Catalogue and Folder structure mismatch

[TrevorG]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom Classic version: 7.5 [ 1186149 ]

Operating System

1. Windows 10

Suddenly the Folder structure showing in Lightroom Library does not correspond to the Folder Structure in "My PC" Windows 10. I have been using Lightroom for over 2 years and this is the first time I have had this problem. I always import my images from my camera into dated folders on my hard drive, and then import into Lightroom. Yesterday Lightroom couldn't see the latest folder. I deleted the folder from my PC and reloaded the images. Same problem. Also the structure and naming of the folders has changed in the library and does not resemble the folder structure on the PC. As a result I cannot access the majority of my images that were once in Lightroom. Any suggestions please?

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Start by posting (a) screenshot(s) that illustrate the problem. Folders in Lightroom are real folders on disk, so if they don’t match then Lightroom should show ‘missing folder’ warnings. Also have a look at this: Lightroom thinks my photos are missing—how do I fix it? | The Lightroom Queen

 

[Victoria Bampton]

Lightroom couldn't see the latest folder

Hi Trevor, welcome to the forum!

When you say it can't see the latest folder, do you mean it doesn't show up at all? Or is it showing in the Folders panel but none of the photos show up?

 

[clee01l]

The folder panel only shows folders from windows explorer that have images cataloged in them. If you add a folder in windows explorer, it will not show in the folder panel until you have imported images from that folder.

 

[TrevorG]

Thanks for your help, but I am aware of how Lightroom, the catalogue and the files on the PC interact. I have no idea what happened on my computer that has caused the current chaos, but in the absence of any other explanation, I am blaming my cat that I found sleeping on the keyboard when I went to make tea. Somehow a batch of around 50 folders were renamed and moved to a different location in lightroom, but not on the PC hard drive. . I have a work around, I have to rename the folders and move them back to the original location in lightroom. I have to rename them because the file still exists on the PC under the original name. After each folder is moved lightroom hangs and I have to intervene and stop the operation. It is then fine and working in all aspects. I have no explanation, but I am half way through and so far all is well.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

I am blaming my cat that I found sleeping on the keyboard when I went to make tea. Somehow a batch of around 50 folders were renamed and moved to a different location in lightroom, but not on the PC hard drive. .

I don’t see how your cat could possibly do that, or anyone else for that matter. You can’t move/rename folders within Lightroom without doing the same on disk. You can only do the opposite: move/rename folders on disk without Lightroom knowing that.

 

[TrevorG]

Just to be clear, I don't actually believe that dear old Roxy managed, with her paws, to achieve something that should not be possible. All i do know is that in the Lightroom library a bunch of folders appeared in a location I don't use to store photos, with prefixes added to the file names. These folders did not show in that location in windows explorer. In addition not all the files in the folders were moved, which made it difficult just to move the folders back again. Anyway I am managing to restore everything to normal. I offer no explanation other than some computer glitch perhaps, and will not worry about unless it happens again.