Catalog within a catalog was written over. Cannot access photos.

[irauwolf]

Lightroom Version

Lightroom Classic version: 7.4 [ 1176617 ]

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I admit that I have never really understood Lightroom. I believe that I somehow had a catalog within a catalog. When I opened the top catalog, Lightroom forced me to open it as a new catalog2. The catalog within was named catalog2 and must have been overwritten, because I cannot access the photos in the original catalog2. Is there any way to access the photos without a catalog (probably a stupid question). Unfortunately, I had no backup catalog.

 

[clee01l]

I admit that I have never really understood Lightroom. I believe that I somehow had a catalog within a catalog. When I opened the top catalog, Lightroom forced me to open it as a new catalog2. The catalog within was named catalog2 and must have been overwritten, because I cannot access the photos in the original catalog2. Is there any way to access the photos without a catalog (probably a stupid question). Unfortunately, I had no backup catalog.

The exact catalog name would be helpful here. There is no such thing as a catalog within a catalog. The catalog is a single file with the extension “*.lrcat”. If you have upgraded to a newer version of Lightroom, the old structure from the old master catalog may need to be updated to the new version structure. Adobe used to append “-2” to the catalog file name. Now with the latest version of Lightroom, the new version structure of your master catalog has “-10” appended to the catalog file name. This may be what has happened.

The catalog contains “information” about your images files. It does not contain your image files (photos). So you have no t lost any thing. What is needed is to find out which “*.lrcat” file has your Lightroom information.
In Lightroom, navigate the menu to {Help}{System info...} and copy the contents of the dialog box back into a reply. From there we should be able to get you back on track.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[irauwolf]

Lightroom Classic version: 7.4 [ 1176617 ]
License: Creative Cloud
Language setting: en
Operating system: Windows 10 - Business Edition
Version: 10.0.19041
Application architecture: x64
System architecture: x64
Logical processor count: 4
Processor speed: 3.4 GHz
Built-in memory: 16325.7 MB
Real memory available to Lightroom: 16325.7 MB
Real memory used by Lightroom: 391.1 MB (2.3%)
Virtual memory used by Lightroom: 603.7 MB
GDI objects count: 677
USER objects count: 2295
Process handles count: 2727
Memory cache size: 4.5MB
Internal Camera Raw revision: 976
Maximum thread count used by Camera Raw: 3
Camera Raw SIMD optimization: SSE2,AVX
Camera Raw virtual memory: 30MB / 8162MB (0%)
Camera Raw real memory: 30MB / 16325MB (0%)
System DPI setting: 96 DPI
Desktop composition enabled: Yes
Displays: 1) 1920x1080
Input types: Multitouch: No, Integrated touch: No, Integrated pen: No, External touch: No, External pen: No, Keyboard: No

Graphics Processor Info:
DirectX: AMD Radeon HD 7700 Series (26.20.12028.2)



Application folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Lightroom Classic CC
Library Path: G:\PictureFolder\Lightroom\Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat
Settings Folder: C:\Users\Illona\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Lightroom

Installed Plugins:
1) AdobeStock
2) Canon Tether Plugin
3) Facebook
4) Flickr
5) Nikon Tether Plugin

Config.lua flags: None

Adapter #1: Vendor : 1002
D

 

[irauwolf]

The exact catalog name would be helpful here. There is n such think as a catalog within a catalog. The catalog is a single file with the extension “*.lrcat”. If you have upgraded to a newer version of Lightroom, the old structure from the old master catalog may need to be updated to the new version structure. Adobe used to append “-2” to the catalog file name. Now with the latest version of Lightroom, the new version structure of your master catalog has “-10” appended to the catalog file name. This may be what has happened.

The catalog contains “information” about your images files. It does not contain your image files (photos). So you have no t lost any thing. What is needed is to find out which “*.lrcat” file has your Lightroom information.
In Lightroom, navigate the menu to {Help}{System info...} and copy the contents of the dialog box back into a reply. From there we should be able to get you back on track.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I did what you asked. I have attached a screenshot of my Lightroom. Before this happened, on the left side there was Lightroom Catalog.lrcat and Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat . When I opened Lightroom Catalog.lrcat the program had me make a new catalog named Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat (which was the name of the second catalog. That's where I think my original Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat was written over (which had 12,000 photos. Now I cannot access those photos. What a stupid mistake.

