"Lightroom encountered and error when reading from its preview cache and needs to quit"

[KennyBrandon]

I keep receiving this error every time I open LR, "Lightroom encountered and error when reading from its preview cache and needs to quit" and the app won't open. It said LR would try and fix this error next time I opened it but the error remains. I tried uninstalled and installing the app and the error remains.

Any Ideas here? Is there another app that may be telling it where to look for the cache and it no longer there? I was using a ramdisk for a bit but ditched it. Not sure if that has something to do with it but it seems suspect.

Your thoughts?

--Kenny Brandon Wilson

[Ken G. Rice]

Moved from the Creative Cloud to the Lightroom forum. They will be able to help you here.

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

You need to delete the Preview Cache.

It is located in the same folder as the Lightroom Catalog. The preview cache name ends with Previews.LRDATA and should be deleted. Do not confuse this with *.LRCAT, which should not be deleted.

[KennyBrandon]

NICE! It worked like a charm. I'm back up and running. Thank you.

Kind Regards,

--Kenny Brandon Wilson

Twitter: @kennybrandon

[Packman007]

I have exactly the same problem. It started appearing when I moved my entire file structure to an external drive. However, the first seesion I used the files on the external drive, LR worked fine with no errors. In my second session, it also worked well for sometime, and then I started experiencing this error. Initially, I deleted the preview file as recommended on this forum. It would work for a while, then the error would appear again. Now, it appears almost regularly.

I am using Macbook Pro Retina display, LR5, external drive 1TB Toshiba. Any help/ideas greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[areohbee]

If problem increasing in regularity, consider you may have a failing hard drive. Hopefully, if you act soon enough (move catalog to better drive, or replace existing drive), you won't end up with a trashed catalog and have to re-import..

PS - failing ram can also result in symptoms resembling failed hard drive - so if drive not the problem, check ram.

Rob

[lohm94]

After weeks without Lightroom is working! thanks, I just copied the complete file structure to my SSD and it worked like a charm! 

[IMDAD HUSSAIN]

WAT WE SHOULD DO TO

RUN

[areohbee]

IMDAD HUSSAIN wrote:

WAT WE SHOULD DO TO

RUN

Delete preview cache.

For more info, read this thread, or others more like this (see this page - right and up..), or do a forum and/or internet search.. - all the info you need is readily findable - you can't miss it if you look..

[kboycephoto]

YES! Thank you so much. Worked beautifully! After a failed chat with Dujamdkmlknf in who knows where, you are a lifesaver.:)

Warmest regards,

Kelcey

[scott_martin]

This worked. Thanks!

[jdphotobiz]

Thank you had the same issue

[luciano_lobito]

Kenny I´m having the same problem but when a reinstalled catalog folder disappear so I can´t rename, delete or moving this folder. Do you remember were was placed the Catalog preview folder after you reinstaled LR?Garetto

Thanks!

Luciano Garetto

[esheato]

I'm having the same problem.

Last week LR was working fine. Yesterday I come home from vacation, and LR won't launch, and displays this error before shutting down. I found this post and deleted the preview data and it launched. I did my import and development like normal and close the software. Next time I go to open it, same error.

It's to the point that I have to delete the previews data EVERY SINGLE TIME prior to opening the software. This is ridiculous. Is there a long term fix available?

Thanks,

Ed

[esheato]

Talked to Adobe support this morning, this is their response in case anyone else is looking for help. I'm running a Windows 7 box, LR 5.6.

  Gokul: Click on start and type %appdata%, then open roaming folder.

  Edward: ok

  Gokul: Open Adobe folder.

  Gokul: Open Lightroom folder.

  Gokul: Open Lightroom folder> Preferences.

  Edward: ok

  Gokul: Rename Lightroom 5 Preferences.agprefs file as Lightroom 5 Preferences.agprefsOLD.

  Edward: OK

  Gokul: Please check if you can launch Lightroom without any error.

  Edward: it shows me a welcome screen and is asking me to select my country

  Edward: aka, register the software

  Gokul: You can skip and launch it.

  Edward: LR catalog not found

  Gokul: Please select the catalog.

  Edward: my original catalog?

  Gokul: Yes.

  Edward: testing integrity of catalog

  Edward: loaded just fine

  Gokul: Okay.

  Gokul: Please check if you can re-launch it again.

  Edward: yes, it worked!

  Gokul: Excellent!

  Gokul: Since your preferences were corrupted you were facing issue so we renamed the preferences file to reset it.

  Edward: aha....ok

All of my import/export presets were intact along with develop user presets. I'm happy as a clam for my $10/month!

[DivineG]

I'm having the same error and have tried every solution in this page with no luck.

I am not finding the Preferences.agprefs file as discussed in the solution from support.
Any suggestions?

[DivineG]

I was able to get it to launch again but loaded my latest catalog. Is there any way to load what I have been working on since my last backup or is it all lost?

I've now changed to backup more often but is everything I have worked on since my last time gone?
Thanks in advance,

[beverley]

I can't find a preferences file either. The problem all just started today when for the first time in a year I was asked to register Lightroom for some strange reason.

[beverley]

ok I found the preference file and changed to the agprefsOLD one but have no idea how to get to my catalogue files, i must be stupid, but I can't locate and so I'm still stuck with the same error message. Am getting very upset. Photoshop never does this kind of nonsense to me.

[silvasys]

This part of the call dialog ultimately solved my situation with similar problems:

       Gokul: Rename Lightroom 5 Preferences.agprefs file as Lightroom 5 Preferences.agprefsOLD.

       Edward: OK

       Gokul: Please check if you can launch Lightroom without any error.

I tried all the steps on this thread and also updated the software but this final step got me up and running.  Now I have to figure out how to rebuild the catalog with the metadata I imported them with,

[gmhanna]

Hi - I can't find the preferences file you are mentioning.  What directory will it be in?  It's very strange how this works, I can do hundreds of pictures no problem, then I'll get a bunch of these errors in a row, then things are fine again.  Is there a timeout value that is exceeding trying to read the data?  My connection is not always fast.

Thank you,

Glenn

[jettam]

It worked after several attempts.

[em61714452]

Very nice. It Works. Thank you for sharing.

Ejvind

[chantalt16656199]

Thank you - Gokul aka Esheato  - worked like a charm and I have not lost anything... Wow.   I started getting knots in my stomach about anything I might loose.

Thanks Again !!!!

[Huffy62]

Thank you, worked a treat.