"?" Ghost Files and how to restore??? Please help!

[gregsurf]

So I deleted some files by mistake but was saved when I had the "?" (ghost) images on my screen. I was going to do screen shots of these and rework on them. I mistakenly put the first screen shot image back into the same catalogue and it erased all the ghost images I wanted to take the screen shots of! Is there any way to restore Lightroom to an hour ago to get these "?" ghost images back? please help!!!

 

[dj_paige]

You deleted files by mistake. We all do that. Did you delete them from your hard disk, or just from the LR catalog? Did you check the recycle bin?

If you have backups of your catalog (or even better, backups of your photos), the whole problem goes away. If you don't have backups, why not?

I don't understand how you "put the first screen shot image back into the same catalogue". Do you mean you imported one image into the catalog? Same file name, or different file name as the original? In any case, this should not affect any of the other images, and the other ones with the "?" must still be in your catalog. You need to turn off any filters that might be in place (Ctrl-L) and search for these "?" images.

By the way, what do you mean "erased all the ghost images"? Do you mean they are not in the catalog; or that they are in the catalog with no thumbnail? Or something else?