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Known Participant
November 13, 2023
Question

UPDATE: Issue fixed * Unable to locate old catalogue, help needed

  • November 13, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 186 views

Hi all,

 

I am at a loss how to locate an old catalogue. When I go to my catalogue locations on my pc, they all open showing zero photos. I think these are catalogues Ive tried opening and had to rename them and for some reason they are empty. I have about 20 of these empty catalogues.

how can I find from my computer by info or other means which one has my photos on it as it has to be here somewhere?

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1 reply

dj_paige
Legend
November 13, 2023

Use your operating system's search feature to search for all files in all folders on all disks whose name ends with *.LRCAT

 

Each file found is a Lightroom Classic catalog file. Most likely the largest one is the one you want (but no guarantees either).

 

Also, you do have backups of your catalog file, don't you?

Known Participant
November 13, 2023

Hi

 

When I enter *.LRCAT in my search bar it comes up with zero results.

 

How do I know if Ive backed up my catalogue? is that automatically done?

Known Participant
November 13, 2023

@gavins33007671 wrote:

 

When I enter *.LRCAT in my search bar it comes up with zero results.

 

Did you search all folders on all disks?

 

Backups are performed when you exit LrC, you should see a screen that asks you if you want to make a backup now. If you have never seen this, then you have turned this feature off. Use your operating system's search feature to find .zip files, some of them may be LrC catalog backups.

 

You should always know where your backups are stored. You should always have backups being made automatically. You are the only person responsible for the security of your data, if you don't do it then you wind up in the situation you are now in where you may have lost everything.


Back ups I realise I always do, every time I close the program with the promt. 

 

Have now checked where the back ups are stored.

 

I'm well aware it's my responsibility, hence trying to fix this. Now the issue is solved on my missing catalogue, I went through some old ext drives and found it on there with all photos, so they aren't lost. 

 

Thanks for the prompt to check all drives