Lost all my photos while dragging them in lightroom CC

[lucl47922008]

Today, I was dragging some photos into the "All Sync Photo" to sync them to the mobile app, as I've done often. I decided to drag all my 2020 folder photos in one move to sync them all (above 300)....big surprise, they all disappeared from my disk drive and also from the cloud, no message nothing. I spent close to 2 hours with Adobe support...but no one understand what happened...I am very desperate that I lost 6 months of photos...Anyone can help...

Thanks

[DdeGannes]

Welcome to the forum.

This is the Lightroom Classic forum which is a user to user forum and the responses you receive here will be from users like yourself. To be able to provide clear and prompt responses we need to have sufficient information about ht problem you are experiencing. See the screen capture for more info.

If necessary you may need to post the info of your problem in the Lightroom (cloud-based) forum not the Lightroom Classic forum.

[Just Shoot Me]

I have no idea what happened.

But AFAIK the All Synced Photos entry in the Catalog section of the left hand side panel is NOT for Dragging and Dropping inages into to Sync them with the LR Web and Mobile system.

In LR Classic you have to place images you want to sync up with the Web and Mobile systems in a Collection (or Collections) and then SYNC that (Those) Collections.

So first what exact version of LR are you using?

[lucl47922008]

LR Classic v9.2.1

I understand that it may not be the way to sync, but the pictures should not disappeared and deleted for my disc without asking.

Thanks

[dj_paige]

But you do have backups of all your photos and your catalog file, don't you?

[lucl47922008]

I do, since I am using LR for a long time, but no back up for my latest pictures taken with my Canon. Hopefully, the one taken with my IPhone or GoPro were in the apple cloud. I thouht I was protected with creative cloud but realized that I wasn't. Very frustated when paying for 2TG of space. Was not expecting my pictures would be deleted without asking permission to!

Thanks

[lucl47922008]

Is there a way to recuperate picture by opening another catalog that show the pictures but It says "missing picture" or when using my IPad (stop syncing), I see all the pictures but can not save them anywhere?

Thanks

[Todd Shaner]

"All Synced Photos entry in the Catalog section of the left hand side panel is NOT for Dragging and Dropping inages into to Sync them with the LR Web and Mobile system."

The ability to drag & drop image files into the 'All Synced Photographs' entry in the Catalog panel was added in LR 6.7.

http://www.computer-darkroom.com/blog/2016/09/20/lightroom-cc-2015-7-and-lightroom-6-7-are-now-avail...

For staters I suggest checking the 'All Photos' and 'Deleted' folders at lightroom.adobe.com/. If in the Deleted folder you can undelete them. If not there I suggest searching all drives attached to your system for one of the missing image files using Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder.

[lucl47922008]

Thanks Todd, they were deleted when I moved them. I was able to find them in the "Deleted" folder. Strange that by moving them they ended up deleted!

Thanks again.

Luc

[DdeGannes]

Quote "The ability to drag & drop image files into the 'All Synced Photographs' entry in the Catalog panel was added in LR 6.7."

Todd, I was not previously aware of this feature. So just for clarification, if a file is selected from a folder in the Library Module and moved via drag, to 'All Synced Photographs' what happens?
Is the original file moved from the folder on your HDD to your Adobe Cloud Storage and available for being assigned to an Album in Lightroom Mobile?

If  so this could be a useful feature.

[lucl47922008]

Hello,

Actually, I've done it several times before that one and it worked. I bring RAW photos from my Canon to LR Classice then drag the files to "'All Synced Photographs' and they were sync to the cloud while remaining on my HDD. Except when I tried to move a lots of photos, they all disappeared!

[Todd Shaner]

Glad you found them. I suggest backing up your catalog and all of the image files and trying the same drag & drop again and see what happens. If it happens agan we'll need to investigate further.

[lucl47922008]

Yes, actually, all my picture hace a back up, except the one taken in 2020. I though the creative cloud (I got 2TG) would be safe.

Could you tell how to bring all the pictures back in ligthroom classic. After restoring them, there is a lots of pictures that I see in ligthroom on the web but they are still missing in LR classic.

Thanks again.

[Todd Shaner]

"Yes, actually, all my picture hace a back up, except the one taken in 2020. I though the creative cloud (I got 2TG) would be safe"

Please do not use the Creative Cloud as a backup! LR Classic only uploads lower resolution 2560 px long edge file copies. LR Desktop (i.e. Cloud version) uploads full-size images and can also be stored locally.

