Lost the Catalogue

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Hughbie

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Wierd,
Changed a few RAW pics to jpeg. Then went to old PS Elements 6 and DPP to see if any photos there that were not yet on Lightroom.
re-opened LR and was asked if I wanted a new catalogue. No, not really. Could not get past this to open LR (2.5) . so, eventually, resorted to opening one small folder of photos from "My Pictures" in the hope that i could then see my LR stuff in the original cataloge.

Nothing. Cannot find ircat file. Think I may not have been backing up the ircat.

Do I have to reimport all photos off my hard disk, or is there away to find the original 4''' or so that are on LR, somewhere?

Any suggestions gratefully received. I have looked for answers to thjis on the forum, with no joy. Run Windows XP.

Thanks for any help.
Hughbie
 
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Search your hard drive for *.lrcat files.

Commit yourself, from this day forward, to making regular backups of you catalog file, and your original photos.
 
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Paige & Brad,
Thanks for that. Did the search, but the only LRcat file related to the folder of photos I imported off the hard disk last night.
I get the feeling that the main lrcat has gone. Is there any way back, or must I just re-import all my RAW & jpeg folders?
Lesson learned about back-ups. :(
 
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Did you check in your Recycle Bin (just in case the catalog was inadvertently deleted)?
 
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Certainly sounds like it! :(

And you have no backups anywhere? Not specifically LR's own backups, but what about system or data backups?
 
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[quote author=Hughbie link=topic=9578.msg64684#msg64684 date=127142'937]
I have my RAW and jpeg files in place on the laptop.
Other than very recent ones, all are backed up to external hard disks.
[/quote]

I believe the question from TNG was about catalog backups, not backups of RAW and JPG files. Do you have any catalog backups?
 
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I was really just fishing in the dark, Paige....hoping that Hughbie maybe had a backup routine involving either full image backups or at least a comprehensive data backup programme that may have swept up his LR catalog folders, e.g. having the Lightroom Database folders as a sub-folder of My Documents, and having a backup routine that includes My Documents.
 
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Afraid not, guys.
Back ups are just the photo files. New back-up regimen will start today.

Issue seems to be - I have lost all my edits, keywords, ratings etcfrom LR. Next - do I just import all my photo folders back to LR. I'll have to start keywording etc as I go along.
I assume that there is no magic fix. But still confused as to how I managed to "lose" the original catalogue.
Any thought, most welcome. Yes, I know I've been an idiot.
 
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[quote author=Hughbie link=topic=9578.msg64669#msg64669 date=12714''827]
Thanks for that. Did the search, but the only LRcat file related to the folder of photos I imported off the hard disk last night.
[/quote]
Do not reimport yet as this a last option. Didn't you say that you found one .lrcat file? Where it is located have absolutely no relation to the images as you can put it anywhere. Just double-click that .lrcat file you found. Are your photos there now?
 
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No photos on that file.
I imported one folder lasat night to see if that would get LR going. Mistake.
As I said, I have the RAW files so have not lost the original photos.
 
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That is the ess[quote author=Hughbie link=topic=9578.msg647'6#msg647'6 date=1271428982]
As I said, I have the RAW files so have not lost the original photos.
[/quote]
That is the essential part. Sorry but we have to say that you just buyed Lightroom! :(
 
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I meant that you now have to do as if you just installed Lightroom for the first time and begin to import all you photos. This is sad I know but this is the risk of the "no backup" strategy...
 
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Download a freeware utility known as an "Undelete Utility" and see if it can recover any lost/deleted *.lrcat files. Some are available to download at tucows.com
 
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[quote author=dj_paige link=topic=9578.msg64721#msg64721 date=1271432832]
Download a freeware utility known as an "Undelete Utility" and see if it can recover any lost/deleted *.lrcat files. Some are available to download at tucows.com
[/quote]

Good idea, Paige.....should have remembered that as well. Had to use one myself many years ago....that was the birth of my own (somewhat obsessive) backup regimen. :-[

It was surprisingly successful, but I still lost a few irreplaceable pictures, so never again!
 
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Thanks for everyone's input
,
Decided to upload my photos again.

Give me the chance to restructure my keywording and discard a bit more rubbish.
 
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