• Welcome to the Lightroom Queen Forums! We're a friendly bunch, so please feel free to register and join in the conversation. If you're not familiar with forums, you'll find step by step instructions on how to post your first thread under Help at the bottom of the page. You're also welcome to download our free Lightroom Quick Start eBooks and explore our other FAQ resources.
  • Stop struggling with Lightroom! There's no need to spend hours hunting for the answers to your Lightroom Classic questions. All the information you need is in Adobe Lightroom Classic - The Missing FAQ!

    To help you get started, there's a series of easy tutorials to guide you through a simple workflow. As you grow in confidence, the book switches to a conversational FAQ format, so you can quickly find answers to advanced questions. And better still, the eBooks are updated for every release, so it's always up to date.
  • Dark mode now has a single preference for the whole site! It's a simple toggle switch in the bottom right-hand corner of any page. As it uses a cookie to store your preference, you may need to dismiss the cookie banner before you can see it. Any problems, please let us know!

Files with multiples versions

Status
Not open for further replies.

Cicero Rodrigues

New Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2018
Messages
7
Lightroom Experience
Intermediate
Lightroom Version
Lightroom Version Number
Ligthroom Classic
Operating System
  1. Windows 10
Hello,

Each file in my catalogue has two versions and I can’t delete one of them without deleting the other.

I didn`t create virtual copies. Both versions seems to be original.
One of the two versions of each file has an arrow pointing up, indicating that the metadata has been changed externally. But it doesn`t matter if I choose “Import Settings from Disk” or “Ovewrite Settings” the two versions of the image remain.

How do I get rid of one of these imagens ? If I try to delete one, the sister image is deleted also.

This thing is driving me crazy.
 

Attachments

  • Captura LR.jpg
    Captura LR.jpg
    314 KB · Views: 285
Are the filenames of each "pair" identical? If they are, then presumably only one file physically exists in the folder on disk? If so, then it would suggest some form of corruption in Lightroom, so I'd first try resetting the LR Preferences: How do I reset Lightroom's Preferences? | The Lightroom Queen
 
Hi Jim,

Thank you for your help.

I did reset LR Preferences, but nothing changed (except that now I am back to the default options of LR).
I have also tried “Synchronize Folder…” and “Save Metadata” with no effect.

Yes, both filenames are identical despite that the appearance (settings) of each image can be different. There is just one file plus just one XMP on disk. I have the option “Automatically write changes into XMP” marked on in the Catalog Settings, since I use other software outside LR (i.e. Adobe Bridge) to visualize, but not to move or delete the images.

I guess I have made some modification in Adobe Bridge (like rate changing) that messed up the LR catalog.




Are the filenames of each "pair" identical? If they are, then presumably only one file physically exists in the folder on disk? If so, then it would suggest some form of corruption in Lightroom, so I'd first try resetting the LR Preferences: How do I reset Lightroom's Preferences? | The Lightroom Queen
 
Last edited:
You say you didn't create virtual copies... At least on purpose. But perhaps you accidentally did?

If you have badges turned off, when you look at the bottom status bar that shows the filename, does one say something like ".../ copy 1"? (It's possible for the filename in the grid display to be set so as to not show the copy name.)

(And I can't see where your mouse is pointing, due to a browser problem here.)
 
Last edited:
Hi Hoggy,

I don't believe so. To make sure they are not virtual copies, I create one.

As you can see, the virtual copy has the characteristic “copy 1” name and the page-turn icon in the lower left corner.





You say you didn't create virtual copies... At least on purpose. But perhaps you accidentally did?

If you have badges turned off, when you look at the bottom status bar that shows the filename, does one say something like ".../ copy 1"? (It's possible for the filename in the grid display to be set so as to not show the copy name.)

(And I can't see where your mouse is pointing, due to a browser problem here.)
 

Attachments

  • Captura LR2.jpg
    Captura LR2.jpg
    345.9 KB · Views: 246
To be honest, I'm as mystified as you, I can't recall ever seeing something like this. I'm assuming that when you select a folder, such as the RAW folder from your original screenshot (photo count 263) the number of images in that count reflects only 1 "copy" of each "pair", i.e. in the Grid you actually see 526 thumbnails, is that correct?

One thing you could try, as a test, would be to right-click on that folder and select "Export this Folder as a Catalog", in the resulting dialog box provide a name for the temporary catalog and uncheck the 3 boxes at the bottom. When the export is done, use File>Open Catalog to select the catalog you just created to see if the same problem is still apparent.
 
Yes Jim, that’s basically what I have here.