 

[clee01l]

You are running a fairly old version of Lightroom At some point in this process (after the dust is settled) you should update to the most recent version called Lightroom Classic v10.

You might have several catalog file named “Lightroom Catalog.lrcat”. If they are not created by the same version that you are opening (presumable LR 7.x) then Lightroom is going to want to convert that catalog to the current structure and append the -2 to the old catalog name. If there is already a “Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat”. In the folder, the operating system won’t let you overwrite the first instance of “Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat” in that folder.

So at this point, open Lightroom and take a screen shot or list the contents of the sub-menu dropdown. {File}{Recent Catalogs...} This will show me the last few catalogs that you have opened and where they might be located.

The next this to do is search your file system for files with the “*.lrcat” extension and the path to them. One of these will be your master catalog with all of your previous work.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Califdan]

I think there may be some other confusion as well. the OP has his images on a Seagate External drive in a folder called "Lightroom Catalog-2 ??????" (can't see the rest of the folder name in the screen shot). I'm concerned that Irauwolf may be confusing the actual LR catalog with the images folder. This could be where the idea of a catalog within a catalog came from.

I'd like to see a File Manager screen shot of the folder where the catalog(s) are and another of the Seagate drive if they are in different places.

 

[clee01l]

I think there may be some other confusion as well. the OP has his images on a Seagate External drive in a folder called "Lightroom Catalog-2 ??????" (can't see the rest of the folder name in the screen shot). I'm concerned that Irauwolf may be confusing the actual LR catalog with the images folder. This could be where the idea of a catalog within a catalog came from.

I'd like to see a File Manager screen shot of the folder where the catalog(s) are and another of the Seagate drive if they are in different places.

Good point. However, those sub folder manses look like the sub folders is the Previews folder. The previews Folder would be named “Lightroom Catalog-2 Previews. lrdata. Not “...lrcat”. This is why it is important to see the Recent catalogs list and a search on all of the “*.lrcat” files in the file system.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[irauwolf]

You are running a fairly old version of Lightroom At some point in this process (after the dust is settled) you should update to the most recent version called Lightroom Classic v10.

You might have several catalog file named “Lightroom Catalog.lrcat”. If they are not created by the same version that you are opening (presumable LR 7.x) then Lightroom is going to want to convert that catalog to the current structure and append the -2 to the old catalog name. If there is already a “Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat”. In the folder, the operating system won’t let you overwrite the first instance of “Lightroom Catalog-2.lrcat” in that folder.

So at this point, open Lightroom and take a screen shot or list the contents of the sub-menu dropdown. {File}{Recent Catalogs...} This will show me the last few catalogs that you have opened and where they might be located.

The next this to do is search your file system for files with the “*.lrcat” extension and the path to them. One of these will be your master catalog with all of your previous work.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[irauwolf]

I think there may be some other confusion as well. the OP has his images on a Seagate External drive in a folder called "Lightroom Catalog-2 ??????" (can't see the rest of the folder name in the screen shot). I'm concerned that Irauwolf may be confusing the actual LR catalog with the images folder. This could be where the idea of a catalog within a catalog came from.

I'd like to see a File Manager screen shot of the folder where the catalog(s) are and another of the Seagate drive if they are in different places.

 

[irauwolf]

I did a file search on G: Seagate. Here is the screenshot

 

[irauwolf]

I have some backup files on my hard drive. Unfortunately, I stopped backing up on 8/16/2017. All of my photos from Italy are after that so I don't want to use a catalog file that might not include them. Thanks for helping me figure this out. I really need to buckle down and learn Lightroom after I get through this.

 

[irauwolf]

Ooops. I need to apologize. Turns out I had the wrong drive plugged in. Seagate drive must have had some backups but there were no photos. I just moved and things have been hectic. I plugged the right drive in and my photos were there. I will take your advice and upgrade Lightroom. Also, I will begin to study Lightroom more. Thanks so much for your help!