LrC edits completely disappearing randomly

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Last night I was working on a set of photos and using the AI Denoise relatively frequently. Not sure if it is related, but I've lost at least 4 full edits in this set already in 1-2 hours of working on this catalog. 

Is it possible the catalog is corrupt (I created a new catalog for this import, so that any existing issues with another catalog wouldn't affect it), or is it because of using AI Denoise, or would this have anything to do with the photos living on an external drive vs the local hard drive? I cannot for the life of me figure out what the problem is, but definitely cannot keep spending time on edits that disappear spontaneously. Never had this issue with Lightroom Classic before but I have seen it in Capture One once before. 

Quite simply put, a photo will suddenly revert to its original state without any of its edits and I believe I have not touched or done anything. There is no "undo" option. The edits are just lost and I've rebuilt them each time this happened. 

[KR Seals]

It's not entirely clear to me, are these issues happening in the new catalog completely in one editing session?

It would be helpful if you post this information:

[DdeGannes]

At @defaultf2hu7rkheniz , you stated

"Is it possible the catalog is corrupt (I created a new catalog for this import, so that any existing issues with another catalog wouldn't affect it), or is it because of using AI Denoise, or would this have anything to do with the photos living on an external drive vs the local hard drive?"

Please indicate if you have the option "Automatically write Metadata to XMP" sellected in the original Catalog?

[KR Seals]

@DdeGannes Would that situation cause a metadata mismatch error?

[DdeGannes]

When you imported the images into the new Catalog all the edits you did to the original images would be applied at import.

P.S. The post was intended for the Author of the thread.

[KR Seals]

What is your process in using LrC and Capture one concurrently? Start to finish, please.

Where the original photo files are located should have no effect on the processing steps. If the connection to the drive is interrupted, you will be a file missing indication (!), If you are using smart previews, you won't even miss a beat. This problem seems strictly related to the catalog.

[DdeGannes]

@KR Seals , I am sorry, I thought I was responding to the Author's post to my original response. I now notice that he has not responded.

[DdeGannes]

@KR Seals , I do not know what is happening but if he was not "Automatically writing Metadata to XMP" or saving that manually from the menu bar the edits he did in the original Catalog would not be applied to the import to the new Catalog..

Sorry for the confusion but I did not address the second part of the Author's inquiry.

With respect to Capture One I am presently not using that application.

Also if he is not saving Metadata to XMP the work done with the original Catalog would not affect the second Catalog,

Lightroom Classic can only open and communicate with one Catalog, at any point in time.

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

"When you imported the images into the new Catalog all the edits you did to the original images would be applied at import"

There are no edits. Original raw files were imported into a brand new Catalog. There is no concurrent work in Capture One. That is a completely separate batch of images. I sometimes will start a new Catalog for a new type of shoot so this is approximately my 10th new Catalog, with all the settings as they were except changing to backing up on each exit. Automatically write into XMP was not checked but it has not been in the past 5 Catalogs either. (However, thank you for mentioning as I will alter that in future, having wondered about the safety of the metadata for prior collections. ) 

I believe it is LrC v12.4  Camera Raw 15.4

Macbook Pro M2 on Ventura 13.1 - again all of the other catalogs operated fine. 

The only difference is that I began using a connected spinning hard drive on a dock converter w USB-C to USB-A for editing rather than onboard hard drive storage. I have not been doing this for long. Could the increased slowness have caused some kind of issue with speed? People used Photoshop with spinning drives for ages. But perhaps the "effort" required in denoising is too much. What do you think? 

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Denis, I have a question based on something you said as well - 

My first LrC catalog I sync'd with iCloud, it became corrupt because they were not syc'd properly. 

After that, every time I would open LrC it would say there was an issue, but it could not be repaired and nothing would perform badly. 

I don't use that catalog any more but is this going to be an ongoing problem? I would not be inclined to believe this is related to the current losing edit issue, as it has not happened on any other catalog so far, but including it here. 

Also, Capture One folk requested some information in order to look into the loss of the edit, but at that point I was just too frustrated with the program in general to continue so I did not pursue it. I have not tried to open those files in another system at all. 

[DdeGannes]

Lightroom Classic can only sync one Catalog to your Creative Cloud account, so since you likely synced a second Catalog then returned to to the original things may have got muddled. Do you recall getting a warning dialog when you switched the Catalog?
You may need to Reset your sync data see the link below for for more info. You can also do an online search for other options.

https://lightroomkillertips.com/sync-stuck/

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Thank you Denis, I actually did not sync it to Creative Cloud but instead stored it in iCloud and then accessed on another computer. I have since not used that catalog (moved the latest version and used it in a non-Cloud location from then on) but still would receive a notice each time I opened Lightroom. If I would try to fix whatever the popup said, it would not, but all my catalogs seemed to be functioning normally so I had it dismiss this popup. 

Now I am wondering if the issue with losing edits is mainly related to the speed of the external drive containing the raw files. I cannot think of any other change on my end (user) which may lead to different performance. If transitioning from full screen to grid view often results in edits disappearing I imagine the original file needs to be accessed, which could cause some issue if it cannot happen fast enough? Not sure. I use standard previews when importing so that is fine for editing within the window but as I understand so far, the original file needs to be accessed for a larger preview or more zooming in. Do you think this is why the program is doing this? It is super strange to me that there is no "undo" for such a sudden reset of all the sliders. 

[DdeGannes]

@defaultf2hu7rkheniz , you have stated.

