Lost file folders in Lightroom CC but photos remain on computer hard drive?

I am having the same problem on multiple Win 10 PCs running LR Classic 8.1 which I recently updated to. I just noticed the problem  today and it appears with older and newly-created catalogs. I have called Adobe support and they have escalated the issue. I'm supposed to get a call tomorrow after 1 PM PT.

In the new catalog, no folders in the pictures folder on my C driver appear in the LR library. The photos in those missing folders are also not showing in the overall parent "pictures" folder (they have also never been imported). However, all of the folders how in the import interface. In older catalogs, some, but not all, of the older folders show in the library, but not the new folders--even if they have photos in them. Also, LR now seems not to be able to see my servers and the photo-related folders on them even though the servers are mounted and I can see them through File Explorer. Re-syncing does not help at all, even with the new catalog. I have "show photos in subfolders" checked, so that's not the issue. I will post back once I hear from Adobe support. I've been using LR since v1, so I feel comfortable that my settings are not causing the issue. Stay tuned.

Regards,

Andy

PLSPL  wrote File folders under my D: drive have disapppeared under FOLDERS in Lightroom CC. My photos remain on my hard drive within the correct folders. I think I may have accidentally clicked a command under the FOLDERS on the left side of Lightroom. I have not exited Lightroom so  am hoping to get the folets back. HELP?

Click on All Photographs in Lightroom. It's in the Library module on the left, under Catalog. Now, using the filter bar, can you find one of the photos in one of these folders, by searching for it by file name?

If so, then your photos are still cataloged in Lightroom and they have been (accidentally) moved to somewhere else. Right-click on the photo and select "Show Folder in Library".

Unless you can't find the photos in Lightroom, and you don't have a backup, DO NOT RE-IMPORT, DO NOT SYNCHRONIZE FOLDERS. These steps do not help, and will make the problem worse.

I would right click on the folder and select synchronize and that will find anything that isn't in the catalog and then offer you the option to add it to the catalog.

Click on a photo and select “show in folder” and then “show in explorer”. Are they seen?

Try “import photos”, focusing on the said folders. Are the photos grayed out as in “duplicate”? If not, then you can re-import but loose the original collection settings and correction ( I think).

If they are greyed out, then close the import window without doing anything and  in LR navigate to the folder to which the missing folders are attached and  click “expand folder“or similar. If that does not work, then place a dummy photo in one of these folders, import that photo. Then you will see the folder again.