"Could you tell how to bring all the pictures back in ligthroom classic. After restoring them, there is a lots of pictures that I see in ligthroom on the web but they are still missing in LR classic."

It sounds like the missing image files were imported using LR Desktop Cloud version. To get them imported into LR you'll need to assign a location on your image file drive to store download an original copy of the files locally as shown below. You will then be able to import them into LRClassic as you would normally. I highly recommend that you do NOT use both LR Classic and Desktop in this manner as a part of your normal workflow. Some people do and have a workflow that they understand the limitations and use for specific purposes. I have very little experience using both LR Classic and Desktop Cloud version in this manner. I suggest seraching the LR Classic and Desktop (i.e. Lightroom) forums and perhaps the Web for more info.

[lucl47922008]

Hello,

I can see most of my photos (RAW files) in the Cloud version of LR (either on my IPhone or the LR CC on my computrer), but they are still missing on my HDD. I did the steps you mentionned but they are not transferred.

Thanks

[Todd Shaner]

"Is the original file moved from the folder on your HDD to your Adobe Cloud Storage and available for being assigned to an Album in Lightroom Mobile?"

The original file is not moved or copied to Cloud storage. It simply uploads a 2560 px long edge smart preview to the Cloud, which is accessible via the LR ecosystem (Classic, Desktop, Mobile, Web). This is the same as creating and syncing a collection in LR Classic except the files that are dragged and dropped are not in a collection. That's why the reviewer at the link I provided said, "I’m not convinced it’s an improvement though." To find the files you'll need to search for them by date, filename or keyword. Also when you now remove photos from a synced collection in LR Classic you 'll see the below confusing popup. You have the option to remove the photo from the collection and keep it in 'All Synced Photographs, or remove it from both. If you want to share files that were dragged and dropped you'll have to move them into a collection or create a share link for each and every picture. I guess if you only have a few files synced in the Cloud it's not too hard to find drag & dropped photos, but it will get more difficult as you add more, and more files. Personally I wouldn't use it.

[DdeGannes]

Thanks for the clarification Todd.

[Todd Shaner]

"I can see most of my photos (RAW files) in the Cloud version of LR (either on my IPhone or the LR CC on my computrer), but they are still missing on my HDD. I did the steps you mentionned but they are not transferred."

So you have 'Store a copy of all originals at the specified location' checked. What do you see at that folder location? Please post a screenshot. Here's what I see:

[lucl47922008]

[lucl47922008]

But there is all may RAW photos in LR CC, but not transfers into the "originals folder". 

[Todd Shaner]

They are in subfolders in each of the year date folders on your hard drive. Here's an example of one on my system. You can import ALL of the orignal files by selecting the top-level folder named 'Lightroom CC Originals' in the LR Classic Import module and selecting 'Add' as shown below. This will "add" them to your LR Classic catalog file and allow editing the files.

[lucl47922008]

Hello Todd,

The problem I have is that I can see my RAW photos when I use the LR CC apps, but they are not in the "originals" HDD subfolders. So when I try to import there is nothing to import. Why can I see the RAW files in CC?

Thanks again

[DdeGannes]

If the Lightroom CC apps you are referring to are Lightroom (cloud-based) desktop-based app and Lightroom Mobile apps on tablets and smartphones then the answer is simple those applications work with the files in your Adobe Cloud storage and not with the files on your HDD.

Lightroom Classic works with the files on your HDD and syncs images from the Collections you have selected for syncing to the Adobe Cloud storage.

There are two Lightroom applications for your computer, Lightroom (cloud-based) and Lightroom Classic.

Lightroom (cloud-based) is equivalent to the Lightroom Mobile apps.

Lightroom Classic is Computer-based and has superior features to the new Lightroom application. See the screen capture.

 

[DdeGannes]

If you wish to Import photos directly into Lightroom (cloud-based) application from your computer then open the application and in the top left of the window, click on the + sign and there will be a popup to allow you to browse the computer and locate the files on your HDD to select the files on your HDD.

This will upload the original files to the Adobe Cloud storage. Working with Lightroom Classic and Lightroom (cloud-based) on the same computer can create some challenges.

LR Classic requires the original files on your Computer and Lightroom (cloud-based) stores the original file in the Adobe Cloud. See the screen capture.

[lucl47922008]

Thanks. But I am trying to recuperate my raw photos one the cloud back to my HDD. They disappeared when I moved them to All Synch Photos in LT Classic (desktop). I can still seem them in mobile LR (raw photos). But can't bring them back to my HDD.