the current catalog folder.

2. Exit LR.

3. Move the file <catalog>.lrcat-data to the Desktop.

4. Start LR.

5. In Library Grid view (not Loupe view), select all photos and do Photo > Develop Settings > Update AI Settings. That will recompute all the AI masks, which could take a while. 

[esther_louise_6936]

Hey Heidi, I have created a couple of new cataloges since this started happening and my latest cataloge is now working fine (but when I revisit the old catalogs they're still having this issue).  I hope this might work for you too.

[Gabbie Rhea]

I am having the same issue. How do you create a new catalog? 

[Gabbie Rhea]

Did you ever figure this out? I am having this issue with a wedding I am editing. 

[johnrellis]

@Gabbie Rhea, see this previous reply:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/lightroom-classic-ai-remove-constantly-...

[johnrellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please merge with this similar thread:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/ai-masks-and-spot-removal-need-constant...

[Korbin28428483wl4i]

This issue just popped up to where I use a background mask and as soon as I leave the photo to edit the next photo in line, the AI background mask has to be updated. This makes it where I cannot batch edit or batch export since the mask is removed once I leave the photo so I have to export 1 by 1 to make sure that my mask stays. Is there a fix because there are not any updates available and it has greatly decreased my editing speed. I have never had this issue before and I use background masks on 99% of all my shoots. I am on the latest version of lightroom classic and using a M1 Max Mac Studio woth 64GB of RAM. 

[johnrellis]

These symptoms can occur when LR can't write the .lrcat-data file for some reason, either because LR has corrupted it or there is a permissions issue. LR stores computed masks in that file. Try these steps:

1. Do the menu command Help > System Info. If you're not on the latest version (currently 14.3.1), do Help > Updates.

2. In LR, do Edit > Catalog Settings > General > Show. That will open Windows File Explorer / Mac Finder on the current catalog folder.

3. Exit LR.

4. Move the file <catalog>.lrcat-data to the Desktop.

5. Start LR.

6. In Library Grid view (not Loupe view), select all photos and do Photo > Develop Settings > Update AI Settings. That will recompute all the AI masks, which could take a while.

[Korbin28428483wl4i]

Thank you! I will give this a try. I'm currently creating a new catalog to try too. 

[johnrellis]

Creating an entirely new catalog will also create a new .lrcat-data file. 

[Korbin28428483wl4i]

The new catalog seemed to have done the trick!

[johnrellis]

Moderators, @Rikk Flohr: Photography, please merge with this similar thread:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/ai-masks-and-spot-removal-need-constant...

[Yosomono]

This solution works for a while and then the problem is back again. This issue is really anoying. I am stuck with my work and cannot progress. I have tried a lot of things and that was just a wait of time. My only hope for now is waiting for a correction of this bug.

[johnrellis]

Please do the LR menu command Help > System Info and copy/paste the entire contents here so we can see exactly which versions of hardware and software LR thinks you're running and important LR options that are set. Maybe we'll start to see a pattern. So far, Adobe has not acknowledged this bug.

[alma_mogli]

Hallo Zusammen, 

ich habe seit etwa einer Woche das Problem, dass meine KI-Bearbeitungen plötzlich wieder zurückgesetzt sind. 
Seit es diesen "KI-Bearbeitungsstatus" gibt, habe ich Probleme. Außerdem werden die Bilder zum Teil ohne diese Bearbeitung exportiert. 
Kurze Zwischeninfos: 
- Lightroom Version 14.04
- Macbook 15 Pro (neu)
- ich bearbeite meine Bilder mit Imagen AI und diese werden dann nach Lightroom geladen (das gab sonst nie Probleme)

Hat jemand ein ähnliches Problem und kann mir bitte dabei helfen?

[johnrellis]

A fair number of people have reported this issue. These symptoms can occur when LR can't write the .lrcat-data file for some reason, either because LR has corrupted it or there is a permissions issue. LR stores computed AI settings in that file. Try these steps, which help many but not all:

1. Do the menu command Help > System Info. If you're not on the latest version (currently 14.3.1), do Help > Updates.

2. In LR, do Edit > Catalog Settings > General > Show. That will open Windows File Explorer / Mac Finder on the current catalog folder.

3. Exit LR.

4. Move the file <catalog>.lrcat-data to the Desktop.

5. Start LR.

6. In Library Grid view (not Loupe view), select all photos and do Photo > Develop Settings > Update AI Settings. That will recompute all the AI masks, which could take a while.

[alma_mogli]

Thank you very much for the quick response.
And afterwards? Does the catalog need to stay on the Desktop?

[johnrellis]

"Does the catalog need to stay on the Desktop?"

Note that you're moving just one file from the catalog folder to the Desktop, the file named <catalog>.lrcat-data.  If your catalog is named "My Pictures", you're moving the file "My Pictures.lrcat-data", not any other file in the catalog folder (and most importantly, not "My Pictures.lrcat").

You may find it easier to configure your File Explorer or Finder to show file extensions, so you can easily  distinguish the file <catalog>.lrcat from the file <catalog>.lrcat-data.

If this solves the problem, you can delete the file from the Desktop.

[Seelenblickfotografie]

Hey ich habe das Problem das mein Ki Entfernen Tool nicht richtig funktioniert. Ich wende es auf ein paar Bilder hintereinander an und was ich gemacht habe ist bei den ersten Fotos wieder weg. Auch dieses neue "Werkzeug" um Ki basiert Bearbeitungen zu aktualisieren funktionierte null.