OS (C:) missing from Folders in Lightroom Classic 2024; only question marks appear

[johnb85879550]

I just installed Lightroom Classic 2024 on a new Windows 11 laptop. My images are stored on an external drive and appear in LR, however, the OS (C:) folder and subfolders are greyed out; each displaying a question mark. So, for example, I can't access the subfolder Pictures to import images into my Catalog. Thanks for yout help.

[dj_paige]

Really confused by this explanation.

You just installed LrC on a new laptop and then what did you do? Somehow you are now looking in a catalog, but you don't say what this catalog is or where it comes from. Please explain the steps.

The question marks can be fixed via these instructions. https://www.computer-darkroom.com/lr2_find_folder/find-folder.htm

[johnb85879550]

What I did: 

I opened  Lightroom Classic.

My catalog was not there. There was a new, empty catalog that was located on my C: drive. 

I opened Windows Explorer and navigated to my catalog, which is stored on my external E: drive

I doubled clicked it and the catalog opened in Lightroom

I wanted to import a few Photos that I had previously stored in Pictures on the C: drive, however, as you can see in the snag that I included, that part of LRC is greyed out and there are question marks at each subfolder.

I don't think I did anything else, but who knows, involuntary/spastic actions can happen. 

Thanks for your time.

[dj_paige]

I wanted to import a few Photos that I had previously stored in Pictures on the C: drive, however, as you can see in the snag that I included, that part of LRC is greyed out and there are question marks at each subfolder.

Still confused. Why would you need to import? There is no need to import any photos here if they are already in the catalog. But importing never ever ever ever solves question marks on the folders. The solution to the question marks on folders is given in the link I provided.

[johnb85879550]

Why I want to import: Because I want to add the photos into my LRC catalog. But really, that's irrelevant. The fundamental problem is that OS C: drive is missing.  Once it'sback, I can easily import the photos. 

[dj_paige]

Importing is not the solution. Fixing the question marks is the solution. Both I and @JohanElzenga have given links to the proper method of fixing the question marks.

[JohanElzenga]

Your C: drive is not missing. It's there and it's green, indicating that it is working just fine. It's just the folders that are missing. Did you use a different username on the new computer? Your screenshot (I repost it here for the sake of @dj_paige , who uses some obscure browser that can't display attached images) shows these folders as 'missing', probably because their full path contains a different user name than the new computer uses). You can 'reconnect' these folders using this method: 

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/lightroom-photos-missing-fix/ , but the images shown in these missing folders won't be on your new computer, unless you copied them to the exact same folders on the new computer.

[johnb85879550]

Thank you, Johan, for your help. I followed the instructions in the link that you provided, but I could not find any of the folders, other than Desktop and Pictures. I searched everwhere for the various photos, but could not find even one. I searched my external drive and my C: drive. All I can think of is that these had been deleted at some point in the past. Not moved, of course, as searching would have turned them up. There weren't that many images (considering that I have nearly 200,000 in LRC), so I just deleted the folders and will move on. I spent way too much time on this already. Let's call this matter "closed."