Lightroom freezes when clicking to select folders in Navigator

[ChristosT99]

Dear all,

I have a problem that bugs me for a long time now.

Lightroom freezes when I control-click to select more than one folders in Navigator (Library view).

I need to do this, for example, when I finish importing photos and then want to have the grid showing photos from several folders. Most of the times Lightroom allows me to select up to two folders. As soon as I click to select a third one, the program becomes unresponsive (freezes) and I have to close it down --see picture.

To make things worse, if I try to open it again it reports that the catalog is in use and suggests that I make a copy. I am then obliged to restart the computer to unlock the catalog.

That's very frustrating.

I wonder if any of you has experienced this problem and knows how to prevent it.

Thanks a lot!

[GoldingD]

Lightroom freezes when I control-click to select more than one folders in Navigator (Library view).

Probably a error in wording, You do not select files or folders in the Navigator Panel. The Navigator Panel, just shows you the current area zoomed into, and allows you to zoom in.

Are you refering to the Folders Panel?

In LrC, in the Library Module, on the left side, are five panels:

• Navigator Panel
• Catalog Panel
• Files and Folders Panel
• Collections Panel
• Publish Service

[ChristosT99]

It's true, it was an error in wording. Truth is I am very confused as to how all these elements of the UI are called.

I am refering to the Folders Panel. You click on a folder and you see the photos in this folder (in my case the photos taken on a specific date). You control-click on another folder and you should see the photos of both folders. And then you control-click on a third folder and the program freezes.

[GoldingD]

Having never used that workflow, I just went to my Windows 10 workstation and tried it out, works like a charm.

LrC 10.4

Windows 10 v21H1 build 19043,  16 Gb

NVIDIA  GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, v471.11,  8Gb

[ChristosT99]

In my case it never fails to fail.

😕

I tried it again now, after having restarted.

Lightroom frozen again.

[ChristosT99]

And this is what I see when restarting Lightroom after the freeze.

Very frustrating...

[GoldingD]

Because you forced LrC to close and LrC did not delete the lock file.

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/kb/lightroom-error-catalog-cannot-be-opened-lrcat-lock.htm...

be very careful to not delete the catalog by mistake.

[ChristosT99]

Thanks, that was useful!

[GoldingD]

Please post your System Information as Lightroom Classic (LrC) reports it. In LrC click on Help, then System Info, then Copy. Paste that information into a reply. Please present all information from first line down to and including Plug-in Info. Info after Plug-in info can be cut as that is just so much dead space to us non-Techs.

[ChristosT99]

Thanks for the reply.

Here is the info as requested.

Lightroom Classic version: 10.4 [ 202108071231-af9219b9 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en
Operating system: Windows 10 - Business Edition
Version: 10.0.19043
Application architecture: x64
System architecture: x64
Logical processor count: 12
Processor speed: 4.1GHz
SqLite Version: 3.34.0
Built-in memory: 65437.7 MB
Real memory available to Lightroom: 65437.7 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 1812.1 MB (2.7%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 2742.9 MB
GDI objects count: 739
USER objects count: 2712
Process handles count: 1994
Memory cache size: 606.1MB
Internal Camera Raw version: 13.4 [ 872 ]
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 5
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2,AVX,AVX2
Camera Raw virtual memory: 701MB / 32718MB (2%)
Camera Raw real memory: 705MB / 65437MB (1%)
System DPI setting: 144 DPI (high DPI mode)
Desktop composition enabled: Yes
Displays: 1) 3840x2160, 2) 1920x1200, 3) 1920x1080
Input types: Multitouch: No, Integrated touch: No, Integrated pen: Yes, External touch: No, External pen: Yes, Keyboard: No

Graphics Processor Info:
DirectX: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER (30.0.14.7141)

Application folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom Classic
Library Path: V:\Lightroom\Digital\Digital-v10.lrcat
Settings Folder: C:\Users\xxxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) DxO PhotoLab 4
2) DxO PhotoLab 4 Importer
3) HDR Efex Pro 2
4) Loupedeck2

[GoldingD]

Library Path: V:\Lightroom\Digital\Digital-v10.lrcat

Your V drive, not a NAS correct?

Internal or external hard drives A-Ok, NAS not.

[ChristosT99]

Not a NAS. A common internal SSD drive.

[GoldingD]

Just a hunch with little to back it up, Windows OS, so a Paging file. How large are you allowing the paging file to get, perhaps more is called for?

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/how-to-manage-virtual-memory-pagefile-windows-10,36929.html

[ChristosT99]

I do not really think it has to do with the paging file size. I have 64GB RAM anyway, the paging file is not usually needed.

Lightroom uses just 2.7% of the available RAM...

[johnrellis]

"Most of the times Lightroom allows me to select up to two folders. As soon as I click to select a third one, the program becomes unresponsive (freezes)"

1. Try resetting LR's preferences:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/articles-page/how-do-i-reset-lightrooms-preferences/

LR sometimes soils its preferences file, and resetting it can fix all sorts of wonky behavior. That article explains how to restore the old preferences if resetting doesn't help.

2. Go to the catalog folder in Finder / File Explorer by doing Catalog Settings > General > Show. Inside the catalog folder, delete "<catalog name> Helper.lrdata" (be very careful about this).  It's safe to delete this folder -- LR will recreate its contents.  Among other things, LR caches information about folders here for use in the Folders panel, and perhaps LR has corrupted its contents.