invalid path representation - subfolder - unable to remove

[fn2thailand]

Hi All - hoping someone has the answer to this problem I am using Lightroom 5.3 on a Creative Cloud Subscription / Win 7 64. I am not sure how it happened but the last import of adding 7 new RAW photos in a new sub-folder, choked - the folder was already on my hard-drive and I just had LR add them, I tried it again and it seems to go OK.

But then I noticed a greyed out folder with a ? stating "invalid path representation", with the same name of the one I just imported, at the top of my Folders directory. I cannot delete it - I optimize the catalog and it is still there - I exported the catalog to a new one and it's still there. It doesn't seem to be doing anything - the catalog seems to be working properly - 61,724 images. Just can't get rid of the sub-folder.

Thanks in advance for any help
Frank

 

[Jim Wilde]

Hi Frank, welcome to the forum.

I have to say I've never seen that before! How exactly did you try to delete it? What happens when you right-click and select "Remove"?

 

[clee01l]

Welcome to the forum. I'd guess there is a illegal character somehow buried in the path created by LR to that folder. It might be something like a colon ) which is legal if used in a folder/file label on OSX but not Win.

In the Folder panel header, click on the (+) on the right and check "Path from Volume" and take another screen shot. If you are unable to remove this folder from the LR folder panel and it does not exist on the HD either, your catalog may need some minor surgery. The safest way for you to manage this is to use the Export as Catalog menu option and export everything (selected folders in the folder panel except that one folder) as a new catalog. If you place this new catalog in the same folder as the original, you won't need to check any of the boxes in the bottom section of the Export as Catalog dialog.

 

[Jim Wilde]

The safest way for you to manage this is to use the Export as Catalog menu option and export everything (selected folders in the folder panel except that one folder) as a new catalog. If you place this new catalog in the same folder as the original, you won't need to check any of the boxes in the bottom section of the Export as Catalog dialog.

Frank already tried that, Cletus.

 

[clee01l]

Frank already tried that, Cletus.

Without including the squirrelly folder in the export?

 

[Jim Wilde]

Ah, perhaps not. Good thinking.

 

[fn2thailand]

Thanks Jim and Cletus - problem solved - "Export as Catalog" without selecting the offending folder -

 

[Jackie kramer]

Thank you all. I'm experiencing almost the exact same thing in Lr CC. I'm going to try exporting all but the offensive folder...

 

[clee01l]

Let us know if you are successful. The last user was running Windows. I see that you are on OS X .