Creating new Catalogue removes all files

[rogon1]

I am completely new to LR Classic, but was trying to catalogue my photos that I had already added to LR, I created a new Catalogue, which took me into windows explorer where my photos are stored, it prompted for a name I typed in name, the folder closed as did LR, when it reopend all the imported photgraphs had gone and it prompted me to import images, I did this twice and both times the same thing happened, what am I doing wrong. I was following a youtube tutorial.  

[dj_paige]

"I did this twice"

What did you do twice? Create a new catalog?

If so, that's what is supposed to happen when you create a new catalog. If you want to get back to the photographs you already imported, you don't create a new catalog, you open the existing catalog.

[DdeGannes]

That is exactly how Lightroom Classic functions. Ideally, you only need one Catalog. When you create a new Catalog, it's new empty database file. You need to view some tutorials then start over.

https://blogs.adobe.com/jkost/lightroom-training-videos 

[DdeGannes]

If you prefer reading material, there is a free book available at the link below.

https://www.lightroomqueen.com/ 

[Just Shoot Me]

Quote:

I am completely new to LR Classic, but was trying to catalogue my photos that I had already added to LR

End Quote:

At the end you typed LR. Is that the Cloud based Lightroom program?

Every time you create a New Catalog you have to name it and when it opens in LrC it will be empty because youm haven't imported any images to it.

I suggest you start by reviewing some online tutorials on what LrC is and how to work with LrC.

Lightroom Classic tutorials | Learn how to use Lightroom Classic

Also try this tutorial on what the catalog file is and how to work with it.

How Lightroom catalogs work

[Theresa J]

Information about your photos, including where they are located, image previews and any edits you make are stored in the Lightroom Classic catalog file. When you create a new catalog, none of the information from the previous catalog is known to the new catalog. Hopefully that makes sense. There is no need to create a new catalog. 

[JP Hess]

The catalog is THE file Lightroom opens, is the ONLY file Lightroom opens. You only need one catalog. Your images are not in the catalog. They are in folders on your hard drive or in other hard drives connected to your computer. The catalog is a database that keeps track of where those images are located as well as all the adjustments and other things you do with your images in Lightroom. The catalog must keep track of where those images are located in order to associate the work with those images. In order to have an image that has all of those adjustments as part of the image file itself, it's necessary to export a copy of that image. Lightroom does not make changes to the master image itself. Your concept of "cataloging" your images is apparently a little different than what the Lightroom catalog is all about. You can create collections in Lightroom, which will enable you to group images together from different folders. This does not move the images at all, but simply creates a sub organization of those images. And you can also create keywords and filter on those keywords to bring images together. But this is all done within the single Lightroom catalog.