(macOS) LightroomC doesn't read photos from external drive (which I have been using for years)

[darney992]

I have a Western Digital My passport for Mac that I use as mass storage for most of my Lightroom catalog. When I want to edit photos I simply plug in this external drive and get to work. Today it has stopped functioning. 

The contents of all the folders is unavailable, as if I moved the location of the files, but I haven't!

I cannot import anything from this drive as Lightroom is telling me there are no pictures on this drive even though I have YEARS worth of photos on this drive. 

Please help, I'm at the end of my rope here and I just want to fix this.

P.S clicking the conversation type deletes everything you just wrote and I just nearly died from frustration I had to retype everything. Oh my god please.

{Thread title updated by moderator}

[Sameer K]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. We're sorry for the trouble with Lightroom. I'd love to help you figure this out.

Could you please share the version of Lightroom Classic & the macOS you are working on?

Please try this step on the external drive.

• Search for Disk Utility from Finder's spotlight search or magnifying glass.
• Run 'First Aid' diagnostic on the external drive. Check this to learn more: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210898
• Restart the computer

If this does not help, please check this thread and ensure Lightroom Classic is added under Full Disk Access & Accessibility in the macOS preferences: https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/quick-tips-how-to-give-full-disk-access...

Let us know how it goes.
Thanks!
Sameer K