The only difference is that I have two kinds of files in the “RAW” folder: edited and unedited. The edited files are the ones that generate a pair of images in LR. The unedited (i.e. files untouched inside or outside LR) generates only one image in LR, as it should be.

Update:
In order to isolate the problem, I moved (inside LR) the unedited files to a new folder named “Sobras” (Waste). Now the situation is exactly as you described. There are only 65 files inside “RAW” folder on disk, but LR counts and shows twice the images, i.e. 130.

I did the test you suggest, and the result was the same. Every single file on disk generated two images in LR.


To be honest, I'm as mystified as you, I can't recall ever seeing something like this. I'm assuming that when you select a folder, such as the RAW folder from your original screenshot (photo count 263) the number of images in that count reflects only 1 "copy" of each "pair", i.e. in the Grid you actually see 526 thumbnails, is that correct?

One thing you could try, as a test, would be to right-click on that folder and select "Export this Folder as a Catalog", in the resulting dialog box provide a name for the temporary catalog and uncheck the 3 boxes at the bottom. When the export is done, use File>Open Catalog to select the catalog you just created to see if the same problem is still apparent.
 
This is quite bizarre, unless I'm missing something completely obvious. Could you post a screenshot of the metadata panel (set to EXIF & IPTC) for each image in a "pair", i.e. two screenshots. Just want to see what LR thinks it's seeing, there may be a clue there.
 
Here go the screenshots.

The only difference I notice is “Metadata Status”.
One image says, “Up to date” and the other says “Changed on disk”.

If I click on the metadata icon (little arrow up) in the right up corner of the thumbnail, it opens a dialog box. Then if I choose “Overwrite Settings” the sister imagens change status. The one that says, “Up to date” became “Changed on disk” and vice-versa.

If I choose “Import Settings from Disk” in the dialog box, the two images start to have the same appearance (same settings) and both “Metadata Status” now says, “Up to date”. But I still have two imagens in Grid Panel for the same file.
 

Attachments

  • Exif 01.jpg
    Exif 01.jpg
    434.1 KB · Views: 250
  • Exif 02.jpg
    Exif 02.jpg
    451.9 KB · Views: 256
  • Exif 03.jpg
    Exif 03.jpg
    197.2 KB · Views: 233
That is a weird one. Can I take a quick look at the catalog Cicero? Just the .lrcat bit, not the previews. That might solve the mystery if I open it into a database editor to take a quick look.
wetransfer.png
 
Hi Victoria,

File sent.
The name of catalog is "Catalogo_18.037"

Only one folder has problems. The "Álvaro Dias" folder.
Others show normal behavior



That is a weird one. Can I take a quick look at the catalog Cicero? Just the .lrcat bit, not the previews. That might solve the mystery if I open it into a database editor to take a quick look.
wetransfer.png
 
Bizarre. Yes, I can reproduce it, but I can't spot anything obviously odd in the database. Do you mind if you pass it on to Adobe? And do you remember if it was like this right from import, or it started later?
 
Go on if you think it can be useful for the Adobe staff.
I am sort of proud of creating such a bizarre LR catalog :)

I don’t remember exactly when the problem started. I create a new catalog for every job. And since I use Adobe Bridge to look the images, import them to PS and manage JPG files, I check the option “Automatically write changes into XMP” in the Catalog Settings to see the editing I do in LR when using Bridge.

That is, I have to set the Catalog configuration every time I shoot a new job. Now and then I forget to do so in the moment I create the catalog. When that occur I change the XMP checkbox later, after importing files and even, after some editing, in order to sync LR with Bridge.
I guess this erratic workflow may have triggered some conflict in LR
 
Go on if you think it can be useful for the Adobe staff.
I am sort of proud of creating such a bizarre LR catalog :)

I don’t remember exactly when the problem started. I create a new catalog for every job. And since I use Adobe Bridge to look the images, import them to PS and manage JPG files, I check the option “Automatically write changes into XMP” in the Catalog Settings to see the editing I do in LR when using Bridge.

That is, I have to set the Catalog configuration every time I shoot a new job. Now and then I forget to do so in the moment I create the catalog. When that occur I change the XMP checkbox later, after importing files and even, after some editing, in order to sync LR with Bridge.
I guess this erratic workflow may have triggered some conflict in LR
Cicero,

Before Victoria submits the .lrcat file to Adobe, can I suggsest that you document as much as you can your "normal" workflow and what you did differently for this one job Catalogo_18.037. That might help the Adobe engineers spot the bug in their program. As a practical matter, they can't possibly test every possible variation in people's workflows, especially when Bridge and PS are part of the mix.

Phil Burton
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top