Lightroom "Unexpected Error Opening Catalog"

[Regina Melo]

Hello!

I do hope someone can help me, I never thought this would happen. I just had my first photography session, downloaded it on my external hard drive, took a look at the pictures in Lightroom, and went out to run some errands.

Coming back, Lightroom is not working! It can get some files from other years, and the beginning of this year, and I got the message "Unexpected error opening catalog". Googled about this error by could not find any answers. 

I checked my external hard drive and the photos are there, but Lightroom can't find them when I try to import them.

Please, I need help!!!!

[cmgap]

Have  you  completely rebooted your  computer? Do you have a recent backup?

If you  run  into the  same problem when you  try to open Lr again there are a few things  to try... open a backup if you have one an reimport the images. If you  dont have a backup you can try to repair the catalog... upload a screen shot with the error message.

[Regina Melo]

Reboot is re-start the computer? I've done it many times. It seems my LR catalog(s), backup(s) are all over the place. At one point I got the message 'the request could not be performed because of an I/O device error', and I thought my external hard drive had got corrupted. Did some test, my photos are in the external drive and it's working.

[Regina Melo]

How can I attached a screen shot to this thread? Some of my Lightroom files somehow ended in my external hard drive (???) and some files that are on my EHD I can open with Camera Raw but LR does not find them.

[dj_paige]

Welcome to the new Lightroom Forums, where not being able to upload a screen capture in your reply is a bug they will fix at some point.

Nevertheless, this problem of LR not being able to find photos is not the same as the one you started this thread with. Please look at this document for the solution: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

[Regina Melo]

Hi dj_paige, everything was just a rollescoaster, one thing led to another. Somehow, everything is connected. It's like every time I re-started my computer a new problem happened with LR.

[Regina Melo]

I would like to add that I never move my files outside Lightroom, and have some of LR files in my external hard drive is  .How can, safely, I take these files from my EHD? And where to place them?

[Regina Melo]

Something funny with this new forum, I get some replies on my mailbox but can't find them here!

[Regina Melo]

Regarding my Lightroom files being scattered, some in the hard drive some in the external hard drive, I don't know how this happened, I've never done it intentionally . I just back up it every time a leave Lightroom and never change anything else. Is there a safe way to bring all the files that are in the external hard drive back to the hard drive to keep them all together?

[dj_paige]

Copy (not move) a recent backup of your catalog file to a brand new folder, and see if it will open. Also, if that doesn't work, try placing the backup of your catalog file on a different disk than the original catalog was on, and see if it will open from there.

[Regina Melo]

Did you see my reply above? I got to believe the problem is that somehow my Lightroom files ended up in external hard drive. So many catalogs, I'm lost... some are still in the computer hard drive. 

[cmgap]

Hi Regina - sounds a bit messy. It's easier to manage one catalog vs. many catalogs and use an import preset so that your images go where you want them to go every time you import images. Also easier to manage one central location for all of your photos. If it isn't too painful you may want to ensure that all of your images are on your EHD and start a new catalog.

[Regina Melo]

Regarding my Lightroom files being scattered, some in the hard drive some in the external hard drive, I don't know how this happened, I've never done it intentionally . I just back up it every time a leave Lightroom and never change anything else. Is there a safe way to bring all the files that are in the external hard drive back to the hard drive to keep them all together?

[cmgap]

There are a couple of ways this can happen. The most common is that your previous import went to your external drive, then you imported again without the drive being connected and Lr defaulted to your Pictures folder. I'd recommend the exact opposite of your question. Keep all of your images together in one location - On your External Hard Drive and then make a backup of that drive. This way you can keep more space available on your local hard drive which helps your system performance. As your hard drive fills up it is likely your computer will slow down. Hope this is helpful.

[Geoff the kiwi]

 To attach screen shots or any files reply using the blue Reply button on the original post. Then you have the edit tools as shown

[Regina Melo]

Thank you for the tip Geoff_the_kiwi