New photos won't import, thumbnails greyed out

[raelow]

In Lightroom Classic CC, which I updated tonight, when I try to import new photos, some of the thumbnails will become greyed out, as if they were duplicates, and I can't import them. I know there was a thread on this issue previously, but I can't find it, and I was hoping the update would fix it. It doesn't appear to have done so. More than half of the photos on my card are unable to be imported. It appears to be random. Has a fix been found?

This is what my screen looks like. Please note: These are NEW images, they have never been imported, plus you can see that "Don't Import Suspected Duplicates" is not checked.

[Just Shoot Me]

When thumbnails are grayed out in the import dialog window that mean those images are already in the LR catalog.

Once you get done with your current import use the File Name from one of those grayed out images to search for it in LR using the Filter Bar Text option, File Name

[raelow]

Nope. I rename all files with the date. There are no other file names that are the same. I finally got them into LR by copying them into a folder on my desktop, and then importing them. That worked, since they aren't duplicates. I suppose I can keep doing that, but it's clunky and time consuming.

[Just Shoot Me]

OK have it your way.

But the only time images are grayed out in the import dialog are when LR thinks or knows those images are already in the LR Catalog File.

It's not only the name that LR looks at.

It also looks at the file size and capture time/date.

I also see that you image files have name like "IMG_0016.CR2". Well unless you just got this camera it looks like you have the camera set to reset the file naming count back to 0000 every time a card is formatted in the camera. That IMHO is a very Bad idea.

Did you even bother to do a search in LR for one of the file names of the grayed out images and or used the Search feature of the OS to search for one of them. Or did you just dismiss that idea?

Oh and even if they are duplicates if you put them in some other folder LR may not see them as duplicates.

[jonnym61509098]

I have a related problem.  I am trying to backup all my images and have copied all my images by year and date onto a large external hard drive.  I have a few months of photos in 2018 when I was travelling to the US which simply won't load into lightroom.  They also come up as greyed out.  When I try what was suggested above and find the file name and then search for it -  I don't get the actual images but rather files with the same name which take the form of for example Seattle Art Museum masks

The word masks is added to the filename and all the images that come up are plain grey in colour with no detail. 

Please help

[Just Shoot Me]

Your problem has nothing to do with the topic of this discussion. 

You need to Start a NEW discussion and state the exact problem you are having and all you have done to remedy the problem. 

[dj_paige]

raelow  wrote

Nope. I rename all files with the date. There are no other file names that are the same. 

Lightroom uses the original file name and not the renamed file name to determine duplicates  (as well as file size and exif capture date).

I finally got them into LR by copying them into a folder on my desktop, and then importing them. That worked, since they aren't duplicates. I suppose I can keep doing that, but it's clunky and time consuming.

There have been bugs previously reported that if the camera is always reset to start with file name of 0001 each time photo shoot, then sometimes Lightroom gets confused and thinks these are already in the catalog. If that's the case, uncheck "Don't import suspected duplicates".

[Patrick24079863abq4]

I have a similar problem.  It apparently thinks it's imported them, but when I go to develop, it says the photo is missing.  All of my new imports are subject to this.  

[rocketman1222]

Yeah, this is a legitimate bug.  This has been happening to me periodically since I upgraded to 7.3.  It is *not* that the images are duplicates.  I can put the card in the camera, take a few pictures, then immediately put the card in the reader and start the import dialog...and it comes up blank.  Then I simply restart Lightroom, and it properly sees those new files as new.  It's pretty plain that Lightroom is mistaking new files as duplicates for some reason.