" Thank you Denis, I actually did not sync it to Creative Cloud but instead stored it in iCloud and then accessed on another computer. I have since not used that catalog (moved the latest version and used it in a non-Cloud location from then on) but still would receive a notice each time I opened Lightroom.".

Lightroom Classic is a non destructive editor, it never actually changes the original images all the edits are stored in the LrC Catalog file. If you sent copies of the images to iCloud the original images would be sent to storage in iCloud and the edits would not be viewable outside of Lightroom Classic.

You would have to first export the images from Lightroom to a folder on your computer those images will have the edits done in Lightroom written into the newly created copies. Those copies should than be sent to iCloud storage for viewing with other applications.

Other applications cannot read the edits that are stored in the Lightroom Catalog.

[DdeGannes]

@defaultf2hu7rkheniz , you can download a free ebook of Lightroom Classic to get you on the right track.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com

I you prefer go to the link below and view free video tutorials by Julieanne Kost in the use of Lightroom Classic.

https://jkost.com/blog/lightroom-training-videos

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Hi Denis, yes, I understand how the program works. Do you know why the notice would pop up? 

Again, any clue why the edits would disappear? 

I am NOT speaking of the original raw files. I am merely stating that the edits are LOST in the Lightroom Classic program in both Library and Develop. 

I am extremely familiar in how the references work, in terms of non destructive edits. I am not referring to attempting to view these in any program besides LrC. 

Again. My edits are disappearing WITHIN LIGHTROOM CLASSIC. 

I asked if there is a problem with the program when it needs to retrieve the raw file from an slower external drive connection, since previews are only built to a certain extent. Usually I will see a spinning wheel before a full screen preview if there is such delay. Other times, previews will not show edits in Library but will in Develop. This was annoying but tolerable, as the sliders did not reset. 

I am speaking of the image edits being RESET without having done so on my end, thus, my work disappearing. 

I am not speaking of attempting to read those files in Capture One. I do not mix C1 and LrC edits, as it does not work. 

Please let me know if I am not being clear, I appreciate your recommendations. 

[DdeGannes]

Could you post a screen capture of the notice that pops up?

Could you try resetting your LrC preferences this ca help when you are experiencing strange behavior. See the link below.

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/setting-preferences-lightroom.html

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

My workflow is a disaster. This problem I posted has gotten to crisis level. Edits are disappearing randomly on photos every 3 switches from Library to Develop, without even using full screen previews. I am even saving metadata using Command+S.

Horrible. I just exported what remains to Original plus XMP, and have no idea if I can even open these files in a new catalog. I've redone two images now, and have to submit these within minutes for a job. 

Absolute nightmare.

Please, look into this problem. I am not a novice user. I cannot attach a screenshot. Just imagine that you work on an image, work on another image, return to library, and all your work is DISAPPEARED on the first image. I do not have all day and all night to redo. I have done one image three times already. 

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Any chance this catalog is toast? 

I've exported originals plus XMP and now have to re import that original somehow from a new location because one image has lost its edits twice already while I update the captions for each image. 

Really?!!! 

[DdeGannes]

Have you selected "Original" in the File settings of the export dialog? If you select original you will get a copy of the original with no edits. See the screen capture.

[DdeGannes]

@defaultf2hu7rkheniz , you stated "Horrible. I just exported what remains to Original plus XMP, and have no idea if I can even open these files in a new catalog. I've redone two images now, and have to submit these within minutes for a job. "

Please post a screen capture of the export dialog so other users can see what choices you have made.

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

I am NOT talking about exporting. 
I had to export originals plus XMP to SAVE. I'm talking about the LIGHTROOM WORKSPACE. 
I had to export XMP files while they were still there with the edits because LIGHTROOM IS ERASING MY WORK somehow. 

do you just not want to admit Lightroom is not working? Wow. 

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

I will make this impossible not to understand:

1) EDIT PHOTO IN DEVELOP. 

2) SWITCH TO LIBRARY AND CLICK DIFFERENT IMAGE. 

3) RETURN TO PHOTO YOU EDITED IN STEP 1. 
4) EDITS SHOW AND IMMEDIATELY DISAPPEAR AND REVERT TO NON-EDITED VERSION. 

There is no way to screenshot this. 

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Where do I report a bug or find out if the catalog is corrupt? 

NO NOTICE POPS UP. 
This is just what the catalog is doing. Hopefully not my entire program. I do not know if I need to abandon all of the photos in this catalog because perhaps something would transfer to a new one but I am going with that for now (always creating many small catalogs instead) as I have received no suggestions as to this issue. I understand that you keep asking questions that would be logical but unfortunately I am not a novice user, and this is not logical behavior for a program to me either. 
I'm not asking any more whether I am doing something wrong, because I am not. I am asking how to deal with this situation and the bug that is causing it. 

[DdeGannes]

You have lost me completely with your last two posts.

I do not experience what you have if I follow the steps you stated in your last post.

Maybe another user can provide a solution.

There is an option to reset your Lightroom Classic preferences file, this procedure can cure "wierd" problems. See the link below for info.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/how-do-i-reset-lightrooms-preferences/

[defaultf2hu7rkheniz]

Thanks Denis. I am trying to report a bug. You should not be able to replicate it. I cannot replicate it purposely. 

I do not want to reset the preferences as they would apply to all catalogs. 

I just want to know how to diagnose a catalog in case it is the catalog which is corrupt, or some other bug. 

Can anyone point me to the proper channel to have this checked by Adobe?