Sudden Missing Files without LR Denoting Them As Missing

[emmyg81160221]

Lightroom has all of a sudden stopped being able to access photos from one of my hard drives.

When I try to export the photos it looks like it does but then the folder is empty after exporting.

I try to open them up in photoshop and it gives me this message "

Lightroom was unable to prepare the selected file at /Volumes/Backups 3.0/Celebrate Again/Elopements/Cannon Beach Elopement 2020 | Blanca & Billie | Nov 1, 2020/Raw/Cannon-beach-elopement-2020-5640.NEF for editing.

It will not be opened."

However it will not label the photo as "file is missing" 

I've clicked on creating a virtual copy and it says "

The file could not be found."

But then I click on "show in finder" and it shows me exactly where it is in the hard drive.

I have had to move photos from the old hard drive reupload, and then re edit them or apply the saved catalog if I have one.

I have no idea what to do since the photos aren't showing up as missing for me to reconnect them.

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

Go to MacOS 'System Settings - Security & Privacy' and add Lightroom Classic to "Full Disk Access". Click on the lock icon to unlock the settings, then click on the plus icon to add Lightroom Classic if it isn't already listed. If it is listed, then just enable the checkbox.

[emmyg81160221]

THank you thank you!!! This fixed it! You're a gem!

[Rob_Cullen]

In a Windows system the 'Pipe' character [|] cannot be used for folder names.

Also your folder path names contain commas [,] fullstops [.] and the Pipe [|].

/Volumes/Backups 3 [.] 0/Celebrate Again/Elopements/Cannon Beach Elopement 2020 [ | ] Blanca & Billie [ | ] Nov 1 [ , ] 2020/Raw/

I would suggest that Lightroom-Classic treats these as "Illegal Characters" with uncertain consequences.

Can you [Edit in] a file from LrC to Ps if it is NOT in a folder path that contains illegal characters?

[JohanElzenga]

These characters are all valid in MacOS folder names, and as the problem occurred "all of a sudden" I don't think this is causing it. I do agree it's a good idea to avoid those characters in folder and file names however.