Problem with conversion to the new Lightroom 9.3 catalogue

[nicold44177037]

I am working on Windows10Pro version 10.0.18362 Build 18362.
I downloaded and installed the latest upgrade of Lightroom Classic. At the end I was informed that my catalogues also needed to be upgraded and I confirmed to do it to my main catalogue, named Nicol-2-2. I did not check that the catalogue looked OK, but I did notice that it was called Nicol-3 after the conversion. When I opened it last night I saw that I ended up with a catalogue that looks like it was one of some time (months, if not years) ago.
In my workflow when I import photos into Lightroom Clasic I put the imports into folders and collections with shoot names. The collections I put in in a collection set called "Images for development". When I start working on those images I either delete them from the folder and remove them from the collection if I do not want to keep them, or I will put them into another collection to use later, or if I want to keep them but do not know where to use them at that stage I'll leave the file in the folder, but remove it from the collection. When I have dealt with all the images in the collection and I have no more images left in the collection I delete the collection.
When I opened Lightroom last night I noticed that there are several collections in there that I have already dealt with and deleted over the last few months. I just closed it without making a backup as I wanted to rather deal with it the next day when I am fresh.
When I opened the catalogue this morning it was still showing the collections I previously deleted. I then opened the previous catalogue, Nicol-2-2 and did not get the prompt to convert it I expected, but the catalogue opened and looked up to date. I checked the Lightroom version and it was 9.3 release and Camera Raw 12.3, same as when I open Nicol-3. I also notice that Nicol-2-2 contains 16180 images and Nicol-3 15117.I am now quite concerned that I might have lost some of my work, although I superficially examined the catalogue Nicol-2-2 and it seemed up to date. But then I am concerned why I was not asked to convert it?
Can someone perhaps advise me what I should do? Virtually my whole life's photography is in that catalogue.

Nicol du Toit

[dj_paige]

Nicol-3 would not be the upgraded catalog. It is likely an old catalog. When the catalog upgrades, it adds -2 to the name. So Nicol-2-2 is most likely the catalog you want.

You were not asked to upgrade/convert it because Lightroom Classic 9.3 does not require an upgrade of catalogs that were working in Lightroom Classic 9.0, 9.1 or 9.2.

[GoldingD]

Nicol-3 

Perhaps wrong catalog?

I was suspecting an old Lightroom 3 (Stand alone i.e. perpetusl) catalog, but the that would probably get updated and the name would be more like Nicol-3-2