Lightroom Classic 9.3 unable to read .HEIC files?

[alichty]

I have been importing images from my iPhone to LR Classic 9.3 (Camera RAW 12.3) to store the images in my master calatog but as of the newest update LR is telling me that the files are damaged and can't read them. ACR in Photoshop can read these files and the PS preferences even shows an option for Camera RAW to import the .heic files. 

Any reason why this no longer works in LR Classic? When I  open files that were imported to my catalog with the .heic file extensions and try to go into Develop I get a message saying "the file appears to be unsupported or damaged". These are files I imported and in some cases done edits to with the earlier LR Classic versions without problems.

{Moved from Lightroom Cloud to Lightroom Classic Forum by Moderator}

[johnrellis]

There have been a couple of other reports about this, but no one has followed up with the requested troubleshooting details.  As first steps:

1. Reboot the computer.

2. Please copy here the first ten lines from the menu command Help > System Info.

3. Provide a screenshot of the error message you see when you try to edit one of the previously imported .heic photos in Develop.

How to make a screenshot: https://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/help/createscreenshot/

4. Upload one of the problem .heic files to Dropbox or similar and post the sharing link here. That will help determine whether the issue is with the photos or with LR or your computer. (It's more likely something with LR or computer than all your photos, but let's double-check.)

[Use the blue reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[alichty]

Well I hate it when this happens - I rebooted to follow your steps but while was looking through .heic files from a couple of months ago so get some examples I noticed that I was not getting error messages. I checked on the new ones including from this morning and all of them opened just fine......

I have rebooted within the last day so no clue why rebooting just now should have behaved differently as I had seen the problem for a few days now. 

Once upon a time this solution was refered to as the BRS function key. Still seems to be useful for your step 1.

[johnrellis]

Glad the problem went away, at least for now. In 1990, it made sense to reboot early and often, but 2020?  Unfortunately so.

If the problem comes back, just pick up with the troubleshooting steps.

[Use the blue reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[sheriorts]

I am on a mac running Lightroom Classic 9.3.  I work with NEF, jpg and heic files.  Starting about 1 month ago (I think) I started having a problem where after some period of time using LrC I get the error "File appears to be unsupported or damaged" when I try to go to the Develop module.  This only happens with heic files and when it occurs it is a problem with every heic file I try.  It doesn't matter if it is a new heic that I import or one that I've had for awhile.  The problem never happens with my other files (NEF or jpg).  Closing LrC and reopening resets and I can work on files again (for some period of time).  This seems like a problem with Lightroom?

[alichty]

I have seen this same message and have used the same fix as you - restart Lightroom. 

[johnrellis]

Another person was getting the "damaged" message every time an HEIC was opened in Develop, and Preferences > Performance > Camera Raw Cache Settings > Purge Cache eliminated the errors.  So give that a try. 

As mentioned before, there have been just a few reports about this error message. It's clearly affecting a very small number of users, since otherwise we would have seen a flood of reports about it, given how many people use iPhones.  So it's very important that you add details of your issue to this topic in the official Adobe feedback forum, where Adobe wants all bug reports:

https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family/topics/new-lr-9-3-classic-cant-work-with-heic-files 

Please include the first ten lines of Help > System Info and everything you've tried to date.

Without at least more than one or two people reporting the error, or alternatively a precise recipe that can reproduce the error, Adobe is unlikely to spend any time investigating it. (Note that Adobe engineers read everyting posted in the feedback forum but rarely participate here and won't see these posts.)

[Use the blue reply button under the first post to ensure replies sort properly.]

[alichty]

System info:

Lightroom Classic version: 9.3 [ 202005281810-476e492c ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en-US
Operating system: Mac OS 10
Version: 10.15.5 [19F101]
Application architecture: x64
Logical processor count: 8
Processor speed: 2.7 GHz
SqLite Version: 3.30.1
Built-in memory: 16,384.0 MB

The message about damaged or unreadable file is intermittent and restarting LR usually makes it go away. I did follow your links and ran the bootup diagnostics - this showed no errors with the system RAM. I will try the Cache purge next time I see the message. I am not getting the message after reloading the system and LR.

[vandevyver]

This must be a bug in Classic 9.3
I never had this problem until recently, by 'pure' coincidence with an LR update...
Clear cache, stop LR, start LR --> solved for a while.

Adobe, can you fix this please.

[polarmedia]

Well well, looks like I am joining the group. I have the same bug !

All my phone and computer have up to date os and apps. Can Adobe release an update to fix that ?

[polarmedia]

I must be in the lucky group, from the group that have ananoying bug, but restarting the comptuter did "seem" to have fix it... for this time at least. I was able to export my HEIC images (in JPG), and I don't see the error message over my images when I browse them in the Edit panel.